James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight
Playwright Spotlight features a new playwright every episode to discuss the tools of the trade and solutions to the obstacles we face as writers in hopes of making us all better and more successful playwrights.
James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight
Playwright's Spotlight with Stephen Kaplan
Playwright Stephen Kaplan stops by in person in the episode of Playwright's Spotlight. This discussion is about as well-rounded as it gets, touching on a plethora of aspects go playwriting, including - avoiding directing on the page and the minimal use of stage directions and action, common habits and the pitfalls of a beginning playwright as well as the playwright's toolbox, teaching subtext, and the structure of playwriting vs screenwriting. We also go into detail about Aristotle's Poetics, Deus ex Machina in theatre, rules in playwriting, editing as you write, and standing up for yourself in production. This is only a small amount of topics we discuss in this episode. It's definitely worth listening to the end. We hope you enjoy it.
Stephen Kaplan is an award-winning playwright with productions off-broadway and in regional theaters nationally. His productions include the world premieres of Tracy Jones at Williamston Theatre, Michigan and CenterStage, Rochester, and the world premiere of Branwell (and other Brontës): An Autobiography Edited by Charlotte Brontë at Loft Ensemble, Los Angeles. His play Tracy Jones is currently a finalist for B Street Theater's New Comedies Festival in Sacramento, CA, and was a finalist for the ScreenCraft Stage Play Contest and the Trustus Playwrights Festival. He is a 2021 Individual Artist Fellowship winner in playwriting from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. He earned his BFA from NYU – Playwrights Horizons Theatre School and his MFA from Point Park University. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild and serves as Northeastern Regional Representative on the DG National Council.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below -
https://youtu.be/L6q3otHLbEM
Links to site and resources mentioned in this episode -
Loft Ensemble -
https://www.loftensemble.org
ScreenCraft -
https://screencraft.org/
NYU - Playwrights Horizon -
https://tisch.nyu.edu/drama/about/studios/playwrights-horizons-theater-school
The Blank Theatre -
https://www.theblank.com/livingroomseries/
Website and contact information for Stephen Kaplan -
Stephen Kaplan -
www.bystephenkaplan.com
The New Play Exchange -
https://newplayexchange.org/users/255/stephen-kaplan
Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight
Punk Monkey Productions -
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com
PLAY Noir -
www.playnoir.com
PLAY Noir Anthology –
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html
James Elden -
Twitter - @jameseldensauer
IG - @alakardrake
FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer
Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir -
Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods
- @playnoirla
IG - @punkmonkeyprods
- @playnoir_la
FB - fb.com/playnoir
- fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions
Playwright's Spotlight -
Twitter - @wrightlightpod
IG - @playwrights_spotlight
Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival
www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.html