Playwright's Spotlight with Stephen Kaplan

Playwright Stephen Kaplan stops by in person in the episode of Playwright's Spotlight. This discussion is about as well-rounded as it gets, touching on a plethora of aspects go playwriting, including - avoiding directing on the page and the minimal use of stage directions and action, common habits and the pitfalls of a beginning playwright as well as the playwright's toolbox, teaching subtext, and the structure of playwriting vs screenwriting. We also go into detail about Aristotle's Poetics, Deus ex Machina in theatre, rules in playwriting, editing as you write, and standing up for yourself in production. This is only a small amount of topics we discuss in this episode. It's definitely worth listening to the end. We hope you enjoy it.

Stephen Kaplan is an award-winning playwright with productions off-broadway and in regional theaters nationally. His productions include the world premieres of Tracy Jones at Williamston Theatre, Michigan and CenterStage, Rochester, and the world premiere of Branwell (and other Brontës): An Autobiography Edited by Charlotte Brontë at Loft Ensemble, Los Angeles. His play Tracy Jones is currently a finalist for B Street Theater's New Comedies Festival in Sacramento, CA, and was a finalist for the ScreenCraft Stage Play Contest and the Trustus Playwrights Festival. He is a 2021 Individual Artist Fellowship winner in playwriting from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. He earned his BFA from NYU – Playwrights Horizons Theatre School and his MFA from Point Park University. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild and serves as Northeastern Regional Representative on the DG National Council.

Links to site and resources mentioned in this episode -

Loft Ensemble -
https://www.loftensemble.org

ScreenCraft -
https://screencraft.org/

NYU - Playwrights Horizon -
https://tisch.nyu.edu/drama/about/studios/playwrights-horizons-theater-school

The Blank Theatre -
https://www.theblank.com/livingroomseries/

Website and contact information for Stephen Kaplan -

Stephen Kaplan -
www.bystephenkaplan.com

The New Play Exchange -
https://newplayexchange.org/users/255/stephen-kaplan

Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight

Punk Monkey Productions -
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com

PLAY Noir -
www.playnoir.com

PLAY Noir Anthology –
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html

James Elden -
Twitter - @jameseldensauer
IG - @alakardrake
FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer

Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir -
Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods
- @playnoirla
IG - @punkmonkeyprods
- @playnoir_la

FB - fb.com/playnoir
- fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions

Playwright's Spotlight -
Twitter - @wrightlightpod
IG - @playwrights_spotlight

Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival
www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.html