Javapalooza

Writing sessions at Javapalooza have been cancelled. But please still come to Brewbakers from 3-4 pm this week for inspiration & guidance!
- Gabe

Some thoughts from David Jaffe & Gabe Fries

Today at Brewbakers, David Jaffe described some ideas to get you going on writing plays. He suggested some possible subjects, such as "a scene you just witnessed, a memory of your mom, or a play about a single moment." He also described impossible theater, something that could also be an inspiration. Phrases like "she cried strawberries, walked over fields of crumpled paper, and shot peanuts from her mouth in anger" are not off-limits - the actors and directors of 365 will interpret anything you write into a living, breathing work of theater.


Something else I, Gabe, think is important to remember, is that a play doesn't have to have dialogue, and it doesn't even have to have characters. It can have any setting (even, if you want to be metatheatrical, a stage). You can also set up a framework and leave lots of room for improvisation. Of course, plays with more conventional set-ups are great as well. It's really all up to you.

So, those are just some ideas as we continue the week. I look forward to reading your submissions!

The Skinny

In the spirit of this Suzan-Lori Parks’ achievement of writing a play a day for a year, The Write On Playwriting Competition gives everyone in the Middletown area the challenge of writing a play a day for a week. At the end of the week, a panel composed of Matt Connolly and Gabriel Fries will select one play from each day to be workshopped and performed in a 24-hour period by the Wesleyan 365 Cast under the direction of Nikhil Melnechuk and Jessica Posner. They will be performed at the closing ceremonies on Sunday Feb. 11th.

The Rules:
• Open to all Wesleyan students, alums, and members of the Middletown community!
• Submit one play a day, Mon Feb. 5th to Fri Feb. 9th
to gfries@wesleyan.edu & mconnolly@wesleyan.edu
• Plays due at 12 am each day
• Each play should be 5 pages or less
• Plays can be about ANYTHING!!!
• Writers encouraged, but not required, to write a play every day. Prizes for people who submit a play all five days.

Writing guidance will be offered at:

Brewbakers (169 Main St.), Mon-Fri 3-4 pm (with free coffee!)
With speaker David Jaffe (Frank B. Weeks Visiting Prof. of Theater)
on Mon. at 3

Javapalooza (330 Main St.), Mon-Fri 7-8 pm
With speaker Catherine Filloux (Visiting Assistant Prof. of Theater)
on Mon. at 7

Welcome to the Write-On Competition!

This portion of the Wesleyan365 Blog is for all you aspiring writers out there!
Get your act together and write a play-a-day for the Wesleyan-hosted week of 365days/365plays.
Use this blog to keep in touch with other writers and find out about the details of the competition.
Feel free to post any questions and the 365 staff will be happy to answer them.