1-18-08
Building the Local Playwright's Guild
This past May, the Dramatists Guild blew into town for a couple of days as part of an outreach effort to build support for playwrights across the country (see Becky Brett’s “Dramatists Guild: Walking the Walk,” PerformInk, May 25). Keeping that dialogue going, Chicago playwrights, composers, and lyricists came together at Victory Gardens Biograph on Monday, Dec. 17 to discuss a range of concerns, from the concept of “director copyright” to different approaches to play development, to ideas for generating more interest in local writers by Chicago theatres.
Moderated by Victory Gardens playwrights’ ensemble member Douglas Post, the regional representative for the Dramatists Guild (he is one of 12 holding that position across the country), the event involved over 20 local Dramatists Guild members, which marks an increase from the first local meeting in September. (There are 165 members in the greater Chicago area.) Post identifies his position as containing five responsibilities: reporting on the local scene for the Guild’s bi-monthly publication The Dramatist; serving as a local liaison for members’ concerns; recruiting new members; arranging local events involving the national office, such as the conference last May; and initiating other events as suggested by the local membership.
Post isn’t the only local playwright talking directly to New York. Rebecca Gilman has just joined the national council and is the first non-New-York-based writer to fill that position, according to Post.
Local members shared ideas for avoiding future difficulties with directors in creating new work, including making sure that a written collaboration agreement is in place that outlines the limits of the director’s contributions. The Dramatists Bill of Rights (which is available online at www.dramatistsguild.com/about_rights.aspx) includes a clause that states: “You own all contributions made by other participants in the production to your script. You do not owe anyone any money for these contributions unless you have a written agreement providing for such payment.” The Bill of Rights also denies that a director or dramaturge should be considered an author unless they “actively collaborated” in creating the script. Post pointed out that these disputes over new work make it harder for theatres to choose new shows for production out of fear that they will get bogged down in legal action. This makes it crucial for writers and composers to have these agreements in place before moving forward with production.
As for what constitutes a good development process, opinions varied. Russ Tutterow, artistic director of new-plays lab Chicago Dramatists, said that they “acknowledge that each writer is different” and that they “don’t tell people how to write a play.” Tutterow also questioned whether the oft-lamented “developed to death” syndrome happens in Chicago.
“Unless I’m committing it and no one is telling me,” he deadpanned.
Caitlin Montanye Parrish, literary manager of Hypatia Theatre Company, notes that they are “a company of dramaturges” who believe that developing new work means raising questions for the playwrights with whom they work at every step of the process. “It’s possible to also be isolated to death as a writer,” she noted.
Most writers present agreed that it’s easy to get staged readings, but that the crucial developmental workshops, with actors off-book, are where more resources should be directed, particularly for musicals. Post and his fellow Victory Gardens ensemble member, Gloria Bond Clunie, noted that Victory Gardens only schedules workshops when a play is getting a full production, and holds those workshops very close to the time of the production, which means that playwrights have the advantage of workshopping with the same cast that will be performing in the world premiere.
A portion of the conversation also touched on doing more outreach with local theatres. Post noted that the Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights hosts a biannual playwrights’ expo, which allows playwrights to network with producers and literary managers. (No scripts may be brought in, but playwrights do get to make a personal connection with people who may be interested in seeing their work.) Though it requires a huge amount of volunteer labor, Post suggested that something similar might be possible for Chicago playwrights down the road. He also noted that he has talked to Lyle Allen, executive director for the League of Chicago Theatres, about events that the local Guild membership can sponsor in conjunction with the League.
The next regional meetings are scheduled for Monday, March 17 and Monday, June 30 at Victory Gardens Biograph. Anyone interested in knowing more about the Guild’s local presence can contact Post at dpost@dramatistsguild.com. For information about the Dramatists Guild, visit their Web site at www.dramatistsguild.com.