Turbulent Times

As a citizen of the United States, this is a turbulent time.

But as we enter the second week of protest marches, it is also a hopeful one. For the first time, a majority of citizens seem to be aware that there are unresolved issues of race in this country.

If you are a writer, this is a productive time to be alive and working. This is especially the case if you write plays, musicals, or screenplays on social justice issues. There is so much raw material.

Historical Accuracy? 

However, there is a problem if you are a playwright.

The problem is that a historian can write a six hundred page book on the history of systemic, institutional racism. A playwright cannot.

A play about the same subject can only have around ninety pages.

So, the main artistic challenge for a playwright is how to condense a six hundred page book into a ninety page play. I think the best way to do that is to focus on the story of one individual.

It does not even have to be an actual person. In fact, it is probably better if it isn’t. It saves you or your producer having to pay a real person “life rights,” which is something you don’t need do if the person is a creation.

What’s the Story You Need to Tell?

By focusing on one individual, you ignore parts of the story. You open yourself up to criticism, such as that directed at Hamilton – that the work is not historically accurate.

You shouldn’t care. No play about historical events will ever be historically accurate. It is a work of art.

Instead of portraying historical accuracy, you should care more that the message is authentic and true. Theater should not be a history lesson.

What matters is what the audience takes away from your show. The message is the meaning.

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