Advertise on podcast: Unlimited Playwriting

There are two criticisms often heard in workshops: "You have too many locations" and "You should cut that character." Both of these comments result in asking you to shrink your play. In this episode I discuss ways of looking at both those criticisms, and how some real plays handled these issues.

What's the deal with stage directions?

Amy Crider analyzes Conor McPherson's play The Weir to talk about what is meant by action.

Award-winning playwright Amy Crider discusses whether playwriting can be taught, and tells an anecdote about meeting David Mamet when she was in college.

When you write a play, you're writing for actors. In this episode, Amy interviews Chicago actor Jeff Broitman about what he looks for in a role and a play.

To answer the question What is Action? Amy Crider analyzes the play Red, by John Logan.

If you're struggling to develop your play, here's an example of how I developed a specific object in the story.

Amy Crider shares her opinion about why there might be bias against women playwrights.

What do the characters need and what do they know?

Why having an inciting incident matters.

Sympathetic Characters: what makes them sympathetic, and does it matter?

A fun exercise from Second City featuring micro plays, with guest actor Pete Blatchford.

Historical figures often grab your imagination. Here's a way of thinking about how to put them on stage. Three examples discussed are: Master Class by Terrence McNally, Freud's Last Session by Mark St. Germain, and Copenhagen by Michael Freyn.

Playwriting advice from award-winning writer Amy Crider. Today's topic: Audience Expectations.

Today's topic: Conflict. A new way of thinking about it, not as argument or opposition, but as the "conflicting image."