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

Mayura's Play: "Paper Thin"

Dear Mayura,

I sincerely appreciate your play for its interweaving of the creative writing process, real life, and fantasy. Beneath it all is the sensibility of a mature writer who wants to make a difference.

You will.

Others you may allow to read your play might tell you that it is cinematic. It is not; it is theatrical, albeit requiring swift scene changes and mesmerizing pacing.

Like Li Shan, you have chosen to break conventions by writing a post-postmodern play. Taking risks is a prerequisite to achieving breakthroughs.

Here are my comments:

1. Your play requires too many performers and too many production expenses; it even begins with a crowd scene. Is there no way for you to cut down foreseeable costs in mounting your short play?

One way to do this is to incorporate video. Unlike Beverly's play, which is extremely intimate and demands stark realism, the use of video would not be alienating to the audience.

2. Your play is really a series of vignettes rather than one, single play--it is actually comprised of three, interwoven stories. I assume that this is deliberate on your part? If so, strengthen the interweaving. Otherwise the audience will feel that you were unable to make up your mind among three disjointed plays with breakers.

3. Your characters are undeveloped. Give each one a past, a present, and a future--not necessarily in spoken words.

I perceive your play as a dance, The Dance of Shiva. I mention this to make you aware of the archetypal energy that must fuel a work such as yours, in which life is shown both to the author and to the audience as a mirror's reflection of a reflection of a reflection of a reflection...

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