Working with Playwrights
Reader Report
To give you a sense of how a literary office might respond to your play, I'll read your current draft and send you a completed form based on the kinds of reports I did for submissions when I worked in professional theatres. These reports are usually 1 to 3 pages.
You won't get detailed notes, but you will get a sense of what a reader is responding to in your script, whether they would recommend it move forward for further consideration, and why. This kind of response can help you prepare to submit it to producers, publishers, and/or contests, giving you valuable insights before rewrites and revisions.
It may also help you decide if you want to take it to the next level by doing a more detailed script consult as described below.
If you're a theatre or festival that would like my services as a script reader or to recommend plays and playwrights, please contact me to discuss.
Phase 01 FIRST DRAFT This read is for First Impressions
Whether a 10-minute play or full-length, this first read is relatively quick and I don't take a lot of time to do research or analysis. I'm creating a record of first impressions and my experience as an audience member—which means I will get some things wrong and maybe miss some things even as I also discover what delights and engages me. This should take no more than a week or two.
I'll be writing my reactions and questions as I read through the play for the first time. This is a unique way of working and might take some getting used to. One benefit is that you're able to track in real time how I am responding as a reader. In addition to the detailed report, you'll also get a short reader response form as described above.
You'll have at least two Zoom meetings with me. The first one before I start reading your script, where I'll go over my process and ask you where you are in yours. You'll describe your goals for the script, and if there are specific things you want me to pay attention to as I read.
After I've sent you my notes, and had a chance to digest them, we'll have a conversation about the responses and set your goals for future revisions.
Phase 02 SECOND DRAFT This read focuses on Given Circumstances
Once you've done a significant rewrite incorporating feedback from Phase One, we'll move on to Phase Two.
We'll again have a Zoom meeting where you'll tell me about your revisions, your process, and what you hope to gain from this next phase. Then, I'll read this new draft considering what you've told me and reflecting on the work we did together in the previous phase.
I'll read this draft much more carefully and do a more formal dramaturgical analysis looking at characters, their histories and relationships, setting, period, style, genre, world of the play, and engage in appropriate research. Essentially, I'll be mapping out detailed "study guide" for your play.
I might contact you with specific questions and possibly give some exercises to open up the text through exploratory writing. I may also make suggestions on formatting to help make the reader's experience easier.
After I've finished, which may take as long as a month or two, you'll get my detailed reader's report and a revised literary office one-sheet. Once you've had a chance to read and consider them, we'll do a follow-up zoom meeting to discuss, as we did at the end of Phase One. At that meeting we'll talk about goals for revision and possible next steps for the script.
Phase 03 THIRD DRAFT This read focuses on Meaning
Phase Three begins after enough revisions that the play is nearly finished. At our first Zoom meeting you'll tell me about this draft and describe the process that got you there.
This is the last time we'll work together on this script. I'm not proof-reading for minor errors--you should have already done that yourself--I'm reading to see what it all means. I'll look at symbolism, metaphors, and subtext. I'll look to see if what you intended to say is what's actually being said and that everything is telling the same story.
At this stage, any reader should be able to say with confidence what the story is, and what it means. The analysis here focuses on how the events of the play, and the decisions of the characters, illustrate the central argument. What does the audience learn about themselves by watching what the characters are doing and learning (or not learning) by doing it.
At our final Zoom meeting, you'll tell me what you hope to do with the text and I will make some recommendations how to help you get there.
This, is the last step in our process on this script, and if you want to continue working together, it'll have to be on a new script where we start over with Phase One.