How to Write Plays.com

The Playwriting Podcast, hosted by Ken Wolf, Off-Broadway Producer and Artistic Director of Manhattan Repertory Theatre, offers strategies and techniques for playwrights (and writers in general) "to get out of their heads" and write better, feel more motivated, get into that CREATIVITY ZONE, find more productive ways to complete a play, and to simply have more fun creating! 

Each episode explores a different topic and what works and what doesn't work, so that you can jump start your playwriting and take your career to the next level!

In this episode, I talk about the curious and very useful practice of LIVE EDITING to make your play more powerful and more fun. And I invite you to step out of your Comfort Zone, and BE UNCOMFORTABLE, for Magic lives there. It really does.

In this episode, I go into a deep dive on Play Development using Rawshock by Rita Lews as the shining example. You won't believe how many times we have reworked this play, and even after we have closed Rawshock, there is more script work based on what happened in performance.

This is a quintessential lesson in Play Development. Don't miss this!

And yet another GREAT review of RAWSHOCK by Rita Lewis! I shared excerpts of Scotty Bennett’s review from theaterscene.net, and I talk about WHY RAWSHOCK IS SO GOOD. Why we are getting such great notices. Check this out. And come see RAWSHOCK - last performances : Friday November 1 at 7 pm, (2024,) Satureday November 2 at 7 pm, and Sunday November 3 at 3 pm. Tickets at manhattanrep.com

The first reviews are out for RAWSHOCK by Rita Lewis and they are nothing less than SENSATIONAL. We are so excited about this production and about the work we are doing with this play. Check out this episode to get the scoop on the first reviews, the scoop on RAWSHOCK and how audiences are loving it, and so much more.

For tickets to RAWSHOCK by RITA LEWIS:

https://www.manhattanrep.com/get-tickets-to-rawshock

I continued talking about the process of Directing RAWSHOCK by Rita Lewis. If you are serious about play development and production, check this out. Learn why a play is the most important art form on this planet, and more! And get tickets to RAWSHOCK if you are in NYC October 18 - November 3, 2024.

Get Tickets at the link below:

https://www.manhattanrep.com/get-tickets-to-rawshock

In this exciting episode, I go into great detail about the DIRECTING process, as I share with you how I am directing RAWSHOCK by Rita Lewis, opening October 18, 2024 at Chain Theatre Main Stage theatre in Midtown Manhattan. This information is great for playwrights, actors, and directors. Don’t miss it. I dive in deep on this process of bringing this stunning new drama to life. Check it out!

In this episode, I introduce the cast of Rawshock by Rita Lewis, and I talk about Play Development and my intentions on directing RAWSHOCK!

In this episode, I talk strategy to make your play concise by daring to give up and toss away the dialogue, the page, or even the scene that you absolutely love, that doesn't serve the dramatic action of your play! Sometimes you have to catapult your "Pretty Darlings" into the trash, and it is not fun, but having a compelling and concise play IS FUN. Check this out, if you are hoarding your PRETTY DARLINGS at the expense of your play.

Episode 413 of da Playwriting Podcast: Inside and Outside Problems vith Professor Albert.

“I have stolen da podcast forever. Dis is no longer Mr. Volf's podcast. He is locked in da basement until da end of time or sooner!

GET BACK IN DERE OR I WILL SING TO YOU!!!!! GET IN DERE NOW!

"Edelveiss...

Edelveiss...

Every morning you kiss me

Small und vite clean und bright

You look happy to miss me!"

Come listen to me as I teach da amazing playwriting, und tell you da secrets to the Universe so you can be da greatest playwright in da vurld, almost as good as me!

Dis time on dis podcast I talk about Inside Problems und Outside problems vatever dat is.

You are a very special and beautiful human being. (I am only saying dat for I want you to listen to dis podcast. He He He!)

Do you have vat it takes to be great playwright?

Do you have da supreme motivation?

Do you have indigestion?

Den listen to dis podcast and learn from da greatest playwriting coach in da vurld:

Professor Albert, da greatest playwriting coach in da vurld! Dat's me!”

Wanna create some magic in your playwriting world? Check out this episode of The Playwriting Podcast where I explore MINDSET AND MAGIC and I focus on MINDSET, FEELING SET, and TAKING ACTION and learning to live in the present in an expansive and positive place. Rock your playwriting world, and rock your life!

Don’t miss this episode as I share the crazy, wild, and amazing story of crazy clear intention, inspired action and solving what should have been an impossible situation, as I hunted for a lost bag at JFK airport, that disappeared from JFK airport!! This is super fun and holds an important life and playwriting lesson. Again, check this out!

In this episode, I continue to explore the Craft of Playwriting, and I share with you some more super important principles to be aware of when writing a great play. Yes, you! Learn something new and put it into action. Check this out!

In this episode, we journey back to the Craft of Playwriting, and I share with you some super important and very cool principles to be aware of when writing a great play. Learn something new and put it into action. Check this out!

More on our Musical Reading of Ascending! Learn how feedback is important when developing theatre! All feedback is useful, if you don’t take it personally. Check this out.

In this podcast, I talk about my current Musical project which is so much fun. I am involved in a very cool presentation, a Musical “Reading” of a new jukebox musical called Ascending by John Baldwin which is going up in Midtown Manhattan on July 11, 2024. This is a fascinating process, and I am working with an awesome Musical Director and a great cast of super talented performers. Don’t miss this one!

In this exciting episode, I interview Playwright Kyle Thomas about his workflow and his recent success. Kyle is awesome and there is a lot to learn about from his process and commitement to the wonderful artform. Check this out.

In this awesome episode, I talk about FEELING - SET and how it is so much more powerful than MINDSET, and how you can use FEELING-SET to bring your playwriting, your playwriting career and YOUR LIFE to the level. Don’t miss this one!

In this exciting new episode, I interview Playwright, Screenwriter, Director and Producer, Sarah T. Schwab about turning her play into the feature film “A Stage of Twilight.” Fascinating and fun. Don’t miss this!

Let's talk about The Creativity Zone and your Story Idea, for they are intimately connected. Check out this episode and learn how use the Rocket Fuel that will catapult your play to the stratosphere!

In this episode, I share some very cool techniques for you to Get into that Elusive Creativity Zone consistently, and if you are in the Creativity Zone consistently, your creative output is going to soar! Check this out and change your life!

Bio:

Playwright/ Screenwriter, Director and Producer Sarah T. Schwab

Initially developed for the stage, the film Sarah wrote and produced “A Stage of Twilight” stars Karen Allen and William Sadler. This film is a love story set in the final chapter of Cora and Barry's lives. The film premiered in a limited theater run this March and is now available to stream on demand on Amazon, Vudu, Vubiquity/Verizon Fios, Hoopla, Charter/Spectrum, Comcast/Xfinity, and Cox.

Sarah is an active member of the Playwright/Directors unit at the Actors Studio in New York City and has previously won Best Director in an English Language Feature Film at the Madrid International Film Festival in 2020 for her first feature film, “Life After You.” Sarah was also honored in 2022 with the Best Emerging Director award at the Woods Hole Film Festival for "A Stage of Twilight.” In 2023, “A Stage of Twilight” won the Filmmaker Award at the Sonoma International Film Festival.

In this episode, I talk about the wild and super funny process of bringing THE MASCOT MURDERS, a brilliant farce by Mike Zielinski to life. Never have I had so much delicious and wacky fun directing a play due to the awesome actors I hired to help bring this play to life for we are all on the same page, and that page is "Let's make this Crazy funny!" Learn what we are doing and get some tips on how to make your next Comedy awesome!

In this awesome episode, I talk about getting into the Creativity Zone.

Do you have a technique to get into this awesome Zone of Creativity, or do you just wish to go there? Now is the time more than ever to teach yourself how to consistently get into this Zone so that you can write your best work, so that you can get your plays produced. Learn how to get into The Creativity Zone consistently and watch your playwriting career transform!

In this awesome episode, I interview Playwright, Director and Producer, Freedom Farlow Cooke! She talks about her writing workflow, her new play which is being produced in Philadelphia in June, and both Freedom and I, invite you to direct some of your own work for it will change your life. Check out this episode. Freedom is a fantastic creator and she has a lot of wonderful insights to share!

More about Freedom:

Bio

Playwright - Freedom Farlow Cooke

I have written several plays (a number of which have been produced) that relate to social issues within the African American community. I have also received a grant for my short film entitled “AMELIKA.”

I write because it allows me to tell stories that are not only relatable, but encourage others to explore their own perspectives of thought.

Playwriting is a gift that allows the audience to view stories through the lens and imagination of others, a wonderful journey into unique life experiences told through beautiful and compelling stories. While some stories have been told, many have yet to be explored - so anytime I can be a conduit to bridge the gap, I am willing to write!

In this exciting episode, I again talk about connecting to theatres to get your play produced. I talk about emails, phone calls and mindset.

3 out of the 5 members of my Producing class I taught at the end of the Pandemic, have had or are getting one of their plays produced which are really nice odds, (one OFF-BROADWAY) so this stuff works. I also talk about the Fun of WITCHLAND, and the curtain call that made me laugh hysterically every night. Yes, laugh myself silly. I have to smile when I think about it.

Check out this episode. And you just might smile too!

In this very cool episode of The Playwriting Podcast, I talk about how to make BIG and congruent choices in your work, so that you are not a mediocre playwright! Wow! Tough love! But heck, wimpy choices create wimpy plays, and yes, you have to risk being over the top, in order to land on the precipice called BIG and PERFECT. Do you have the Beach Balls to make some big choices and take a risk? You only live once, so what are you waiting for?

And in this process of talking BIG Choices…

I talk about WITCHLAND which Manhattan Rep is producing and bringing to stunning life.

What better than a play about and EVIL WITCH in a town maybe poisioned by Nuclear waste?

Sound like the perfect play to make some big choices!

Check this out!

Listen online at the button below.

And get your tickets to Witchland at the link below opening April 5th in NYC!

https://witchlandplay.com/get-tickets/

In this episode, I continued down the play connection process again, as outlined in my book How to Get Your Fantastic Play Produced, and I talk about making sure that your PLAY IS PERFECT - READY FOR PRIME TIME. I share the things you need to do to ensure this so that you are not wasting your time sending your plays out to theatres and producers. Do the play connection thing right!

In this episode, I talk about writing and producing DAD AND THE DOG, starring the amazing Roma Pierro - Wolf. I talk about how I built the play to work with a live dog in performance, who we did not train, and, how we made this play work in work in amazing ways, due to the wonder of acting with our best pal, Roma.

Check this out. It is awesome.

More best practices in this episode, as I go into great detail on the best way to format and present your play manuscript. Don’t miss this episode, if you want to get produced!

In this episode, I continue offering you best practices for Play submissions and I focus on THE PERFECT PLAYWRIGHT WEBSITE, and I offer a recipe to put it together perfectly so it works, and doesn't SCARE producers away. Check this out. Learn the best strategy for a Playwright Website, and transform your playwriting career.

In this episode, I go mad over the right way to put together the Play Submission Cover Letter. This is from what I learned over 20 years of being on the receiving side of play submissions! Incredible what people send out with their plays! Incredible. Check out this episode and learn a simple and effective way of writing the Play Submission Cover Letter, and maybe, just maybe, they will read your play!

Welcome in the New Year by doing something different. In this podcast, I invite you to play with your Writing Workflow for 2024. Are you being productive? Or are you taking months to years to finish a play. Why not try a new way of writing? Or a new time to write? Or both? Jump start your playwriting by doing something different that works better. Don’t miss this episode!

In this episode, I invite you to start taking some risks in terms of your playwriting and in terms of your connecting your plays to theatres for production! You have to do something diffferent and the time is NOW! So check this out! It will rock your playwriting world.

In this awesome episode, I again talk about the importance of making things happen on stage. You can have great characters and a wonderful plot but if NOTHING happens BETWEEN your characters, YOU HAVE NO PLAY. Action between characters creates focus for your audience, so isn't it time you use your playwriting super power - the power of focus, to write a great play?

Some things never change. There are always challenges in getting yourself to do what you need to do. In this episode, I offer a couple of solutions so that you can consistenly motivate yourself to sit down, (or stand up) and write your plays.

Don’t procrastinate on listening to this awesome podcast!

Life is now. Make that happen!

We shift over now to a series of Podcasts on motivation to do the things you need to do to be successful and to have fun in the process of building your playwriting career.

This episode, I delve into limiting beliefs and I offer up a simple questioning technique I learned from the awesome Dr. Joe Vitale. Check this episode out. It may change your life!

In this episode, I finish up on my adventure in Ghostwriting. The biggest takeaway is the power of creating a thorough Emotional Event Map, and personalizing everything so all is specific. I took someone else’s story, and built a action-packed, compelling full-length play 90 pages long in 22 days. And it was easy. Yes, I had to sit down each day to write, but I was never challenged for I built a fantastic and specific Emotional Event Map, and simply wrote from that! Check this out. It is super fun. Anything is possible if you find a new way!

In this episode, I share with you the process I have been going through to GHOST WRITE a play. I talk about what I do to personalizes characters that I didn’t originate, and how I built an AWESOME Emotional Event Map which has made it easy to write this play. And the cool thing is this, I am proving to myself that my Principles of Playwriting work! Check out this episode. It is really interesting!

Just recently, I embarked on an exciting adventure to prove to myself that my principles of Playwriting work. I have been hired to GHOST WRITE a play in 3 weeks. Wow, what fun!How can I write a compelling play if the story idea is not mine? What must I do to get specific on characters that I didn’t create? This is an exciting journey as I put together a full-length play that is going into production! Check out the beginning of this journey in this podcast! This is fun!

In this episode, I talk about the importance of having your play read by actors before you finish your final draft. This is so friggin' important. Without a live experience of your play, your play is just flat words on a page that might read well, but when embodied by actors, they often don't work. Live is a different reality, so you need to work in that reality if you want to complete your play.

Check this out, and have your play read for you today!

In this exciting episode, I continue my journey to share with you The Principles of Playwriting. This time, I talk CLIMAX. How do you create an AWESOME climax so that your play will rock? So many new plays I read fail to have an exciting and compelling climax, for they are not Designed. Learn what makes a great climax and make it happen!

In this exciting episode, I talk about editing, and I offer my 10 Editing Questions again as a means of editing your work as you write and editing your first draft, second draft and more. Editing is often tedious but it is one of the most important things you can do to refine your play. And with my 10 Editing Questions (Below) - Wow! Editing your play will be more effective and faster than you have ever experienced before!

My 10 Editing Questions:

These questions are like filters to refine your play and make it more concise.

And concise is good.

1. Is there a clear problem & action related to the problem that needs to be solved in each scene? If not, fix it.


2. Does this scene top the scene before? If not, fix it.

3. Are your characters saying too many words? Do they need to say three sentences when they could say the same thing in one sentence?


4. Do your characters speak in clear and distinctly different ways? If not, how can you make them consistently different?

5. Are your characters telling stories that don’t have a dramatic event attached to the telling of the story? If not, cut them or make them two sentences tops. I’m serious. (A story with a dramatic event attached could be a Coming Out story, or a Break Up story.)

6. Are the characters saying too little? Is it clear what is happening in each EVENT?


7. Are you telling BACK STORY to the audience that is not intrinsically told during a dramatic action moment in the scene? If not, fix it!

8. Is the scene too long? Could it be a page or two shorter and still convey all the important information and ACTION that will propel this play to its dramatic conclusion?


9. Is the scene too short? Are the actions and events in this scene big enough?

10. Do you need this scene? Does this scene top the scene before, and propel the dramatic action of the play? If you answer yes to this - keep the scene. If no, cut it!

In this wild episode, I continue my adventure of outlining all The Principles of Playwriting, and this principle when put to use, will change your playwriting forever. Yes, forever. You will never want to go back to your old, ridiculous way of writing a play once you understand and use this principle. Check it out. Change your workflow and change your playwriting forever!

In this awesome episode, I continue to outline and celebrate THE PRINCIPLES OF PLAYWRITING, so that you can write a GREAT play. Not just an OK play, a GREAT play.

I talk about the power of being insanely specific in your writing. The more specific you are the better your play is going to be.

As a playwright, you are creating an entire world, and the people who inhabit that world, so knowing that, you gotta be specific about your characters, your setting, your story idea and so much more, and to do that you often need to research, and to use your imagination in new and very specific ways.

Check this episode out.

It’s time to write a GREAT play!

In this episode, we talk about the hard, and heavy lifting of writing a great play, and that means having a clear idea, and hopefully an Emotional Event Map of your play, before you even write one line of dialogue. Action and Events create a great play. Dialogue is only the icing on the cake. If you fail to plan, YUP, you plan on failing. It is time to succeed at last and write an awesome play!

In this episode, I continue to explore The Principles of Playwriting sharing with you, again, one of the most important principles of Playwriting - ESCALATION! Without proper and systematic escalation a play does not work! (Bore me with a spoon!) Listen and learn one of the most important principles of how to write a great play, and then make it happen!

In this exciting episode, I talk more on the Principles of Playwriting with “THE PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE SOLVED!”

Without a clear PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE SOLVED, you have no play, be it comedy, drama or Musical. You got nothing! Blah!

So how do you keep THE PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE SOLVED on stage from the first scene to the stunning climax? Come learn the foundation of a great and compelling play, and learn how to keep that problem on stage so you can take your audience on a wild ride!

In this episode, we talk context, the thing you need to create when your play begins, and I offer best practices and some cool insights and I emphasize the importance of making sure that you do this! Continue on in this series of The Principles of Playwriting, and write an awesome play!

In this episode, we begin a long series about the craft of Playwriting called “The Principles of Playwriting!” This episode is about creating focus for your audience, which is the most important principle for you to learn, and if you learn this and put it into use, you will put yourself in the top 1% of all playwrights on this planet. Yes, this is true! Check this out and change your playwriting life!

In this Episode, I talk about our production of “The Scope of William Jennings Bryan” which we produced, and which I just directed, and about the magic of bringing a play to life to make connections that just might move your play to another level. Amazing things happened with Rawshock and little did we know that this very political play would get people interested in spreading the word of William Jennings Bryan. Don’t miss this. It is very cool.

In this episode, we talk play development, and I share the miracle of how Rawshock by Rita Lewis, that we just produced this past June, was picked up for a larger production in 2024!

In less than a month!

Jen and I are so crazy happy about this! Just fantastic, and it manifested in a very cool and wonderful way!

And then I talk about the value of Play Development to bring your play to the next level, and how you could possibly manifest a miracle too!

In this episode, I talk how to choose the BEST story idea for your play. And I offer 3 questions to help you figure out what is your best story idea! Without an Awesome story idea, no matter how well it is written, your play will be sub-good! So take some time to find the best story idea so that you can write a great play! Check this out!

In this one, I dive into motivation and ways for you to do what you need to do to get produced and write better plays. I am brutally honest. Check out this podcast.

It will change your game!

In this exciting episode, I talk about how you can use your 10 Minute plays to get in the door at theatres. I go through this strategy in great detail, and it is super fun, and if you work it, it works. It is time to get produce. Do this work to make it happen.

Boy oh boy… I talk about how the Mark Taper Forum cancelled their season and cancelled Larissa Fasthorse’s latest production there, and also how theatre across the counrty are cutting down their seasons for 8 to 4, or 6 to 3, and it is concerning for there are so few opportunities for playwrights and not even fewer, AND, we cannot as playwrights and creators let this stop us. I share alternate ways to get your plays produced and the direction that live theatre may take as production costs in big theatres are cutting down on the number of plays produced yearly. There is hope, but it is up to you!

In this episode, I continue to discuss the process of bringing Rawshock by Rita Lewis to life, and I talk about the importance of the right Actor choices in making a play come to life. I also talk about the Power of Specificity when making choices as an actor for specificity is the one of the most important principles in ART in general, and when actors make specific choices: WOW!

And when a playwright makes specific choices from start to finish, you have the making of a great play!

In this episode, I continue to talk about Rawshock by Rita Lewis that I am directing that goes up at Chain Theatre, Friday June 23 at 7 pm, Saturday June 24 at 8 pm and Sunday June 25 at 3 pm, and I talk about the Power of Silence and how Silence used by a playwright can be one of the most powerful things a playwright can do to create Amazing emotional events.

Don’t miss this one!

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

In this episode, I shared the process of play development as I direct Rawshock by Rita Lewis opening June 23, 2023 at Chain Theatre in Midtown Manhattan. I talk about this process specifically working on a play about a Therapy Group, and I share the challenges and the fun of bringing this to life with the help of the cast and the Playwright Rita Lewis. Don’t miss this one. Good stuff!

In this episode, I talk about The Problem that Needs to be Solved and how you can up the stakes by using a really simple playwriting hack I call INNER and OUTER PROBLEMS which you add to your main character’s heroic journey on the way to their stunning climax! This is such great fun for you can “Problem Stack” these inner and outer problems and make you play AWESOME. This is easy and works beautifully. Check this out and make your playwriting easy, and better!

As a playwright, you should model the format of the CW and HBO MAX Superhero shows created by Greg Berlanti. Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, Arrow, and more, for they all have a team of characters around the Superheros, who help the heroes save the day.

As a playwright, you can’t do it alone. Playwriting and Play Creation is a Team sport.

So the big question which I seek to answer on this podcast, is “How can you create a team of like minded friends and creators to help you bring your work to the next level?”

Don’t do it alone! Create a team around you and watch your playwriting dreams come true!

This podcast is super fun. I talk about how you can integrate your Playwriting into your Summertime fun. I offer 4 amazing ways to have crazy Summertime fun AND stay connected to your playwriting and have some fantastic adventures doing it! Don’t miss this one, if you love Fun in the Sun!

In this episode, I rant and RAVE about my new Playwright Training Program for new playwrights and seasoned pros - PLAYWRIGHT SUCCESS! Check this out. This is something new and something super useful and fun!

In this episode, I rant and rave about BACKSPLAINING, the horrendous ART of writing BAD backstory in a play. This is my pet peeve!!! I pull my hair out, I moan and groan, and then I offer a more elegant way to do backstory in your play without BACKSPLAINING! Don’t miss this one!

Sometimes you need some help to get where you want to go. Find out how to transform your playwriting life and your playwriting career!

Yes, I have talked about this recently, but I am adding another important distinction which will absolutely propel your playwriting career and your life in another amazing direction. Check this out if you want to live an awesome life!

‘Nuff said!

In this episode, I go into great detail about the challenges and the joys of self-producing. Don’t miss this one!

Yes, the principle of playwriting you love to hate. I go into great detail again on The Emotional Event Map. This is soooooooo important! If you are not writing your play with an Emotional Event Map, you are not writing a great play. Check this out again and try it. It will change your playwriting forever!

You have heard me talk about it a million times on this podcast: The Personal Story. On this particular podcast, I talk about the NYC production of Listen to your Mother, directed by Heather Christie, and I go on and on and on about how I loved it, and I go on and on and on about some of the Principles of creating a compelling Personal Story. Don’t miss this one!

The key to all success is Constant and Consistent Action, and on this podcast, I talk about how you, as a playwright, can profit greatly but putting this Success Principle into action to succeed in your playwriting career. Time to get produced. Check this out.

So here is something really fun, an interview with the Cast and Director of Saturdays with Lenny, produced by Manhattan Rep, and opening on this Friday March 24, 2023. They talk about the process of working on a play, working together and the joy of Playmaking.

Don’t miss this one!

Actors:

Alessandro Caronna (Lenny)

Giorgio Jozef Varipapa (Frankie)

Nicole Hayes (Aunt Mary, Lucy, Woman at bar, Women crossing street) 

Ivan Rodriguez (Uncle Angelo/Tully/Cop/Cowboy)

Director:

Monica Hoyt

Ever get stuck when working on your play? Well, this episode will pull the blinders off your eyes as I share with you the wonders and possibilities inherent in being STUCK when working on your play? Listen now, and you will never be STUCK again!

As a playwright, do you have a Playwright Training Program? Do you have a specific series of things that you do to write better and to get your plays produced? If you don’t or even if you do, check out this episode, which if put into action, will propel your writing and your playwriting career to the next level!

In this episode, I go into great detail about collaborating on a play with another playwright. I talk about the challenges and the best practices (like writing a Great Emotional Event Map first and signing a contract before you even write one word together). If you are thinking to collaborate with another playwright on a play, check this out!

In this episode, I invite you to workshop your play LIVE. By having readings in your living room, reading in a Library Reading Rooms, and producing small self-produuced productions, your playwritting will excel beyond your wildest dreams. Check this out!

Wow, this one is good. I go through my editing questions again and I add another one. I make it clearer and MORE IMPORTANT for you to CUT, TRIM, EDIT the heck out of your plays. I may go on longer than my usual podcasts but this info is so important to creating a perfect play, and that is what you do when you edit, cut and refine your play… you make it perfect. Do not miss this one. Will change your playwriting forever IF YOU LISTEN TO ME for once!!!

In this exciting exercise, I teach you creative editing, no, not dealing with words and refining, no. Creative editing to refine all the creative elements of your play. Check this out. It is awesome and a game changer!

In this episode, I elaborate on the importance of ESCALATION in creating a fantastic play. How does the dramatic action escalate as the play progresses and so much more. If you can only listen to one playwriting podcast episode, this is the one!

In this episode, I present to you a playwriting hack that you can use in every play you write that will transform your playwriting forever, and it is so simple! You will flip out how great and easy this technique is. Just fantastic!

In this episode, I invite you to get bold for this New Year, and make some bold new choices about your Playwriting life, so you can write better plays and get your work produced, and most importantly, HAVE FUN IN THE PROCESS! Don’t miss this one!

In this episode, I offer a strategy to accomplish your playwriting goals, and it works. It really does!

Happy New Year 2023! Wishing you all the very best, and lots of productions in the year ahead!

In this episode, I talk about goals and intentions and I offer up 5 goals or intentions to focus on in 2023.

It is time for you to finish your plays and get them produced, and make that happen in 2023!

In this exciting episode, I talk about the systems of your life and how often, if you make changes to the systems of your life, you can easily achieve your playwriting goals. Check this out. It is game changing!

This episode is awesome for in under 10 Minutes I talk about ALL the important principles that going into the Playwriting Puzzle. Let this be an awesome checklist for you when you are writing your play to insure that you utilize The PRINCIPLES OF PLAYWRITING when you are creating your play. Don’t miss this one!

In this episode, I talk about all the things that might be stopping you and I invite you to create solutions, and be passionate to do the things you need to do to write better plays and bring your career to a new and exciting level. Don’t miss this one, unless you want to be a loser!

In this episode, I talk about the possibilities of Going Global - getting your plays produced all over the world. There are so many opportunities for you to get your play produced around the world, if you think in a new way and take some new actions to connect globally! And what fun to go and see your play produced in other countries! So check out this episode, and go global!

When challenges come up, lean into them and make it work. I talk about this principle of “leaning in” to your problems or challenges so that you can excel in your playwriting career! Lean into this one!

As Thanksgiving approaches, I ask the awesome question: What are you grateful for as a playwright?

And then we go from there.

This podcast may change your life. I am not kidding.

Don’t miss this one!

This one is really fun. In this episode, I talk about how moving the Setting of your play to different locals can make your romantic comedy or family drama richer and more interesting. Check this out. It will blow your mind with the possibilities with this concept!

In this episode, I offer some strategies to “Keep Going” so that you can finish your play. Your play is useless for your career until it is finished. Check this out if you have started plays and have never gotten to the finish line.

In this episode, I talk about how you can take IDEAS from plays, film and TV and make those ideas your own and put them into your plays. This is not plagiarism, for you are not taking lines, just concepts and adapting them for your own amazing uses. I talk about FROM SCRATCH on Netflix that steals from Chekhov in an incredible and amazing way, but if you don’t know The Three Sisters as well as I know it, you would never see it. (BTW, FROM SCRATCH is one of the best TV series I have ever seen. It is brilliant and so beautifully constructed, and acted. Bravo!). And then I talk about all the ways you can take these concepts and ideas to improve your playwriting. This one is fun!

In this episode, I talk motivation and ask the question: “Are you willing to step into the fire and do what you need to do to get your plays produced?”  How can you do something new to get to where you want to go?  And I talk about the adventures of Powerhouse and how it strengthened me like nothing else!  Don’t miss this one!

I talked out real life Problem Stacking on the last episode of The Playwriting Podcast, and in this episode, I talk about CONFLICT STACKING which is a little different and a great tool for a playwright. Check this episode out, and learn something new!

Well, we opened Powerhouse by David Harms, and it was the ride of my life. Check out this episode as I tell you the wildest theatrical story of my life in producing this awesome play. We have opened and the reviews are in, and they rock. Check out this episode about the challenges we experienced bringing this awesome play to life and how we overcame these challenges beautifully.!

I talk about using your Super Power of Creativity to solve all your playwriting woes and the challenges in your life too! Your creativity can do anything!

When brought to life, you play script is very different, and you need to remember that and be willing to rewrite, cut, and make your play when ALIVE work. I have been bringing plays to life for over 35 years. Get out of your head, and off your page and work with LIVE!

Well, it took forever, but the wait was worth it. On this podcast, I announce the AMAZING cast of Powerhouse by David Harms, being produced Off-Broadway by Manhattan Rep, which I am directing. This is a dream cast and already the work is amazing. Watch out. This will be one of the best plays of the Fall Off-Broadway Season. Check this out!

This episode completes the journey! Learn why you have to start the second act with a bang, and what exactly the climax of a play is! Also, what you need to do and learn to become a Great Playwright! Don’t miss this one!

In this episode, I talk about the principles of the Third Scene and on, until the end of the first act. I talk dramatic action and I talk about the importance of creating a “Wow Moment” at the end of the first act and more. If you are serious about playwriting, listen and learn.

In this exciting episode, I talk about The Second Scene, and how you need to write it, and what you need to put into it, in order to write a great play. It is not Rocket Science. It is really very easy. Use the principles of writing a great play when writing, and watch your playwriting transform!

In this surprise episode, I revisit the 10 Minute play again. I discuss the 4 types of 10 Minute Plays, and I emphasize the importance of making a choice before you begin which type of 4 minute play you are going to write. And then I plug my How to Write a Fantastic 10 Minute Play video course and the special member area here on HowtoWritePlays.com where you can find it. And then I talk about taking your 10 Minute play and getting it out into the world. And this podcast is under 10 minutes. Go figure.

This episode is the beginning of a series of podcast where I talk about the structure of a great play from scene to scene so you can get a clear TEMPLATE to work from. This episode I talk about THE FIRST SCENE, and what you need to create in this first scene of your play in order to create a great play. You have heard some of this before, but I go into a deep dive with more specific information so you can start our play with a GREAT first scene. Don’t miss this one.

This episode is all about MOTIVATION, how you can do the thing you need to do to do the thing you need to do, which is to become a great playwright. I offer three really cool strategies to get motivated and to finally finish your play. Don’t miss this one!

In this episode, I revisit THE EMOTIONAL EVENT MAP and I emphasize the importance of writing an Emotional Event Map before you write even one line of dialogue. The Emotional Event Map is one of the most important tools you can use to write a GREAT PLAY. Not just a good play, a GREAT PLAY!

And I go through how to build a great Emotional Event Map, step by step!

Isn't it about time you learned how to write a GREAT EMOTIONAL EVENT MAP, so that you can write the BEST play of your life?

Don't miss this one, or you will suck.

In this awesome episode, I talk about a super amazing and incredibly simple secret to productivity and just about everything you want in life. I never thought I would write about this topic but it is so friggin’ profound and effective, I just have to share it with you.

I also talk about where we are with Powerhouse, our Off-Broadway show opening in October, and the adventures ahead.

Don’t miss this one!

In this episode, I talk about the importance of incredibly professional submission materials and I offer a simple strategy to put you in the top 10% of playwrights submitting their plays.

This takes a lot of incredibly granular work, but it works.

Pay some attention to your professional submission materials, and take your playwriting career to a new level.

In this exciting episode, I discuss some cool ways to stay connected to your play at those times when life gets crazy and there is no time or energy to write. And you put these strategies to work, you won’t feel like you lost any time when you get back to writing your play. This is a REAL WORLD strategy to complete your play. And one that works.

So give up feeling bad about NOT writing your 5 pages a day, and learn a simple way, when the world gets in the way, to complete your play. Don’t miss this one!

In this episode, I discuss the Courage to Create and offer some motivation so that you can get your scary play written, workshopped and produced. I also celebrate 5 years of The Playwriting Podcast.

If this episode doesn’t inspire you, you are asleep.

Don't miss this one.

In this episode, I challenge you to make sure you have FLOW in your writing workflow? Does your writing workflow serve you? Are you completing your plays? Are you formatting them and sending them out? Do you have system for your playwriting and playwriting career? Are you getting your plays read, or produced? Is what you are doing working? And I offer some ideas and solutions to improve your playwriting workflow!

Don’t miss this one, if your intention is to get your plays produced!

In this awesome episode of The Playwriting Podcast, I talk about the “Road to Broadway” and what you can do to get on that road, and make your playwriting dreams come true.

I also rant about how taking on the identity of being a life-long learner will make the process of traveling down the “Road to Broadway” so much easier and so much more fun!

Aren’t you up for an Adventure?

It’s time to pack your bags, soup up your Porsche, and zip off down the “Road to Broadway!”

In this episode, I talk about The Curious Thing called a Short Play, and look at what are your best options to get your short plays produced, and a whole bunch of other super cool ideas to transform your short play so that it gets produced.

If you have a number of short plays that are not getting any traction, or if you are interested in getting all of your 10 Minute or Short plays produced, check out this episode.

And remember: Follow your Art, and Be Smart too!

In this episode, I talk about the importance of the specificity of your language when you are writing your characters, and I give you some cool ideas to write better and more specific dialogue so that your plays will rock!

In this exciting episode, we journey back into the mechanics of Playwriting and I discuss the importance of insane editing in order to make your play rock. And I offer a really cool question to look at when editing your first draft of your next play. Don't miss this one!

In this episode, I talk about POWERHOUSE by David Harms, the Off-Broadway show we are producing in October in New York City, and how we are in the process of CASTING NAME TALENT for this production, for the lead role of Regan, and how challenging it is to make this happen. And I talk about the Design Team for Powerhouse and how great they are, and the joy of working with super talented people, and then I offer up an amazing challenge to see if you can help Powerhouse soar! Don’t miss this one. Super fun and interesting!

In this exciting episode, I finish my 4 part series on the Characteristics of a Great Playwright, and I digress, postulate and wildly celebrate the final characteristic of a Great Playwright:

INSANE CREATIVITY!

and then I offer so really cool strategies to create more Insane Creativity in your playwriting and your life!

Don’t miss this one, unless you want to be boring!

In this episode, we talk about one of the most important Characteristics of a truly GREAT playwright:

COMPASSION!

How is Compassion the rocket fuel to write a great play?

Check out this episode and find out.

In this episode, I take a deep dive into another characteristic of a great playwright:

COURAGE!

This is one of the most important characteristics of a GREAT PLAYWRIGHT!

Learn how to develop courage in your writing and your life!

IF YOU DARE!

What does it mean to be dedicated to being a great playwright? And I look at this thing called:

DEDICATION!

I decimate what exactly this means and how you can develop this characteristic, and I get insanely motivational and honest.

Don't miss this one!

Parts 2, 3, 4 are coming this week as part of my Memorial Week Celebration!

Listen to something cool and maybe even life-changing on the way to the beach,

or better yet at the Beach.

In this episode, I talk about the opportunities for playwrights in this very Brave New Normal. The Theatre world has been disrupted by the pandemic, making now the perfect time to connect with theatres and producers and Theatre ANGELS, to get your play produced.

I talk about Powerhouse by David Harms which we are producing OFF-BROADWAY in October and I talk about the wild process of reaching out to Agents to find Name Talent for the lead, and how that process too has changed because of this pandemic. Then I tell a quick Zen story, and invite you to use this time to get your plays produced! This nutty new time is filled with opportunity if you look at this world as it is and not as you think it was. Don’t miss this one. Super Fun!

In this episode, my old pal, Professor Albert stops by to harrass me as usual, and I talk about the principles of plays in production: What are the important elements and principles of Play Production so that your play rocks? And then after being harrassed by Professor Albert like never before, I share the BEST OF 300 Episodes of The Playwriting Podcast.

Check out this fantastic, almost an hour long episode of the Best of 300 Episodes of The Playwriting Podcast!

Come join The Playwriting Podcast's 300th Episode Celebration!

In this incredible podcast, I outline ALL the principles of Writing a Play in about 10 minutes. I go through the entire process of what it takes to write a great play. This is the Reader’s Digest Version on all I have taught you over the past almost 5 years of The Playwrighting Podcast. It is fantastic. Check it out.

In this exciting episode, I talk more about the power of Collaboration in reference to 2 1/2 Breaths by Bridget Loriaux, which I am currently directing and collaborating on, and I also speak of Powerhouse by David Harms that we are producing off-Broadway in October, and the importance of building a great team. Learn the inside scoop on these two new and exciting productions, and hear me rant in a good way about how super cool collaboration is, and why you as a playwright need to use this magical power to write bettter plays. Don’t miss this one!

In this episode, I talk about the importance of being Authentic in this Cancel Culture world, even if it is scary to be authentic. Don’t miss this one.

In this Episode, I talk about how thrilled I am to be directing Bridgette Loriaux's 2 1/2 Breaths, going up at Chain Theatre Main Stage May 19 - June 5, 2022. Collaboration is the key to bringing this movement-based play to life, and I love collaboration for I bore myself with my pre-planned thought-out ideas. But put me with a group of passionate actors and theatre creators, it is magic. Like REAL MAGIC. And again, I talk about the power of your TEAM to make your playwriting career dreams a reality.

Like I say every time, don't miss this one!

In this episode, I talk about the most important trait that a playwright needs to have or develop in order to be a successful working playwright. Don’t miss this one!

In this Episode, I share with you a strategy to write an escalating fight scene, that you can adapt for any play that you are writing, be it present day or historical.

Most fight scenes written by new playwrights are wimpy for they are just about words. If you are serious about being a great playwright and not a wimpy playwright, check out this issue, and learn a technique to write a fantastic fight scene that will transform your playwriting forever! Yes, this is true.

Don’t miss this one!

In this episode, I talk more about POWERHOUSE by David Harms that we are producing Off-Broadway in October, and I share my experience of reaching out to agents to find NAME TALENT for the lead role. Then I talk about the importance of creating a perfect team, and I ask the question “Who is on your team?” If you are going to be successful, you need a supportive team to help you get to that next level. Don’t miss this one, and build your team today!

In this Episode, I talk about the incredibly important task of creating a perfect rehearsal draft and I talk about my personal experience of putting together the rehearsal draft of Powerhouse, the awesome new play by David Harms, that we are producing Off-Broadway this October.

I talk play development on how we refined the play, how we got incredibly granular to make EVERY WORD perfect, and how formatting a play so that it is totally perfect and professional is so important (and soooooo time-consuming!)

And I talk about the ins and outs of bringing a play to life at this level, and the crazy commitment that it is needed to create the perfect play.

Don’t miss this one!

Today, I talk about the best strategies to create a FANTASTIC FIGHT SCENE! Don’t miss this one unless you want to write a wimpy play. There are principles to Fantastic Fight scene, and when you put them to use, your fight scenes will rock.

Don’t miss this, or you will be beating yourself up for the rest of the day.

Seriously, as a passionate playwright, have you ever thought about the best way to BEGIN a scene?

I offer three keys to beginning a scene that will propel your playwriting to the next level? What? By beginning a scene? Yes, check out this episode. Learn a new distinction about playwriting and level up!

Seriously, as a passionate playwright, have you ever thought about the best way to END a scene?

In this episode, I look at good ways and bad ways to end a scene. Wow, what is so difficult about ending a scene? Believe it or not there are better ways to end scenes so that the scene will propel the dramatic action of the play more effectively and with more pizazz! The Good, the Bad and the DING!

Today I talk about formatting and the IMPORTANCE of correctly formatting your manuscript. If you are not good at formatting, it is time to get serious about formatting, for a sloppy, poorly formatted play will be put in the slush pile or deleted immediately. Also, to download a .pdf with information about all the different ways to format your play, go to:

https://www.manhattanrep.com/formatting

In this episode, I get all “motivational” and I outline the three principles to become a successful, working playwright, and I dare you to take action on these principles and push past your fears and create the life of your dreams. (Sounds similar to my other podcast, huh?) And I tell a bit of my journey of challenging my limiting beliefs and invite you to join the party. Isn’t it time you are a successful working playwright. Listen to the strategies and techniques outlined here, and take action on those strategies and techniques, and make big things happen, not just on stage, but in your life! Don’t miss this one!

My old pal, Professor Albert is back and he has hijacked the podcast again to talk to playwrights all over the world about creating specific characters, and to demonstrate his intense acting abilities in the process.

Aren’t you tired of Ken Wolf on this podcast telling you that you need to do this and you need to do that to propel your playwriting career to the next level? Now you can listen to Motivational Music Superstar Professor Albert as he tells you that you need to do this, and you need to do that to propel your playwriting career to the next level. And then for the first time on this podcast, Professor Albert shares a hypnosis meditation so that you can write better characters and also, become one with the universe! Don’t miss this exciting episode!

In this episode, I talk about the challenges and opportunities inherent in Self-Producing your play this Brave New Normal. Everything has changed. The Theatre World is very different and now is the time to look for the hidden gifts of a theatre world struggling to get back to what it once was! Check out some new possibilities to Self-Produce!

Ah yes, The Emotional Event Map again, only this time Reader’s Digest Style! And then I talk more about the behind the scenes adventures in bringing Powerhouse by David Harms to life Off-Broadway this October! Learn how to write a great and then learn about the process of bringing a play to life Off-Broadway. And I also talk about the power of a great coach to get you where you want to be FASTER and with more fun! Don’t miss this episode!

In this episode, I rail about how often writers will play with new ways to TELL a story at the expense of creating a clear context, so that the people watching will actually UNDERSTAND what is going on! I see it in movies, TV and alas, in plays.

Then I talk about the importance of creating a clear context and how it will ultimately be the foundation on which to build your play. And as usual, I tell a cool story to illustrate all.

Then, I talk about Powerhouse by David Harms, the Off-Broadway show we are producing opening next October in Midtown Manhattan. I talk about working on the script and how my intention is to create a perfect rehearsal draft for this play.

And lastly, I offer up really good reasons why you need to take one of my Master Academy Zoom Courses: The Playwright’s Reading, or Rewriting Your Play, and I share the wonders of a great playwright website and how we will build it for you.

All this in under 18 minutes. What fun!

Wow! We officially announce our Off-Broadway Production POWERHOUSE by David Harms going up in October at at Fantastic venue in Midtown Manhattan, featuring my partner in life and Manhattan Rep, Jennifer Pierro and Directed by Yours Truly! This announcement is big, exciting and super fun! Then I talk about connecting to theatres like a real pro to get your plays produced. I talk cover letters, websites, and connection techniques that will astound you for they are probably exactly the opposite to what you are probably doing! Don’t miss our announcement and the compassionate ways I share with you on how to connect with theatres to get your plays produced! Like our Off-Broadway announcement, this one is a game-changer!

In this episode, we talk workflow! Do you have a specific workflow when you write a play that works for you? Do you really? Does it take you a month to write the first draft of your play, or does it take a year? I offer 5 tips to challenge you to change your workflow and write better and faster than ever before.

In this episode, I talk about what is going on on Broadway in New York City with the spread of the Omnicrom variant, and how now is the time to write, even if circumstances tell you something else. As a playwright and creator, you can never let circumstances get in your way of acheiving your dreams. Need some motivation to move forward in this incredible strange Brave New Normal, check this out.

In this episode, I talk about the trials and tribulations of DISTRACTIONS. Distractions are the number 1 way we slow our productivity down. I offer a few cool solutions to deal with distractions and to get your play done. Don’t miss this if you are serious about completing that play!

In this Episode, I offer you 10 Playwriting Hacks to Write Better Plays in 2022, 10 simple things that you can take action on and do, and you will see your playwriting jump to another level in 2022. Isn't it time for you to do something new? Aren't you bored with the same old same old? Check out these Playwriting Hacks, take action, do the work, and watch your Playwriting Career soar!

In this episode, I talk about systems so that you can write, connect to theatres and learn new things, so that you can achieve your playwriting career goals in 2021. Do you have system for writing, connecting and new learning that works, or do you need to revamp it for 2022? Don’t miss this episode if you plan on succeeding big time in 2022!

In this episode, I talk about the difference between INTENTION and GOALS, and then I set up a system for you to actually achieve your Playwriting Career goals in 2022! Wow, what a concept! Why not learn something new so that 2022 is awesomely better than 2021?

In this longer episode of The Playwriting Podcast, I offer up The 13 Rules of Writing a Great Musical. I talk about characters, events, and how to negotiate between prose/dialogue scenes and the songs, and how to absolute keep things happening on stage whether it is in Song or around Dialogue. This one has so much good stuff in it, it will make you want to sing! Don’t miss it!

So in this episode, I delve deeper into WHY? WHY are you a playwright? And I share an exercise you can do to tap into your Vision of your Life as a successful, working playwright. This exercise will keep you motivated to do what you need to do to step to the next level in your playwriting career! It is simple and super cool.

Do this exercise everyday and watch your playwriting career TRANSFORM!

And then I talk about my new HOW TO WRITE A FANTASTIC PLAY IN 28 DAYS WORKSHOP, and the return of my Playwright’s Reading Room in January!

In this episode, I pay tribute to my friend and great actor Florence Pape who passed away this past Sunday, I talk about doing it now, and I replay an episode with Florence Pape and Dave Silberger where we have fun talking about play development specifically on the production of He’s Your Daddy by Mike Zielinski.

In this episode, I invite you to answer the most important question you could ever answer - WHY ARE YOU A PLAYWRIGHT? Don’t miss this one. It will change your playwriting and your playwriting career forever!

In this exciting episode, I talk about letting go of your words to become a better playwright. Yup! Let go of your words and become a better playwright. Don’t miss this one!

In this episode, I share with you The Five Keys to Getting Produced. If you want to get produced sooner than later, check out this podcast, and simply use the keys and use them to open doors!

In this episode, I talk extensively about Creating Effective Dramatic Action. I offer 5 tips that will absolutely transform your playwriting forever. Yes, forever, if you have the fortitude to do the work. Do you?

In this episode, I share my 5 Keys to Create Great Characters! It will change your playwriting forever! “Nuff Said!”

In this episode, I interview playwright, producer, creator Anthony J. Piccione on his new play: One Empire, Under God. We talk about aboutmaking big choices. We talk play evolution, and Anthony discusses his new production of his new play: One Empire, Under God which is going up at THE TANK 312 West 36th St. in NYC this November.

Performances run at The Tank (312 W 36th Street, New York, NY) November 11, 12, 13, 18, 19 & 20 at 7pm EST and November 13, 14, 20 & 21 at 2pm EST. Tickets are available for in-person seating and for online livestreaming at ci.ovationtix.com/35658/production/1074489.

Anthony J. Piccione

www.anthonyjpiccione.com

This episode is so jam-packed with super useful information to write a GREAT PLAY. (I can’t believe this podcast is only 15 minutes.)

I offer the 10 Keys to Writing a Great play, (and I even add an 11th key too!) This podcast was created to be a resource for you, when you are feeling stuck or confused or just need some help in writing your play, so please check this out and bookmark it for easy reference! This one is a keeper!

In this episode, I talk about the difference between plays on paper that are read, and plays that are brought to life in production, and what you need to do to bridge this gap and take your playwriting to the next level.

And I talk about all the playwriting opportunities in this Brave New Normal which can help bring your playwriting career to the next level. Don’t miss this one!

In this AMAZING episode, I discuss the concept of a play being a CONDENSED REALITY, and I offer strategies and techniques so that you can make this happen. Often there are too many words or characters, or subplots or settings, and when a playwright simplifies his work, magic happens. Check this episode out! Wouldn’t it be nice to write some MAGIC?

In this episode, I recount Manhattan Rep’s triumphant return to LIVE THEATRE with the opening of Kalispell by Kim E. Ruyle. What were the challenges we faced as we brought live theatre back and how the heck did opening night go? And in the midst of some fun theatre stories, I also talk about how as a playwright you need to remember that your characters are brought to life and not just on paper. It is an important distinction that will change your playwriting forever! Don’t miss this one!

In this episode, again I document the rehearsal process of bringing Kalispell by Kim E. Ruyle to the stage which goes up NEXT WEEK in NYC!

I talk about the challenges that occur in the rehearsal process, and I discuss the term “WOW MOMENTS!” And how you need to make it a point to create WOW MOMENTS in every scene of your play.

In this Episode, I continue the conversation about the rehearsal process of Kalispell by Kim E. Ruyle, that we are bringing to life in NYC in two weeks! Wow, time flies when you are having fun!

I discuss this thing called Lifelines, that I learned as an actor from the late great acting teacher and creator, Walt Witcover, and how as a playwright you can use this concept of Lifelines to write better and more compelling plays. Check this out. Learn something new to bring your playwriting to a new level.

In this Episode, I try to figure out the TERM: CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, and then I offer ways to create great characters in ways which are easy and fun, and not so ARCHAIC and intellectual. As soon as you get in YOUR HEAD in the writing process of your play, you are screwed. If you want to create some great characters for your next awesome play, please check this out!

In this episode, I talk about the principle of CONSTANT & NEVER-ENDING IMPROVEMENT, and how September is the best time to do some new things and make some new choices to bring your playwriting career to a new level! How can you write more, connect to theatres more, and learn new distinctions about playwriting? How can you LEAN into this BRAVE NEW NORMAL and use this incredible opportunity happening right now, this new Renaissance of Theatre to your advantage? Don’t miss this one unless you want to be mediocre.

In this episode I continued to recount the rehearsal process of Kalispell by Kim E. Ruyle which Manhattan Rep is bringing to life in late September.

This rehearsal was our first LIVE REHEARSAL in 17 and a half months. We have been working for the past 6 weeks on Zoom two nights a week. The wild part is that this rehearsal WAS AMAZING! Most of the actors were off book, so we dove into the blocking and the events of the scenes and we discovered so much about this play. And what amazing fun it was! I am actually thinking of starting all of my rehearsal on ZOOM first moving forward into this Brave New Normal.

If you are interested in the rehearsal process, check out this episode, for I talk creating events and lifelines! (Lifelines? What’s that?) Don’t miss this episode.

In this episode, I talk about FEAR, our old Pal who often comes a callin’ when we are moving forward in our lives and doing new things.

I take you through a process to challenge your FEAR and find a better emotional answer, so you can move forward in your playwriting career with new clarity and passion, and BE MORE.

Becoming a working playwright is not just about writing a great play. You need to become FEARLESS and relentless and connect to theatres, producers, agents and more.

And to do that, often, you have to change how you think.

Wow, a podcast about playwriting that is not about playwriting…

…and it is.

Check this out. Do the work. Change your thinking and get your work out into the world!

In this episode, I again talk about the rehearsal process of Kalispell by Kim E. Ruyle that I am directing and bringing to life this September.

We look at emotional states when characters enter a scene and how as a playwright you need to think about this, and we talk about editing scenes when in production when it becomes clear that scenes need editing. Often scenes you really love, need to be trimmed and sometimes cut all together. If you want to learn about the PRODUCTION PROCESS in this Brave New Normal - Check this out!

AND I also talk about a new program I am offering where you can make easy CA$H, and help playwrights all over the world. What a concept!

In this episode, I ask the $100,000.00 question: WHAT IS STOPPING YOU? What is stopping you from writing a great play? What is stopping you from getting produced? What is stopping you from actually living a life as a successful and working playwright?

I talk about making new choices, learning new things and DOING new things that you never would have ever even thought about doing so that you can be a successful playwright! I ask a lot of questions, and I offer lots of new ideas, so you can stop doing the same things and getting the same mediocre results. If you can deal with answering hard questions, check out this episode!

In this episode, I continue to chronicle the adventures of the rehearsals of Kalispell, which we are presenting in late September. I go even deeper into the directing process, and I talk extensively about how to create a Montana dialect that works and the importance of that to make this play soar. And I discuss my RAZOR’S EDGE speech, as a way of motivating the cast, and also YOU as a playwright!

This is really interesting. Please check it out.

In this episode, I tell my favorite stories from 16 years at Manhattan Rep! (Today, August 17, 2021 is our 16th Anniversary!! Wow!) I talk about opening Manhattan Rep, our first show Men. And then I tell stories about The Actor’s Life, Crazy Festival adventures, Conversations with Dog, The People in My Hips, Dad and the Dog, The Eyes of Love, The Bigot, Past Perfect and more. I dive in deep about the fun of creating NEW theatre, and pushing the limits of conventional theatre and I talk about having fun!!! Lots to learn here in this extra long episode. Don’t miss this!

In this episode, we dive into your STORY IDEA for your next play.

I offer 3 questions to help you filter your idea so that you can create a stronger, more powerful, more fun and more concise play!

This one will open your eyes to some new and exciting possibilities!

In this episode, I continue the on-going conversation about the rehearsal process of Kalispell by Kim E. Ruyle. This week was awesome in rehearsal! We worked on the family dynamics of the grown up children in this very dysfunctional Montana family, and I go into the specifics of the process of linking real emotions to the brother/sister relationships and more, so that we can truly create what appears like a real family for it will be specific in the relationships and in how those relationships FEEL, and I talk about how you, as a playwright, can do this same thing in your writing. Yes, a lot of work, but the payoff is amazing. Don’t miss this episode! Learn about the rehearsal process, and how you can use the same principles we explore in rehearsal to write better plays!

In this episode, I talk about how as a playwright you also need to be a Salesperson if not you are never going to be wildly successful. I offer some strategies for branding yourself, and I invite you to try something new by personally connecting to theatre, producers, literary agents and more. Yeah, sometimes it can be annoying, but also sometimes, there can be major breakthroughs and opportunities by taking action in a new and empowering way. If you are serious about getting your plays produced, don’t miss this episode!

In this episode, we return to the rehearsals of Kalispell by Kim E. Ruyle, that I am directing and that we are presenting in September here in New York City! This week, I talk about the importance of the dialect of Western Montana where this play takes place, and I again explore the power of questions when working with actors and how starting rehearsals for live performance on ZOOM is actually pretty cool!! Go figure!

In this episode, I break it all down: The Big Picture of Dramatic Action, and the Scene Process of Writing Dramatic Action, so that it all works. Being able to make things happen on stage between the characters and around them, and being able to build a clear dramatic throughline in a play, are two of the most important principles in writing a great and compelling play. I do my best to simplify this process so that you can understand and put clear dramatic action into your plays.

Dont miss this one!

In this episode, I continue the process of talking about the rehearsal process of Kalispell by Kim E. Ruyle which we are bringing to life in this BRAVE NEW NORMAL in September 2021. The cast of 9 is sensational and I share the process of their rehearsal and relate it to the playwriting process so that you can actually write better plays. If you are serious about being a successful, working playwright, check out this podcast.

In the episode, I talk about re-inventing how you connect to theatres with your plays in this Brave New Normal.

The world is different than it was Pre-Pandemic, and maybe there are ways to connect to theatres in this Brave New Normal, that were never available to you before. And how can you use the Brave New Normal to actually help you get your plays produced?

I also talk about the madness in your mind that prevents you from being successful and getting your plays produced.

And I rave about the power of your personal and positive ENERGY to make things happen!

If you are serious about getting your plays produced NOW, check out this episode!

In this episode, I talk about the pros and cons of Play Reading Groups so that you can use a play reading group to help you bring your playwriting to a new level. I talk about Feedback Criteria, Are Actors reading the work? Is the group positive? And does this group help you feel empowered? and so much more!

In this episode, I recount the process of the first two rehearsals of Kalispell by Kim Ruyle, that I am directing and Manhattan Repertory Theatre is producing in September in New York City. Live theatre has been missing from the world and now as Live theatre is returning, it needs to be a different process, as we re - adjust to the rehearsal process and the process of bringing a play to life. This is really interesting and a lot of fun. Check this out.

In this Episode, I talk about my process of Rewriting a play I wrote 22 years ago, and I share my obsession with adding in Dramatic Action when rewriting so that more things happen on stage, and so this “old” play is even better. I also chat about how when one RETROFITS a play when rewriting often the rhythms are off, so you have to be mindful of not just moving dialogue but the clear action connected to it, if not, it is just going to seem retrofit, piece meal, and basically, just plain bad.

And I talk about Expoding a play, and starting fresh, and writing from our old pal, The Emotional Event Map! Don’t miss this one, especially if want to, or are in the process of rewriting an older play.

In this episode, I challenge you to be MORE as we move into this Brave New Normal. The world has changed since live theatre last manifested in New York City 17 months ago, and as a playwright, you need to BE MORE, and up your game, and think and write in a new way for this Brave New Normal. How can you BE MORE? Your old thinking will not take you to the next level, but new perspectives and a new attitude will. What can you do today to amp up your writing so that your plays are awesome? And how can you LEAN into what's next?

In this episode I talk about the challenges of getting back to live theatre in New York City and the world, and how I am going to work differently on my first production (going up in September 2021) since we shut down in March 2020. This is an important episode to check out.

In this extra long episode, I celebrate the 4 year Anniversary of The Playwriting Podcast, and I share some clips of my favorite episodes and the most informative episodes of the past 4 years. And I thank you for being there, and promise profusely, that there is more fun to come!

In this episode, I interview Artistic Director, Kirk Gostkowski and Director of Development and Outreach, Christina Elise Perry, of THE CHAIN THEATRE about bringing theatre back after a 16 month hiatus, about managing Covid in an almost Post Pandemic World, about the remarkable work and events that are happening at The Chain Theatre this summer, not to mention how bizarre and exciting it is to be in the same space with real people again, and how more than ever, we need to support independent theatre to keep the dream alive and kicking! Don’t miss this episode! Kirk and Elise give an honest and candid interview about the state of the art of Independent Theatre in NYC.

In this episode, I share my second journey to the Broadway Theatre District since Broadway closed in March 2020. On my first journey, last October, I discoved Times Square and the Broadway Theatre district was a ghost land, empty and forgotten and my walk that Wednesday afternoon, literally changed my life.

My second journey this week, woke me up to the Current Tragedy on Broadway, and I am still reeling from my discoveries.

Please check this out. I don't talk playwriting but I do talk BROADWAY, which is every playwright's dream, and as playwrights, theatre lovers and compassionate human beings coming out of this pandemic, we have much work to do to save Broadway, the center of the theatrical universe, and New York City too.

You can listen by clicking on the buttom above!

In this episode, I talk about how we have booked our first ALMOST POST PANDEMIC production and how we will need to DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY to make sure all is safe to create some AMAZING theatre, and how I personally have to LEAN IN, and do what needs to be done.

And then I relate this LEANING IN perspective to:

TAKING ACTION, and how now more than ever you need to do the things to take your playwriting career to the next level despite FEAR and all the other made up things in life that keep us from succeeding.

Check this episode out. Unless you’re scared to.

In this episode, I talk about your unique creativity connection, your magic tool in your playwriting toolkit, and how to teach yourself to connect to your unique creativity.

I also talk about how I resurrected my father and brought him back to life and acted with him on stage in one of the most exciting and important plays in my career.

And I talk about Elizabeth Gilbert’s awesome book BIG MAGIC.

Don’t miss this one!

In this episode, I rant and rail about THE EMOTIONAL EVENT MAP, the #1 thing that most playwrights DON’T CREATE when writing a play, and it is, in my humble opinion the most important thing you should be creating if you want to write a truly fantastic and perfect play. Starting with dialogue, without extensive Pre-Work is often a colloassal waste of time, unless you enjoy writing mediocre plays.

Check out this episode and learn something new that will take your playwriting to the next level! AND THEN DO IT ALREADY!

In this episode, I travel up to Rheinebeck, New York, to interview Professor Albert, who was all over the news this past week, being interviewed on a big News channel and also interviewed on one of the most popular Morning Shows in the country. He has some big news, and some explosive playwright predictions which might surprise you. Don’t miss this episode!

In this episode, I offer 4 strategies to GET MOTIVATED and STAY MOTIVATED to complete your plays, and these strategies if put into action, absolutely work. (One technique will actually take your career to the next level, if you have the COURAGE to do it!) Don’t miss this one!

Ever feel like you are lying when you tell people that you are playwright? Is there a voice in your head that says "Who the hell are you kidding trying to be a playwright of all things? And when a play of yours is not accepted or read, or openly rejected, do you say to yourself "I knew it. I can't write."

Well, the good news is: what you are going through is normal.

In this podcast, I talk about ways to disempower the pain -inducing voices in your head, reframe your reality, train your thinking and learn to love yourself for being 100% you and for having the courage to write your plays.

In this episode, I offer 4 strategies to get into that AMAZING, FANTASTICAL, CREATIVE SPACE so that you can write better, faster, more intuitively, and just have more fun writing your AMAZING, FANTASTICAL, CREATIVE plays! These strategies work if you do the work. Don’t miss this one!

In the episode, I rant about the quality of playwright submission materials: Manuascript, Cover letter, Website, and more! You will not believe the types of submissions I received here at Manhattan Rep.

The scary truth is that only 10% of playwrights truly present a professional and well thought out submission package. Isn’t it time you got your play produced?

Be in the 10% who do it right!

In this episode, I talk about the PC Cancel Culture thought form that is rampant in our country today that is making Comedians think twice about following their ART and presenting their unabashed comedy.

And I look at the fear that many comedic playwrights are also experiencing second guessing how this PC Cancel Culture might judge their work, and I talk about following your ART no matter where it takes you.

Yes, it is a good idea to check how the meaning of your comedy may be construed or misunderstood, but to be a great playwright, you also need to be authentic, wherever that may take you.

This podcast is a good one...

and important.

In this episode, I challenge you to push through your fears of disapproval, rejection and failure, and make some new Bold Choices about your Playwriting Career and your life.

I tell some fun stories about the bold choices in my life that have paid off exponentially, and how they literally changed my future leading me to create Manhattan Rep, this podcast and so much more. Is the universe adversarial or benevolent? - Yeah, I talk about that too.

Don’t miss this one, even if this topic FRIGHTENS HECK OUT OF YOU!

In the episode, I offer a simple strategy to CRAFT YOUR PLAY so that you can write faster and better than ever before, and I also offer some suggestions for Workflow, and I talk briefly about Broadway returning and what is UNSAID.

This is my passionate plea to playwrights around the world to MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN ON STAGE, and I talk extensively about how to add action to plays so that they won’t bore the hell out of an audience with dialogue disconnected from action and the dramatic through line of your play. Listen to this, and TAKE ACTION to put action and events in every scene of every play you write for the rest of your life!

Do something different to write a better play.

If you start writing your play with dialogue, and not by mapping out action and emotional events you are doing yourself and your career a BIG disservice. Action and Emotional Events create focus on stage. They are a playwright’s most important tool to create a compelling and fantastic play!

I talk about Mayor De Blasio’s announcement on Thursday April 29, 2021 of how starting in July, New York City will be back to 100% capacity on all, no restrictions, with hopefully a soft opening of Broadway in the Fall. So how do we negotiate this landscape which is continually changing to insure that theatre comes back with a passion like never before?

In this Episode, I talk about what is happening in NYC as theatre tries to blossom again, and I look at some of the challenges ahead as theatre returns. It may be a rocky road, but as playwrights and creators, we cannot let obstacles and fear get in our way of the re-emergence of SAFE theatre in NYC and the world again. As a playwright and creator, YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO THIS PODCAST.

In this episode, I talk about Amsterdam’s Orange Theatre Company’s Short Zoom Theatre Film - FEVER DREAMS, which was one of the most exciting and creative Zoom presentations that I have ever seen! (It is a part of Manhattan Rep’s Stories Film Festival in May. Don’t miss it!)

In this amazing Zoom Film there was a Big Problem, Big Events happening in the story (AND ON THE COMPUTER!) It was so well rehearsed and filled with INSANE PASSION!!

I outline these FOUR STEPS to take your PLAY to the next level. How can you go further with your work? And get your work out into the world as we move into this NEW RENAISSANCE OF THEATRE! Don’t miss this!

In this episode, I offer 3 tips to create WOW moments in your plays so that the audience says: "Wow, that's Amazing!"

Do you even have WOW moments in your plays?

Why not?

Here's how to do it.

In this episode, I challenge you to BE BOLD in your writing, and to BE BOLD in your playwriting career. Do you want to be a part of his new Renaissance of Theatre that is almost upon us? Do you want to be a great playwright? Do you want write in a new way, or work on your career in a new way to make things happen? Or are you going to continue to do the same thing you did Pre-Pandemic, that created limited results? By being BOLD in your writing and your career, it will transform your life!

In this episode, I challenge you to look at your “GENRE” and dive in deeper, or switch and write something new, so that you can bring your playwriting to the next level. I also tell a true story about a man walking up 5th Avenue with a loudspeaker, who taught me a super-powered lesson in personal possibility! Don’t miss this one!

In this episode, I outline 16 "Ken Wolf" playwriting principles to work on, one a week for 16 weeks, and in doing so, you will transform your playwriting and your playwriting career.

Also on this podcast I announce some BIG NEWS: THE PLAYWRITING PODCAST has been named #1 on FEEDSPOT's Best Playwriting Podcasts which makes The Playwriting Podcast the #1 Playwriting Podcast in the World!

Go figure.

Cool beans.

What the heck are you missing?

In this episode, I talk about having the courage to be INSANELY CREATIVE & I go for a wild ride with Professor Albert, Motivational Music star and man with an annoying accent, as we experience what it means to be INSANELY CREATIVE, with many dramatic playwriting lessons along the way. This is unlike any podcast you have ever heard. Sit down. Close your eyes and experience what it means to allow yourself to boldly go where no playwright has ever gone before! With a special appearance by one of the greatest playwrights in History! Don’t miss this one!

In this episode, I am pumped out of my mind about the very real possibility that LIVE THEATRE will be coming back to New York City and the world, this Summer or early Fall! I talk about how can you up playwriting and your participation in this incredible Renaissance of Theatre we are going to be experiencing. And I tell a story about a young clarinet player and a master clarinet teacher. And, big news, I introduce my brand new 9 week Coaching Course - GET YOUR PLAY PRODUCED!

Don’t miss out on the new Revolution of Playwriting and the Golden Age of Theatre!

In this episode, I invite you to start crafting your plays in a new and more powerful way, and I challenge you to stop writing with words and begin writing with EMOTION. Do you want to write a CUTE play? Or do you want to write a GREAT play? I also talk about the best way to structure your play with Events, Action and more. Isn't it time for you to be a GREAT PLAYWRIGHT?

In the episode, I ask the BIG QUESTION: Do you want to join the REVOLUTION?

Do you want to be part of tomorrow’s theatre, a vibrant and passionate community of artists writing plays that make a difference? Do you want to be a part of this NEW AGE of live storytelling? Are you willing to do the work to write like you have never written before to help transform this BRAVE NEW WORLD?

As storytellers, we have more power to create a shift in consciousness than all the politicians in the world. Playwrights are magicians and miracle makers. (Yes, you are!) So are you ready to create some miracles with your work? Are you willing to be bigger, bolder, more passionate and work harder than ever before to create some transformational plays for this New Age? How can you with your storytelling skills be a part of the solution as we return to live theatre?

Ah yes, that is the question!

In these episodes, I talk about why you need to write a play that is uniquely you, and how being super specific in your playwriting, SUPER SPECIFIC, and telling an authentic personal story is Playwriting Gold! I also talk about the FEAR involved with telling a personal story, and how to work with it and manage it so that you can write a truly great play. Don’t miss these two important episodes!

In this episode, I outline the things that might be in your way of becoming a great playwright. I rant and I rail and I offer some unique and important advice to put your head on straight, and to get your work out into the world. Even if you are not a playwright, this episode is transformational and important, and really fun too. Please check this out at the link below.

It may change your life.

I am not kidding.

In this episode, I rant and rave about the 4 challenges that every playwright faces when in the process of writing a PERFECT PLAY! And I offer solutions so that you can write an amazing, concise and compelling play! This one is extensive and fun, and if you listen to these playwriting strategies, you absolutely will take your playwriting to the next level.

In this episode, I ask the question "How can I help?" for I want you to be the best writer you can be and I want to help.

I talk about the the challenges of being a playwright and creator in this Brave New World, and I ask for you to reach out and let me know how I can help you write better, promote better and live better in this very Brave New World!

In this episode, I ask a BIG QUESTION: Do you want to write a BIG play, or do you want to write a GREAT play? And I share a segment from one of my Mastery Academy Playwright’s Reading Room online classes, where I address this question BIG TIME! When does your vision get in the way of writing your play, and maybe, just maybe, could there be an easier to write a GREAT play? Don’t miss this one!

In this episode, I talk about the process of REWRITING YOUR PLAY, and I pull out a clip for one of my Mastery Academy classes that exempliifes and perfectly illustrates the process to get out of your own way so that you can rewrite your play and make it ROCK! Don’t miss this! This is unique and important information.

In this episode, I talk about the best strategies and questions to ask when choosing to create a new form of theatre. We talk absurdist. We talk Godot. And we talk about ways to make things work when the conventional model of theatre in not on the page, nor on the stage!

In this episode, I talk about what you need to LEARN in order to write better. Often as playwrights, we lead with our strengths and we continute lead with our strengths, and we fail to focus on those elements of Playwriting that we are not good at, and there lies the rub! I offer some sound advice on focusing, not on what you naturally do well, but on those elements where you need work.

And I rant a bit too, in a loving way.

Don’t miss this episode!

In this episode, I offer my three secrets to AMPING UP THE COMEDY IN YOUR PLAY. Comedies are tough to write and there are certain ingredients and principles to writing a comedy that many playwrights ignore. Don’t do that! Listen to this podcast and write a comedy that will make your audience fall off their chairs!

In this episode, I applaud the incredible power and the punch of a playwright performing in their own 1 Actor show, and I invite playwrights worldwide to explore the possibilities of writing a 1 actor show, where they personally bring it to life on stage. I am insanely passionate about this art form, so challenge yourself! Try something new, and transform your playwriting forever!

In this episode, I interview Broadway Producer, Ken Davenport, about the road back for Broadway and for theatre opening around the world. This interview is inspiring and sheds some glorious light at the end of a very long and dark tunnel. Ken talks about what is happening now, and what the process moving forward might look like as theatre reopens! Don’t miss this episode!

Ken Davenport’s Bio:

Ken Davenport is a Tony Award-winning Broadway producer whose credits include Once On This Island (Tony Award), Gettin’ the Band Back Together, The Play that Goes Wrong, Groundhog Day (Tony nomination), Deaf West Theatre’s Spring Awakening (Tony nomination), It’s Only a Play, Macbeth starring Alan Cumming, Godspell, Kinky Boots (Broadway - Tony Award, National Tour, Toronto, Australia, and West End), The Visit (Tony nomination), Mothers and Sons (Tony nomination), The Bridges of Madison County (National Tour), Allegiance, Chinglish, Oleanna starring Bill Pullman and Julia Stiles, Speed-the-Plow, Will Ferrell's You're Welcome America (Tony nomination), Blithe Spirit starring Angela Lansbury (Broadway, West End and National Tour), and 13.

Off-Broadway, Ken has produced Daddy Long Legs, Altar Boyz (Co-Conceiver), My First Time (Author), The Awesome 80’s Prom (Creator), That Bachelorette Show! (Creator), and Miss Abigail’s Guide to Dating, Mating, & Marriage (Author). Ken's productions have been produced internationally in over 25 countries around the world.

In 2019, Inc. 5000 named Ken’s production company, Davenport Theatrical Enterprises, one of America’s fastest-growing private companies.

He is the founder of TheaterMakersStudio.com, a one-of-a-kind "masterclass" community that provides training and inspiration from Broadway's best to writers, directors, producers and more.  

Ken also serves as the Executive Producer for North America for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group.

Outside of theatre, he has produced the award-winning These Magnificent Miles: On the Long Road with Red Wanting Blue, a documentary on one of the top unsigned rock bands in the country, and an award-winning TV pilot entitled The Bunny Hole which has appeared in the LA Indie Film Festival, the Orlando Film Festival, the LA Comedy Festival and more.  Ken was featured on a national commercial for Apple’s iPhone, named one of Crain’s “Forty Under 40” and is one of the co-founders of TEDxBroadway. He created the best-selling Broadway board game Be A Broadway Star. His blog, TheProducersPerspective.com, has been featured in Vanity Fair, New York Magazine, The Gothamist and more. He has written articles for Forbes, Mashable, and many others. Ken’s unique production and marketing style has garnered him international attention, including two front page articles in the NY Times and features on MSNBC, Rock Center, Fox News, BBC, and his favorite, a mention in Jay Leno’s monologue on “The Tonight Show.” 

Upcoming projects include Broadway Vacation, Joy the Musical, My Life In Pink, a revival of The Great White Hope, Harmony: A New Musical written by Barry Manilow and Bruce Sussman, a musical based on the life and songs of Neil Diamond, and a musical based on the life of Harry Belafonte.

Prior to his career as a Producer, Ken was a Company Manager and General Manager for Broadway shows and National Tours including Show Boat, Ragtime, Jekyll & Hyde, Chicago, Candide, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Gypsy and others.

In this episode, I offer the Four Steps to amping up the drama in your play so that your play is not just good, but it is stunning, congruent and crazy dramatic!

I read so many scripts that are only a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10 in the drama department. And 3 is not good enough to be GREAT!

Check out these four steps. Integrate them into your writing, and create an awesome dramatic play!

In this episode, I talk about how to INFUSE your play with real LOVE & JOY, which when done correctly is one of the most powerful and compelling things you can do to write a GREAT play! Not just a good play, A GREAT PLAY.

And I send out a passionate plea to the world to choose Love.

In this Episode, Professor Albert, Motivational Music Superstar and Inventor, takes over the Podcast to share with you the best clips from The Playwriting Podcast in 2020, and to sell his skills as a powerful and compelling actor. Don’t miss this one. There are clips on: How to Sell Your Play, How to Write an Amazing Zoom Play, How to Create an Emotional Event Map, and How to Stay Focused, Productive & in your Right Mind during this Pandemic. And stick around for the end, as Professor Albert sounds a “Clarion Call” for the Return of Live Theatre!

In this episode, I outline the principles of great children’s theatre using examples of some of the MRT KIDS children’s theatre plays that my partner Jen Pierro and I wrote, directed and produced back in 2017 as part of our MRT KIDS season of plays. Children’s theatre is very lucrative, so check out this podcast, for now is the time to write some awesome children’s theatre!

In this episode, we talk goals. Goals for the amazing New Year 2021! (It has to be better than 2020!) I offer some unique strategies for the manifestation of your goals, which are super fun, and from my experience, they work!

So if you are not doing the work you need to do to be a successful playwright/creator, listen to this podcast and follow my simple strategies for compelling goal creation, and make it happen!

2021 is your year!

In this episode, I offer a cool gift for playwrights for supporting me and Manhattan Rep through this pandemic, and I talk about the gifts of being a playwright, which are very different than what you will find in any other profession, and I brainstorm on all the super cool ways you can use your amazing gifts in creative new ways!

In this episode, I talk about the BIG Metaphor play - a play written to explore and discuss a myriad of issues around one important topic, and how writing one smaller, more congruent and simpler story about this topic, being sure to create an emotional experience on stage, is so much more powerful!

And I send out a passionate prayer to the world to drop our egos and team up, to save lives and bring us back to a world we love.

In this Episode, I talk about the power of having a great team of supportive people around you, and I talk about the importance of being on an empowering team yourself to truly make a diffence with who you are and with your writing. I also pay tribute to the late, great Dr. Brian Healy, who led Team Ken 17 years ago to create a miracle! (And I give you the secret discount code to save $30 on my Home Study Video course - How to Write a Fantastic Play in 28 Days!)

Get ready for a really wild ride as I talk to actors Dave Silberger & Florence Pape about Play Development, specifically on their work on Mike Zielinski’s awesome comedy entitled “HE’S YOUR DADDY” which Manhattan Rep produced in March 2019, directed by yours truly. Florence and Dave have worked with me on a myriad of productions over the past 3 years, and they are fantastic actors and awesome human beings. This episode is great fun, and an inside look at what happens in rehearsal.

My intention with this episode is for playwrights to get a real sense of what play development is, as we talk about the process of bringing this comedy to life.

Florence’s Bio

Florence Pape  Theatre: Marti, Mints by George Cameron Grant (Best Actress-Think Fast Festival, Secret Theatre, Best Play-Manhattan Rep., United Solo Festival, Theatre Row), Wendy, Grant’s Lovers Kiss (Manhattan Rep. & Think Fast Festival - Best Actress nom.), Mae West, Laugh Supper, Connie Conrad, He’s Your Daddy  (Manhattan Rep); Doris, Can You Hear Me Now?, Dottie,It Gets Better, Lucy, Criminally Insane, Mrs. Mendelson,Sorry For Your Loss, Grandma,Family Secrets, God,Strong Meds and Jewish Guilt  (Alternative Theater), Helene Berman, Significant Other (nom. best actress BroadwayWorld.com Regional Awards, NJ Theater), Lavinia Penniman,The Heiress and Marietta Claypoole, Regrets Only, Nutley Little Theatre, Motherhood Out Loud and Virginia,Three Viewings, Hackensack Performing Arts/Hoboken Library. Favorite roles Hudson Theatre Ensemble: Joanne, Company, Martha,Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Reba, The Last Night of Ballyhoo, Ouisier, Steel Magnolias. Commercials/TV/Film: Major Pharmaceutical Commercial (also print/ internet), Immersive Installation Facebook Portal, Twin Chef Infomercial, Comedy Central Mini-Mocks, Comcast Spotlight. Film: Wendy, Lovers Kiss (filmed/directed Michael Stever) florence@fpls.com

Dave’s Bio

Dave Silberger has been entertaining audiences at Renaissance Festivals for eons as Half Wit Henry in The Sturdy Beggars Mud Show. He has also performed with Theater Companies in Chicago, New Jersey and New York, as well as indie films and the occasional commercial. There is nothing he likes better then collaborating on exciting projects with generous and talented people.

In this episode, I make a cool Holiday metaphor about creating a fantastic play, and I talk passionately about what you need to do to really create a play.

In this episode, I outline a super fun way of creating unique and interesting characters by stacking characteristics and behaviors. You will love this. This process is so much fun, and it will ignite your creativity to write new and very different characters.

And I also give thanks.

In this episode, I talk about how to overcome Playwriting Challenges, and how to reframe and retrain your thinking so that you will become unstoppable!

And I wish all of you a very wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday!

You are the reason I do this Podcast, and I can’t thank you enough!

In this episode, I talk about this thing called “Pandemic Writer’s Malaise” and what you can do to shift out of it, and get productive and focused.

In this episode I offer 3 tips to Tweak Your Writing Process so that you can be more productive, get more writing done in less time, and to have more fun in the process. Don’t miss this! It is time to tweak your writing so you can get things done!

On this podcast, I talk about ways that you can create a compelling, easy to produce, short film using monologues to help get your stories out NOW in this Brave New World. Our super power is our stories, and we, as playwrights and storytellers, need to get our work out into this world so we can affect some positive change!

This episode is my call to action RIGHT NOW! How can you adapt to this Brave New World and find a way RIGHT NOW to tell your stories so that you can help make a difference today? I think you will like this.

In this episode, I talk about my journey to an empty Broadway in this Brave New World (Check out the Blog post on this site of the same name.) The podcast is my Clarion Call to all playwrights to keep writing and to keep the faith. We cannot let outside circumstances change how we feel or what we believe.

In this episode, I have a wonderful conversation with Playwright Coni Koepfinger, who is one of our Resident Playwrights at Manhattan Rep. We talk about her plays, how she writes and what she often writes about, and the future of theatre as we move into this Brave New World.

Coni Koepfinger (Playwright in residence at Manhattan Rep and Cosmic Orchid)

A recent finalist in Playbill’s inaugural Virtual Theatre Festival, 2020,

Coni Koepfinger is the host of AIRPLAY, a weekly theatre program now in its 12th season that gives voice to artists worldwide and DETERMINED WOMEN, a monthly feature that interviews women who share stories to encourage and inspire. In addition to teaching theatre and composition at prominent universities, Koepfinger is an internationally published and produced playwright, theatre theorist, and librettist. Coni is a Media Advisor for the Lifeboat Foundation who recently published her play, Get the Message in their Visions of the Future anthology; a contributing writer for the Center of Conscious Creativity in LA; a Member of The Dramatists Guild, and an instrumental member of the International Center for Women Playwrights and the League of Professional Theatre Women. Recent work includes three new powerful pieces with her writing partner Joe Izen: including Eve of Beltane -a fresh look at political corruption in the face of ancient Celtic mythology that was given a 29 hr AEA staged reading at Broadway Bound Festival (2019),; Schoolhouse - an ultramodern musical that takes the young victim of a school shooting through a magical journey into an imaginary schoolhouse to find compassion and joy; and the new age musical, Kingdom Come, where technology meets its match in matchmaking with TED, the world's first transhuman who falls in love with boss only to reveal a bigger, brighter picture for all humanity. She has written well over 40 plays, short stories , books and commissions such as Takin’ It Back, a ten-minute play for THE ME TOO PROJECT in Harlem, and Playing House a commissioned one-act about Bella Abzug for the UNTOLD STORIES OF JEWISH WOMEN and Playing Fate which was accepted for New Blood Series at Theatre for the New City. In 2020 Koepfinger is virtually all over, with Caging the Spirit, a short James Scheider at Walls & Bridges at California State University's \\ and her new full-length, My Dinner with Mary, which was read online for The Producer’s Circle in March, and will be produced in the Dream Up Festival in 2021 at Theatre for the New City. Simonyt, New Blood Series at TNC; Caging the Spirit at California State University and My Dinner with Mary, read for cutworms The Producer’s Circle and was chosen for the Dream Up Festival 2021 at Theatre for the New City and The Simon Says in the Playbill VTF.

So this is a bonus episode this week for I just couldn’t wait until next week.

I was thinking about how playwrights can use this pandemic TO OUR ADVANTAGE today. Yes, really. And I came up with a great idea, that like all great ideas has always been right in front of my face, I just didn’t see it, and there is an incredible opportunity here for playwrights. So check this out.

In this episode, I offer more strategies to FOCUS so you can write your best work in the midst of all the uncertainty, and fear in this Brave New World we are now living in.

This is new territory for all of us. As playwrights and artists, we can’t get caught up in the media and all the emotionality every which way we turn. The more we can stay present and focused on doing our work, the more productive, and happy we will be.

Wouldn’t it be fun to write a murder mystery with all the plot twists and the big reveal of the murderer at the end? I outline a process to build a Murder Mystery with all the surprizes and twists that make these plays, (when they are written well,) so much theatrical fun! This episode is extra fun with a sound track by yours truly!

In this episode, we revisit the 10 Minute Play and the different types of 10 minute plays, and then I talk about WHEN A 10 MINUTE PLAY IS NOT A 10 MINUTE PLAY. Please check it out. I offer a kind of a different way to look at a 10 MINUTE PLAY that can make you money as a playwright.

I talk about how to find the motivation to write during the madness and drama of this Brave New World without Theatre. Check it out. We can’t let outside circumstances affect who we are as human beings and as creative artists. Now is the time, more than ever, to WRITE!

I had a wonderful interview with Anthony J. Piccione and we talked about his work, his workflow and so much more. He is a super talented creator, and a fantastic person. Check out this interview! His info is below!

Website: www.anthonyjpiccione.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AnthonyJPiccione.OfficialPage

Instagram: @anthonyjpiccione  

One Empire, Under God fundraising link, where people can sign-up to become a patron and watch the reading on October 16th: www.patreon.com/oneempireundergod

My Podcast Indie Art Today: www.anchor.fm/indie-art-today

Ticket link of the Talking It Out festival: www.eventbrite.com/e/talking-it-out-a-virtual-short-play-festival-tickets-111853867930

And where people can purchase my published/previously produced plays: www.smithscripts.co.uk/product-category/anthony-j-piccione/

On this Episode, I talk about how to refine your play and make it absolutely perfect! I offer these 10 Editing questions below, along with the process of editing and I talk about the importance of having a reading of your play after you finish your first draft, that is a reading for you, not for feedback. And I talk about this website How To Write Plays.com.

Here are the 10 Editing Questions to refine your first draft:

1. Is there a clear problem & action related to the problem that needs to be solved in each scene? If not, fix it.


2. Does this scene top the scene before? If not, fix it.

3. Are your characters saying too many words? Do they need to say three sentences when they could say the same thing in one sentence?


4. Do your characters speak in clear and distinctly different ways? If not, how can you make them consistently different?

5. Are your characters telling stories that don’t have a dramatic event attached to the telling of the story?  If not, cut them or make them two sentences tops.  I’m serious. (A story with a dramatic event attached could be a Coming Out story, or a Break Up story.)

6. Are the characters saying too little?  Is it clear what is happening in each EVENT?


7. Are you telling BACK STORY to the audience that is not intrinsically told during a dramatic action moment in the scene?  If not, fix it!

8. Is the scene too long?  Could it be a page or two shorter and still convey all the important information and ACTION that will propel this play to its dramatic conclusion?


9. Is the scene too short?  Are the actions and events in this scene big enough?

10. Do you need this scene?  Does this scene top the scene before, and propel the dramatic action of the play? If you answer yes to this - keep the scene.  If no, cut it!