Writing from The Heart: Dramaturgy for Theatreworks Singapore

Writing from The Heart

"Writing from The Heart" is a workshop on creative writing, creative drawing, and creative drama. There are three available versions of this workshop: one for beginners on the secondary, tertiary, and graduate levels, and another for practitioners. A third version of this workshop is designed as an outreach program to disadvantaged and underserved audiences such as the disabled, the poor and the marginalized, victims of human trafficking, battered women and abused children, drug rehabilitation center residents, child combatants, children in conflict with the law, prisoners, and gang leaders. This third version incorporates creativity and problem awareness, conflict resolution, crisis intervention, trauma therapy, and peacemaking.

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Dramaturgy for Theatreworks Singapore

Rachel's Play: "Chew the Fat"

Dear Rachel,

Thank you for writing your sensual play. It should actually be produced on an abandoned construction site with characters performing on beams and multiple levels, granted that the site is declared safe and secure.

I felt, however, that I was meandering in a potboiler by Tami Hoag, and that your deliberately non-dramatic play is really "A Day in the Life of Sarranah".

Here are my comments and suggestions:

1. Paginate your work.
2. You have too many characters, most of them walk-ons. The only way the producer might be able to swing this is by teaming up with a company that sells male underwear.
3. Remember that a play is dramatic because of what the protagonist does, not what happens to her. As in, for example, Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House.
4. Go beyond and transcend sensuality and romantic fantasy, because those are the very reasons why Oscar Wilde's Salome failed--and continues to fail, as I saw a production of it some years ago.
5. If, however, this is the kind of play that you want, then ask a group of friends to do a reading. As with the others, your characters tend to talk alike. Adjust the dialogue.
6. As a dramaturg I need to know more about who Sarranah is and why she does what she does--and what will happen to her long after the curtain falls. Go deeper in character. The play is static because it does not have emotions--and it is the emotions that fuel a stage reading or a stage performance.

Please, send me your revised manuscript by e-mail as a Word document attachment.