STAGE: Publishing & Approaching a troupe? Advice?

Ok, back on NaNo I joined the Big Scary Fun Goals. Here is my basic list:

- To write more often, and get paid to do it, even if it means writing non-fiction articles more often than fiction stories.
- To paint-draw more often, and to sell my art online.
- To self-publish at least one non-fiction book this year.
- To self-publish at least one fiction book this year.
- To win Script Frenzy 08 for the first time.
- To take my play from Script Frenzy and find a local stage company to produce it.
- To win NaNo08, for my third win in a row.
- Start my own shop (Gothic clothen).

Okay, so some of those goals don't apply over here, but a couple do, and they result in some questions, that I'm hoping someone over here, may have some advice on. I'll explain:


- To win Script Frenzy 08 for the first time.


I have written a couple of very short odd plays, but nothing profesional. I have never done Script Frenzy before. I planned to do it last year, but than forgot to bookmark the date, and remembered it after it had already finished. This year, I am making sure I do not miss it. Not only shall I enter, but I shall win!


- To take my play from Script Frenzy and find a local stage company to produce it.


To get one of my plays accepted by a local stage company, and made into a stage production... doesn't need to be anything big, even a high school play... I just want to see them brought to life.

I don't think it will be too hard to get my play written, I have it well thought out and I think I know how I want to write it. And thanks to you guys here, I think I've figured out the basic, standards of formating.

However, this is the BIG SCARY of my Big Scary goals: To get my play on stage. You see, I have no idea how to go about approaching a stage company and asking them to consider my play. Does anyone have any advice on that?

I live in what is called Maine's "Arts District", there is the state theater, the town theater, a drama college, the state cultural hall, a few dozen small amature theaters, several "private" theaters in upstairs lofts, and every local high school has it's own drama group. There are about 4 dozen small acting troupes (most very amature, many use no costums or scenery at all) all less than 40 mins from me. Plus the world famous Portland Symphany Orchastra. (uhm... yeah, this is Portland, I'm talking about... the city the thinks and breathes nothing but theater, theater, and more theater). Basicly there is no lack of places for me to take my play, but it's a daunghting task and I have no idea where to start... or rather how to start. What should I do? What would you do?

Live theater is a REALY REALLY big thing around here. It's not an uncommon thing for practicly every one in the area to have worked in theater at some point, I myself am profesionally trained as a fashion designer for stage, however, I have never dared approach any of the acting troupes with a play before... call it a major case of cold feet...or an odd form of stage fright maybe? but it's a really big fear for me, to try to approach anyone with one of my plays. I'm terrified stiff of it! I need some major help in this area, if I'm going to make this goal real.

So Question #1:

What is the propper way to go about contacting an acting troupe or stage director, to get a play considered?

Should I contact them in person? by mail? email? at a certain time of the year?

What do I say? Who should I contact? (Manager? Director? the troupe? the theater? School principal? Drama teachers?)

If you have already gone out and tried getting your play on the stage, what did you do? What worked? What would you not do again?


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Okay, moving on, to the formating question:


Worse, than approaching the people is how do I get my play into their hands? I have no idea what I should do about geting the play published, so that I can get it to the stage director in the first place. I mean, I can't just print up 100 pages off my computer and hand them to a stage director. I've got to get them bound somehow right?

Has anyone ever gotten their plays bound via LuLu?

I'm thinking I should publish it via LuLu in spiral bound and than buy about 10 copies for myself to hand out to local stage directors.

I don't know yet, I'll figure it out though. Suggestions would be nice.

Well, this brings about anouther question: Who pays for the actors' copies of the play? Does the playwrite have to provide those? Does the troupe pay for them? Does each actor have to buy their own copy?

I am so confused about what to do here. What has everyone else done? Can anyone offer some advice about this?

Thanks!


Script Frenzy ( http://www.scriptfrenzy.org ) is pretty easy to win, cause the goal is to get the play written... their only requirement is that you write a 100 page play in 30 days or less; everyone who completes this goal wins.

From that point, the Script Frenzy winners take their plays, edit them, and send them out, either to local compatitions to local theaters.

My problem is, getting a play published is not the same as getting a book published... publishers do not publish plays, the playwrites do that themselves, 99% of all plays are self-published, by the playwrite via a local print shop, which is why very few plays ever move outside of their author's hometown.

I know some of the Script Frenzy entrants are dreaming bog: Broadway big, and movie big, but I'm not one of them, because I love the small theater. I live were amature theater rules, and you don't have to be super rich to get in to see a play. I love that.

My fave is open-air theater... plays outside in local parks. I live on the beach. I grew up on the beach. I have never seen an open-air theater on the beach. I want to do this. The play I'm planning to enter into Script Frenzy is being designed so that it can be taken off the stage and out into the open air and on the beach.

Anyways, I'm in it because I love doing it. I just love writing and creating new worlds and such. My publishing goals for my plays is to get them compiled by genre (they are all pretty short) and than have them bound as sets... say Halloween Plays, Christmas Plays, Romance Plays, ect. Most of my plays are written with a younger audiance in mind so, they'd be good for high school plays or even elemntary school plays.



What's your take on this? I'd love to hear what you have to say about this post. Leave a comment and share your views!




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Copper Cockeral
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