The Circlejerk of Modern Theater

>>9223035
Try to avoid being white or male.

>>9223035
Become a memeber

plays are the most reddit form of """literature""" in existence

>>9223179
>>9223242
lol, no shit. Everybody wants SJW bullshit in their theaters now. I've got a fantastic revenge tragedy, I really want to elevate theatrical language back to a high standard but I can't very well do that if everybody's demanding play submissions only from black/transgender/disabled playwrights. Sometimes, people just want to go see a show about suffering.

>>9223259
what is the basic gestalt of your revenge tragedy?

>>9223265
"The Death of the Artist" is a two-act play running about 115 minutes with one intermission. It's a five-character (plus 1-2 extras) show which explores two periods of time in the life of a troubled young artist who, upon meeting a mysterious woman, discerns his life is not what he thought it was. The far-reaching consequences of his discovery will result, by play's end, in eight deaths, including his own, but serve the audience as an opportunity to ruminate on the experience of life, death, and consciousness through the downward spiral of a heartbroken man full of talent and poisoned by spite (and, eventually, his obsessive wife). The language strives to elevate English vernacular by use of subtle meter, rather than settling for the clipped, sitcom-esque dialogue that seems to be the growing trend or purpling the prose to a florid degree. It is, strictly speaking, a variation of a story I wrote before, in the form of a novel, but the stageplay features an entirely different second half and a denouement which can only happen in the medium of theater. I am very, very excited and proud of it, and very optimistic about its chances: it's really just a matter of finding the right contests and theater companies.

>>9223035
I also feel similar, OP. Just got to keep at it. Some competitions want entries from diverse backgrounds (and they'll claim they won't favour those over something written by a white guy but it can be tough sometimes to not be convinced by that). But just keep at it - even if your work isn't being accepted, people start noticing that you're trying to get your foot in the door. Sometimes, if they liked what you wrote before but it wasn't suitable or wasn't quite as good as they expected, they'll still keep an eye on what you do because you're potential.

Stay optimistic, despite that being difficult at times (fellow playwright/screenwriter here) and if it's available, always ask for feedback as to why it was/why it wasn't chosen/shortlisted for production.

What can also help is if you try creating something independently: a little money, a low-budget script and an enthusiasm to promote wherever and whatever you do can do wonders.

Please keep going though, anon. Any time a writer struggles but keeps going on, it's motivating and inspiring for the rest of us. Most writers do form communities within themselves because they know it's difficult to make money in a creative industry like writing.

Even a submission to multiple competitions (even without being put into production) can gain attention from agents, producers, directors, etc.

>>9223552
*"it can be tough sometimes to be convinced by that" is what I meant

>>9223552
Thank you, I appreciate your support. I have been going through the same thing with trying to find a literary agent off and on for the past couple of years (on publishable novel number 2 now, [probably the 8th or 9th I've written]) and it's a tiring process. I've started up again this year and since January 1st have sent out probably 20-30 query letters with a list of 30-40 more agents to try. Playwrighting seems even more cloistered and discouraging, but I will keep looking. Thank you, Anon.