The Case for Long-Term Playwright Residencies

HowlRound: Playwright Romulus Linney said there are “three basic hungers in man: food, sex, and rewriting somebody else’s play.­­” Every playwright knows that feeling: After a reading, still in the glow and shock of having your words fill the air, a swarm of voices descend––the voices of well-meaning, even beloved collaborators who chase their personal wants for the story. Before you catch your breath and the play—your play—has settled in your bones, there are notes to be heard and discussions to navigate. Each voice in the room has a unique and often valid take on a version of your play. I recognize that I have that same desire to “rewrite” others’ plays when I am in the room as a dramaturg or teacher. So the great challenge of playwriting is community.