When you’ve gone to a play, have you ever wondered at the words coming out of the mouths of the actors? How have they known what to say?
Well, any words that are said on stage are created by a playwright. Just as the name sounds, a playwright is a person who writes plays. But just what exactly does that entail?
If we look at the name, we are actually given a clue. “Wright” is an old-fashioned word that means “maker” or “builder of things.” So beyond simply writing words down on a piece of paper, a playwright is responsible for making or building a play. This includes:
- Coming up with a story – a story simply means the things that happen during a play. What journey are we going to go on together?
- Creating the world of the story – the world of the story means everything from location, time period, realism vs fantasy, and genre (is this a comedy? A tragedy?). A playwright has the really fun job of deciding where we are and what rules govern the world we are in.
- Creating characters – characters are the people who live inside a story. Who are these people? How old are they? What are their personalities like? Where do they come from?
- Writing dialogue – the dialogue is the actual words spoken during a play. It’s how the characters verbally communicate with each other. Who is saying what? To whom? Why are they saying that instead of something else?
Most of the time, playwrights get to spend a lot of time in their imaginations. They get to visualize the story, the world, who is there, and what is said. They take what they see in their head, and then put it all down on paper. Then, after reading it through (or perhaps getting feedback from a dramaturg, director, or other trusted friend), they get to add things and change things. And then they get to write all over again.
While a playwright usually works alone in the initial creation of a play, the goal of a playwright is to see their play produced on stage. This means that they get to work with directors, dramaturgs, actors, and a design team to take what they have written on a piece of paper and turn it into something live on stage. This process, called collaboration, is the heartbeat of the theatre. And really, really, fun.
Playwrights work at all levels of theatre, from school productions to community theatre, to regional theatre, to Broadway. There are no special requirements to begin – all you need is a good imagination, a fun idea, and a willingness to write and rewrite until you transform your idea into a play.
Want to try it out?
One easy way to get started as a playwright is to use a writing prompt. We have a whole bunch of writing prompts available to you on the website, but here’s one to get you started.
Writing Prompt: Two people are standing alone in the middle of a cornfield. It’s 3:00 in the morning and they both look exhausted. Write a scene between these two characters. What has happened? Why are they there? What are they trying to do?
You can share what you create by clicking here. Who knows, we just might share it in an upcoming video!