Plays and Playwriting

Comment

Comment by Mattie Roquel Rydalch on February 8, 2010 at 11:51am

Thank you all so much for this excellent advice. The show closed last night (it was only supposed to run a few days, it's kind of an academic workshop capstone) and according to audiences and the ACTF adjudicator everyone did an excellent job. On Wednesday I have to sit on a panel and answer questions and over the next few days I have to meet with various professors and reviewers and see what they think. I'll take your advice into account and pay particular attention to what the audience noticed but use a lot of caution. Thanks!

Comment by Ian Hornby on February 7, 2010 at 11:46am

You all put a smile on my face. The situation reminds me of the numerous times I've been to see a UK soccer match and there will be hundreds of loud-voiced spectators ready to give their opinion about players and the strategy, with frequent jibes such as "the coach is rubbish!" I can't helpi thinking that if they are as expert as they like to think, they'd be the coach. Seriously, it's your creation and you believe in it. Other people's opinions will be of genuine helpful intent, otehrs borne of jealousy or supposed intellect. The difficulty is knowing which is which. Arguably it is the opinions of those who you do not know, and are therefore totally objective, that matter most. (In my humble opinion, of course.)

Comment by Carol M. Rice on February 7, 2010 at 11:10am

Mattie, also keep in mind that this is YOUR vision, not theirs. If it were theirs, they would be the director. It's most important to be true to what you envisioned for the piece, because if you start listening to everyone's suggestions and trying to incorporate them, your vision will be compromised and ultimately, so will the show. Especially since you've opened already.

Comment by Jason Aaron Goldberg on February 7, 2010 at 11:03am

Don't miss out on getting truly wonderful plays for free! Become an OWP fan on Facebook today. Fans get special discounts, the most up to date announcements, and free books on FREE PLAY DAY.

http://www.facebook.com/OriginalWorksPublishing

Comment by Dave Agans on February 7, 2010 at 8:11am

Remember that the play does not take place on stage, but in the audience members mind. You want to ask questions to find out what happened in there. Then you know if what you tried to do actually worked. If you can ask questions, stick to that kind, ie., "did anything confuse you?" "What do you think so-and-so was up to?" or "what was the most fun part, and what was the most boring part" etc. Don't worry about statements like "It would be better if you ..."

Comment by Mattie Roquel Rydalch on February 6, 2010 at 11:02pm

Thanks! That will help me a lot, especially over the next few days. Thank you so much.

Comment by Keith McGregor on February 4, 2010 at 1:50pm

Listen to everything they have to say, bearing in mind that if you know the person giving the critique, you may well have a sense of their personal biases and preferences. After listening (politely and quietly, if at all possible) then use only what resonates for you.

Comment by Mattie Roquel Rydalch on February 4, 2010 at 1:35pm

We opened last night and we still have five performances left. I'm looking forward to everyone's notes, but at the same time I'm apprehensive. Does anyone have any input on how much constructive criticism to take to heart? I've heard 20%, but I'm interested to know if it varies.

Comment by Mattie Roquel Rydalch on January 12, 2010 at 4:22pm

Just wanted to share my excitement that we just started rehearsing Strange Attractors at UI in Moscow!

Comment by Carol M. Rice on September 13, 2009 at 6:01pm

Thanks for the input everyone!

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• …
• 8
• Next ›
• Page