laurajneill
Need an Agent?
Young playwrights (or rather, playwrights who are just starting their professional careers in theatre) tend to ask the question: How do I get an agent? Or, the more basic question: Do I need an agent? But most folks I know tend to ask the former question, because after all, having an agent sounds like something […]
Teaching and Theatre
I know a bunch of theatre artists who make their livings as teachers. Actors, directors, and playwrights sometimes find their way into the classroom in order to pay the bills. But as someone who is both a teacher and a theatre artist–by practice and by training–I’d like to toss out that theatre and teaching are […]
That World Premiere Thing
Last Monday I attended a fascinating presentation by Theatre Development Fund and Theatre Bay Area on their new play study, Triple Play. Click here to watch the livestream of the discussion. The study centered on the motivations and reactions of single-ticket buyers with regard to their new play ticket purchases, and there was a lot […]
The Joy of Getting Stuck
All writers struggle with writers’ block. Or revision block, or feeling frustrated with a current draft. Rather than viewing this natural frustration as a terrible obstacle, let’s consider it as a signal that we could be having more fun. Writers’ block means the writer needs to allow more joy into the work. Try the unexpected—the […]
Revision
I’ve been doing a ton of revision this week. HAPPILY. With actual JOY. And if that last word makes perfect sense to you, then you can probably stop reading now because you’re one of those magical creatures who’s loved revising ever since you started writing. Let me tell you: I am not one of those. […]
Ten-Minute Stories
This semester, I’ve been taking a ten-minute play seminar at BPT. In the BU MFA, we have two courses that are dedicated solely to the ten-minute form. So, between that and the plethora of ten-minute play festivals that solicit submissions every month, I have several reasons to consider what a ten-minute play is exactly, and […]
Casting and Fear
As a playwright, I have to make it my goal to know the scope and mission of various theatre companies. Trying to find the right companies for my work–and tailoring submissions appropriately so that their relevance to the company is obvious–involves serious study of theatre companies’ websites, and sometimes (with a little bit of good […]
First Draft Life
“All writing is re-writing.” “No one gets it right the first time.” “Time to put some flesh on those bones!” Life as a playwright is full of adages about the importance of revision. And I’m all about that. Trust me, as someone who’s been an English teacher, I truly, deeply understand how crucial revision is […]
Workshop Ahead
Every playwright I know is excited by the idea of a workshop, and I’m no different. Getting a script off of the page and into actors’ mouths is crucial for a play’s development. I’m currently lucky enough to be anticipating a week-long workshop at the University of Tulsa as the 2017 winner of WomenWorks. As […]
Writing “Evil”
One of the old adages of playwriting is that you should love all your characters. After all, if you’re creating them, you think they’re important to your story, and subtlety will make that story shine all the more brightly. So–even your villains should have a personality, a rationale, a “way in” that lets us see […]
And on and on and on
In theatre, unless you’re lucky to land an ongoing tour, every piece of theatre is ephemeral not only metaphorically but literally. You’ve got a few weeks or a few months on a project, and then it’s over–you move on to the next, or rather, spend a good deal of energy finding the next. As a […]
Who You Want Your Audience To Be
I’ve been thinking a lot about “audience” recently. I went to three shows this weekend, two fringe and one mid-size, and saw a huge disparity in who was attending the shows. This wasn’t surprising. It was exactly what you’d expect: majority older white subscribers at the mid-size, majority 20-40-somethings and theatre artists at the fringe, […]
“Risk” in Theatre
I’m thinking a lot this week about “risk” and what theatres (and playwrights) mean by it. I feel that many theatres advertise their seasons as pushing some sort of boundary, tapping into some sort of ideas-of-our-time, creating something original that hasn’t been seen in this particular way before. Of course, many theatres also go out […]
Gratitude
Many folks have spoken about writing as a lonely art, or as an art perpetrated by people who largely enjoy talking to the voices in their own head. But I constantly find myself aware that my work has no life aloud without other humans donating their talent and time to speak and consider it. And […]
An Invitation: Sunday April 23
Hi all, You are cordially invited to a staged reading of my play, Cap, or, El Límite, presented by Off the Grid Theatre Company this Sunday, April 23, at 7pm. The reading will be held in the front theater at Boston Playwrights’ Theatre, 949 Commonwealth Ave, and is free, with all suggested donations going to […]
Brief Thoughts on Silent Sky
Lauren Gunderson’s Silent Sky, presented by Flat Earth Theatre at the Mosesian Center for the Arts, is a gorgeous contemplation of the things one must give up to pursue truth and discovery. Gunderson tells the story of Henrietta Leavitt, a woman astronomer who leaves behind her father and sister to work at Harvard Observatory before […]
New Plays in New England
The New England New Play Anthology is OUT! I am so grateful to have been a part of this process, which was spearheaded by New England’s very own Patrick Gabridge through StageSource. I can’t tell you how excited I am to see the book come to life, both in e-book and hard copy. Check it […]
The Art of Waiting
As a working playwright, I send out a lot of submissions. At any given moment, dozens of theaters across the country could be reading my work. Or, more likely, at any given moment, my work could be sitting in dozens of slush piles that are currently untouched by the overworked intern who is attempting to […]
Two Jobs
The trick about being an “artist” (and, yes, the quotes are meant to make us all aware of a little of the pretension) is that you’ll always have multiple jobs. You’ll have multiple means of making money, yes, because we all have to eat and it’s difficult to land one of those gigs where you […]
Five Ways to Resist as an Artist
We’re all enraged that the current administration is cutting the NEA, NEH, Meals for Wheels, and everything else that matters to our country. And it’s easy to get swept up in this rage and sadness and have a bit of a breakdown. Go ahead–do that. Emotions are important. But once you’ve wiped off the tears, […]
Drama Lit Blog 2.0: BU School of Theatre 