A smorgasbord of sites related to playwriting, from around the world. Besides the obvious merits these sites offer, delving into them may reveal submission leads, theatrical connections, or other sites that might help the playwright. I especially urge writers to check out 2AMt and Howlround, as they offer an ongoing discussion of the state of the trade and feature contributions from thoughtful writers practicing within many disciplines within the theatre industry.
An ongoing discussion for the theatre community, conducted through this website and through the #2amt hashtag on Twitter. On Twitter, you can also follow or participate in discussions about new play development through the #newplay hashtag. Much like Howlround, this is a new, positive development, utilizing technology to foster the development of new work. Meet the future.
Collects, catalogues, promotes, and distributes unpublished Australian plays.
A large collection of Australian scripts available for purchase. Read extracts, rate the scripts, and search by cast size, age, audience age and categories.
Book suggestions for beginning or advanced playwrights.
A free online guide to modern playwrights and plays, written, adapted, or translated into English. Extending back to the 1956 production of Look Back in Anger, the site contains information on 46,281 playwrights and 157,167 plays. Also includes listings of literary agents, play publishers, theatres, a section on gay/lesbian theatre, and other resources. Essential.
From the artistic director of Thinking Cap Theatre, a blog investigating the life of drama and the drama of everyday life. Thinking Cap focuses on plays that take stylistic risks or give life to marginalized voices. Inquires can be sent to: nicole@thinkingcaptheatre.com
HowlRound’s founders thought artists should have a greater say in the management of American theater. The site and its Twitter connection caught fire, and HowlRound has grown into 25,000 readers, 500 contributors to Howlround’s journal, 50,000 hours of HowlRound TV, 4,000 organizations and artists who have put themselves on the New Play Map, and 400 convening participants. Participants share dissonant opinions, engaging in-depth dialogue, and promote best practices, in the hope of ensuring a vibrant future for theatre. Essential.
A collection of short essays by playwrights, describing the core principals by which they write.
Linda Eisenstein: Practical Playwriting
Excerpts from Ms.Eisenstein’s advice book for playwrights.
Resources for dramaturgs and theatre scholars. Includes tools in the Faculty Club, and invites participants to share what they’re reading in Ex Libris and to watch Discussion areas for special commentaries and theatre field reports.
New York University Library Plays and Playwrights Page
A guide is intended to help students find basic information about plays and playwrights.
Home of a weekly Twitter Plays writing exercise, a New York theatre ensemble of writer, director, and performers creating theater as “sport, poetry, and a living newspaper.”
A playwriting tutorial by playwright and screenwriter JonDorf, creator of the book Young Playwrights 101 and the course Introduction to Playwriting. Information on Mr. Dorf’s own work can be found at: JonathanDorf.com and includes free monologues for use in the classroom and auditions. His theatre listings have proved invaluable in developing the splatterverse playwriting resources.
Offers directors, producers and publishers a convenient and discreet way to find new plays and talent, which has resulted in premieres and productions. (Currently, the database is being revamped.) The associated Stageplays.com publishes plays (for submission details, click here). The group also provides The Playwrights Forum, a long-running discussion board for playwrights that includes listings of competitions and production opportunities. Essential.
Once a 230-page site serving as “An Opinionated Web Companion on the Art & Craft of Playwriting,” now available as a book.
Play Submissions Guide For Playwrights
A straightforward site guiding playwrights through the play submission process. Prepared by playwright KatoMcNikel.
Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal
Provides online scripts and portfolios of new Canadian plays.
A free resource and information site for those producing plays at the school, community theatre, college, or professional level.
A Drama Review article by Rick DesRochers, examining new play development in the United States.
A guide for writing musicals. The title’s kind of a giveaway.
A British article on playwrights producing their own work (an increasingly popular option).
A resource site for young playwrights and their instructors. Includes information about Young Playwrights 101, a playwriting curriculum as an e-book. Another of JonDorf’s projects.
Steve Patterson's Splatterverse 