Letter of Inquiry

THE PLAYWRITING SEMINARS > BUSINESS > SUBMISSION > LETTER

'What am I looking for in a play? If I knew before I read them, I'd write them myself. Of course as an artistic director I sometimes have antennae out for, say, a role to stretch an actor in the company or a theme and presentation that could be immediate for audiences in a projected tour . . .. But mostly what I want is for the playwright to persuade me as I read that what they're doing is what I need to produce.'

-- Sharon Ott

The basics -- A brief paragraph or sentence each will do the job . . .

• Say what you're sending.
  Give the title of your play. And say why you're sending it:
  • The Literary Manager asked for it.

  • It's for their Competition.

  • It's in response to a published request for certain kinds of plays -- like the one you've just written.

  • It's for a special program the theatre has.

  • OR: You're sending the Synopsis of your play and dialogue sample if that's all the theatre initially accepts.

• Say something interesting about the play.
  • It's had a reading or workshop. If it's had a production, it's a great idea to quote from or attach a review.

  • It's won, placed, or been in the Semifinals of a Competition.

  • What it deals with: your subject or Theme, or both.

• Say something interesting about yourself as a writer.
  But only if you don't have enough yet to create a separate Résumé.
  • Your other work's placed or made the Semifinals of a Competition.

  • You've had some other kind of writing published.

  • You've had an interesting job or avocation that's led directly to this play.

• A note of thanks for their looking at your work.
  And it's a good idea to mention that the SASE is inside the back cover of the script.