(This is part two of a four part series.)
The Second Lesson on Producing: How to Get Your Play Produced
Mark Twain is supposed to have said, “Writing a play is easy, I’ve written hundreds of them. It’s getting one produced that’s hard”.
Every playwright can understand and sympathize with him.
If only there was a formula. One which, if followed, would absolutely guarantee a production.
There isn’t. Sigh. I wish there was.
There is no guarantee, but there are things that playwrights do that make a production less likely. The next few weeks I’ll be talking about them so you can learn and NOT do them.
But for today, let’s talk about how to move the odds in your favor to get your play produced.
Three Steps to Getting Produced
There are three steps to getting a play produced.
- First, you need a producer to read and like your play.
- Then you need the producer to decide to produce it.
- Finally, you need to come to an agreement with the producer about what kind of production it will be.
Easy, right?
#EasierWay
There’s always an easier way.
In the case of Rhymes Over Beats, the first part, step one, is easy.
- You go to our website
- Read the rules for submission
- Follow them and submit your play to us by January 31, 2019.
We will read your play to see if we like it.
If you have a play you don’t think we’d like and want some other producer to read it, then things may be a bit more difficult.
My rule of thumb is that I do things for friends that I won’t do for strangers. I usually like to read two kinds of plays: those written by friends, and those a friend gave to me written by someone else, usually one of their friends. Networking is still important.
On a rare occasion I’ll read a play that I’ve been pitched because the pitch was so good.
So you want to increase the odds that your play will be read? Make friends. You can never have enough friends. And practice your elevator pitch.
However…
Just because I’m your friend does NOT not mean I have to like your play. (I’m an Off-Broadway producer, remember.)
The way you know if I might like your play is by looking at my (or any other producer that you’re pitching to) producing record. I’ve mostly done plays which deal with serious social or political issues.
Now because I founded Rhymes Over Beats Theater Collective, it should probably be hip hop, or speak to the hip hop community. But not necessarily. I did produce a very funny traditional musical, My Life is a Musical, a few years ago. But again, and there is no guarantee, but the odds are greater you’ll get a production from me if you make it hip hop.
Let’s assume I love your show and want to produce it. Will I ?
Next week we’ll start talking about the things that will make my head outvote my heart.
Submit your plays to Rhymes Over Beats. #EasierWay