Playwriting 101

Introduction

This playwriting tutorial was written by playwright and screenwriter Jon Dorf, whose plays have been produced in more than 35 states and on three continents. He received his B.A. Magna Cum Laude in dramatic writing and literature from Harvard College and his MFA in playwriting from UCLA, where he won the Hal Kanter Comedy Writing Award and the Marty Klein Comedy Writing Award. Jon Dorf is available as a script consultant. He is the creator of the book Young Playwrights 101 and the course Introduction to Playwriting. His Web site is at jondorf.com, and he can be contacted via jon@jondorf.com.

Table of Contents

1. The Play's the Thing and Types of Plays
2. Different Theater Spaces
3. Story Structure and Write to be Read
4. Story Development
5. What Does a Play Look Like? What Should My Play Look Like?
6. Manuscript Format Elements and Play Page Layout
7. Title Page Element
8. Cast Page Element
9. 'Musical' Numbers Page Element and Act/Scene Heading Element
10. Setting and At Rise Description Element
11. The Stage and Character Name Element
12. Dialogue Element
13. Lyrics and Stage Direction Element
14. Transition Element
15. Page Break Rules and Binding
16. Submitting Your Work
17. International Submission Formats and Conclusion