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Play writing can be very interesting as writers take into account the actors, stage, and context of their stories. Here is some information on Playwriting 101 part one: Types of plays 10 minute plays: Ten minute plays are usually one scene and no more than ten pages long. These are typically submitted for contests and competitions. It is not just a skit or a gag it is a full length play with a beginning middle and end in ten minutes. One-Act Plays: One-Acts can range from fifteen minutes to an hour or more. They are usually full length plays that are not long enough to be considered a whole evening. The typical one act is about half an hour and has one main conflict. If you are writing a one act you want to keep setting and props a simple as possible because they are usually performed with other one acts making coordination difficult. Full Length Plays: Also called full evening plays, they range from 70-80 minutes or longer. However, it is rare for a play to be longer than two hours. While full length opens the possibility to probe and designs it is still good to keep your writing practical. Musicals: These can range anywhere from ten minutes (though it is impractical) to a span of two hours. When writing these you must also keep in mind the music and lyrics of the characters dialogue. Here is a link to Playwriting 101 for more aspects to playwriting. Cats the Musical was based off of T.S. Elliot’s Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. Each cat in the play is based off of different cats in the book such as Jennyanydots, Macavity, Gus (short for Asparagus), etc. Another inspiration from the book was the idea that cats have three different names one common, one fancy, and one only the cat knows. The play relates a tribe of cats on the night of the Jellicle choice where one cat will be chosen to the Heavyside layer to have the chance at a new life. The musical then shows different cats proposed for the Jellicle choice. It’s said throughout his career people would ask T.S. Elliot “What will you read to your kids?” because he was known for his darker works such as “The Waste Land” and “The Hollow Men”. In response, Elliot wrote the Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats to prove that he could write children stories. The musical was composed by Andrew Lloyd Webber and choreographed by Gillian Lynne and it is the fourth longest ongoing musical on Broadway. One of the most notable songs is Grizabella the Glamor Cat’s "Memory", with multiple covers from the original. The original Broadway cast starred Betty Buckley as Grizabella and Ken Page as Old Deuteronomy. Link to Old Possum’s book of Practical Cats BY: Emily Johnson |
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