CMU School of Drama


Monday, October 28, 2013

On Becoming a Playwright-Producer

HowlRound: As many (if not most) of us working in theater know, being posed with that seemingly baseline conversation starter—“what do you do?”—can send us into the stratosphere of far fetched examples, false oversimplifications, and instantly regretted comparisons that receive glazed over stares or polite nods from the questioner who, more than likely, works in a non-arts sector. Occasionally, the questioner will proclaim their admiration for art and, even more occasionally, will ask substantive questions about the work or the field at large. I can’t say, however, that these wobbly interactions are limited to conversations with non-theater makers.

1 comment:

Jess Bergson said...

The most interesting part of this article, for me, was the section that discussed process versus product. It is nice to read about an individual that values process just as, if not more, much as the final product. While the final product is important because it often determines the financial success of a company, the process is just as important to consider while creating art. I think that the process becomes even more important to consider while working in a collaborative setting. I was particularly intrigued with the author's statement where she wondered "what kind of seismic shift would occur in our field if we measured impact beyond percentages of resources and audience members."