Getting published in this day and age is actually very simple. If you can write a book, you can get it published. This is because it doesn't require the commitment of more than one person: yourself. You can publish on CreateSpace for free, provided you master the technical details required.
But let's say you have written a play. Let's say you actually want to see it performed. How do you get other people to go along with you on that?. Assuming zero budget to actually pay actors and singers, how can you accomplish this?
For me, YouTube has been an invaluable resource in recruiting singers to do demos for songs. Here is a link:
http://www.pubwages.com/01/law-abiding-people-a-song-from-the-debt-collector
Still, I have to admit that a full performance of the play is still a distant dream. Any ideas how to make that a reality?
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You might consider The Fringe Festival if you live in or near a city that has one. Montreal's annual Fringe Festival has had some great performances and the best of the festival goes on to perform at the Centaur Theatre. It would take alot of work, but you could create buzz and get feedback. And you never know what'll happen. I think one play from the Toronto Fringe Festival ended up on Broadway a few years ago.
Day, thanks for the suggestion. It sounds as if there is a lot going on in Canada, where the arts are concerned. Unfortunately, I'm living in the U.S., in the rural Ozarks, and we don't have a Fringe Festival. We have a County Fair and a local Fair, but nothing that actually would support a community theatre production.
Well do, thanks for the offer.
Michael, I do run a small press, Inverted-A Press, and we put out two books a year, We have our quota of books to work on in 2012, but around December of this year, we will be looking at new submissions. If you have not found a publisher or self-published by then, you might consider submitting.
"As you probably already know, writing something is easy. Getting it to the point where it is produced and available to the public is the hard part."
Amen to the above, Aya. My romance novel took seven weeks to write (117,000 words). That was eight months ago and I am still trying to get it out to the public. We need someone out there, for hire, that will take our writings and take on all the mundane tasks that it takes to get it out and on the street. All I want to do is write.
Thanks, Michael. Glad you liked them.
I think both Daniel and I are concentrating on getting our existing works produced, rather than looking to speculate on new properties. He's written a lot of music, some of it for the LDS church, which has only recently been recorded, after years of waiting.
As you probably already know, writing something is easy. Getting it to the point where it is produced and available to the public is the hard part.
Very nice music and lyrics ... I especially liked "I Love Everyone." Have you talked to Daniel lately? Is he open to composing for another musical?
Congratulations. As one who has written a romantic, full length musical (21 sets of lyrics), I can appreciate the work that has gone into your play. Any hints/leads on how to find a composer would be appreciated. Finding the right composer for a romance musical is no easy task -- or so I'm finding out.
A couple of suggestions for finding the right venue for putting on your musical: High schools and universities will often times put on new works. So ask around your local area schools and see what happens. They may not "pay" much but the important thing is to have it performed on stage. Make sure that you video-record the play for future marketing purposes. Also, many community-based theatre groups are just as likely to take on a new production. Good luck and keep us posted.
Thanks, Michael. I actually did contact a local radio station that helped put on a performance of Beauty and the Beast in my area, but so far have not been able to get beyond the issue of funding. Many local productions of plays are funded by government grants, and the grants have some odd strings attached. But, yes, I do plan to approach local high schools and universities to see if they might be interested.
I met composer Daniel Carter online. He had actually put out feelers looking for a playwright to collaborate with. I think the best place to find composers is on sites that publish writers or independent musicians. YouTube would be another place to look, because many composers publish their own compositions there.
Thanks Aya. Maybe I've just been looking at the wrong websites sights. Are any of your songs posted on YouTube for listening?
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