This year I decided to write my first one-act play. I had no prior experience in writing a play for the stage. To be honest, I had to Google what a “one-act” play was all about. I had written several feature films and had my first short film script accepted into a international film festival, a little success in that field. However, this was a whole new way of writing and thinking. It was incredibly challenging but I thoroughly enjoyed the process.
I had no expectations for the play to be produced. I knew this would be a chance to learn from people who are passionate about the theatre and storytelling. My passion is telling stories in the most original way possible over as many different platforms as possible. Books. Film. Theatre. In particular by making use of my affection for art, culture and music.
ADJUDICATORS’ FEEDBACK
Today I would like to share a small amount of the feedback I received from adjudicators. I believe a certain amount of self-disclosure can be useful to others writing in the field.
Script: ”Crazy Plastic Love” Author: Vacen Taylor
Tagline: A sinister story about the truth.
STRENGTHS
Powerful points are being made here about the difficulty of removing oneself from one’s past and creating one’s own future – and the script has all the trappings of a sharp Renaissance morality play.
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Love is an eternal subject that always engages audiences. Everything was written an nothing was written, when a new voice is found.
Crazy Plastic Love portrays efficiently the struggles of a young couple, on finding true love versus the more egoistic concerns of the ego towards career, goods and personal satisfaction.
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Imaginative, different and original. I liked the eerie painting, what it depicted, as well it screamed subtext.
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This is an ambitious idea which is not without potential.
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WEAKNESSES
The message of the play is refreshingly clear, but perhaps too heavy-handed, and the black and white outlook could definitely be more nuanced.
Letting each character find their own idiom and way of speaking will do most of the work for you.
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Perhaps it would strengthen the play to focused only on the couple. All the energy and tension would be concentrated on them. How can they achieve truth by themselves? What is truth today?
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It needs to be like a roller-coaster continuously taking us upwards. And then perhaps ending it with a twist.
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GENERAL COMMENTS
The hardest part of any play its in its structure, which you’ve tied down pretty well. But you need to let your audience INFER the state of their marriage, the possibility of an affair, the various hardships of their possible lives, and the inherent value of honest communication.
Personally, I thought the arc of 1) childlessness to 2) imagined fatherhood to 3) actual fatherhood to 4) the threat of losing their child was touching and almost a bit heartbreaking.
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Good, clear descriptions. A truly original idea and with further work this could make for a stunningly memorable story.
So there you have it. I believe in being grateful to the industry professionals when they offer their advice and feedback. I’ve always found growth from listening to those who are passionate about the arts. I believe this is one of those occasions.
So until next time. Be brave and bold in your chosen field of creativity. And never be afraid to explore new techniques.
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