Enjoyment

I have received some requests over the past year to set some quality standards on the work I permit to be read at our meetings. The intentions behind these requests I believe largely stem from the desire to experience enjoyment from being witness to the dramatic and comedic complications we all expect when we go to a movie or theatrical event. This is understandable. However, it is also inconsistent with the mission of The Drama Foundry. Our mission is to provide opportunities for dramatic writers to hone their craft and forge new work.

We are not a production organization. Showing up to a meeting that has a script being read that has an intricately developed plot and is witty, challenging, provocative, goofy or funny is well,... enjoyable -and entertaining. However, that's not the reason we meet. We meet to help all writers whether they are writing their first piece or they are putting the final touches on their 1000th play being sent out to be produced.The enjoyment we seek to cultivate comes from knowing that we helped educate a writer by helping them help themselves develop their work and offer them a discerning perspective on the piece(s) they share with the group. Everything else is gravy.

There are only a few cases where a writer will be denied an opportunity to read. One is if they have resubmitted a revised script they have had read at a past meeting which does not seem to have benefited from our previous feedback and we do not think the meetings are benefiting the writer or their work. Another is if their work is blatantly intolerant or discriminatory of others. The last one falls under what I call the "doesn't-play-nice-with-others" clause. Basically, if a writer is difficult to deal with or they don't contribute to the group then they can be barred from reading. All these instances impede from the enjoyment that comes from working as group to aid a writer to construct their dramatic or comedic narrative.

If it is theatrical enjoyment you are looking for Columbus, Ohio is known for having a high concentration of local live theater and local film makers and they are always looking for new audiences. My hope is that The Drama Foundry can help provide these local theaters and film makers with new material for productions of local work and help foster a literate and creative public. I am always looking for ways to improve though so I ask, what are some ways that we can improve the enjoyment of helping writers develop new dramatic works?