Chapter 8: The Text: Subject, Purpose, and Perspective
Visit the site, The Dramatic Exchange at http://www.dramex.org. This site provides a location for new playwrights to submit their work for criticism and potential staging opportunities. Go to the New Plays section to pursue the latest submissions. After reading the brief information provided, select a text that you find interesting and read the first scene. What perspective do you feel that the playwright is presenting? What is the subject of this new work? How does this type of work compare to the 'standards' of theater such as plays by Shakespeare or Sophocles?
Visit the site, Art and Culture at http://www.artandculture.com. This site is connected to a magazine of the same name devoted to all the arts. Visit the Theater section under the performing arts. Once there, select a variety of playwrights such as Anna Deveare Smith, Spalding Gray, and Tom Stoppard. Visit the individual pages for each playwright of interest. What does the information reveal about the playwright's perspective? What can we determine from the biographical information and interests of each of the playwrights?
Visit the site for Theatre de Complicite at http://www.complicite.org. This theater company is one of the premiere companies that showcases collaborative process and devised work. Explore their site to discover the company's mission and work ethic. How does this differ from conventional playwrighting?
