Content of Plays

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'During the life span of Babyboomers . . . we have come to be ruled by a shadow (now no longer secret) government of spy agencies, right wing billionaires and military fanatics. Our oceans have been turned into chemical dumps, half the world's rain-forests have vanished, holes have appeared in our ozone layer, and our hopes for the future have been buried under a steadily mounting pile of unimaginable weapons. During the same period, a single topic has dominated the American stage: personal relationships.'

-- Joan Holden

The interests of American playwrights have changed a bit since Joan penned that diatribe, but not as much as she'd probably like. Whether your interests are Family Problems in America or the CIA, these are issues that matter . . .

Primary Areas of The Content Unit

Characters: The folks who speak for you
Conflict: What fuels plays
Settings: Visual content & subtext
Subjects of Plays: They're about something that matters
Subtext: Keeping the lid on what your characters tell us
Themes: Your personal and often private values
Titles: Metaphoric and otherwise
Voice: Your special sound as a playwright
What's Here: A Detailed Guide to This Unit

If you can't find a good local bookstore with a large selection of film and theatre titles, you can order recommended plays, screenplays, videos, and books through the Web without having to do title searches. Look for linked book covers or the amazon.com logo throughout The Playwriting Seminars. And the world's leading Internet bookstore can get them to you in a few days.

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