How to Sell Stage Play Scripts

Playwriting is an often overlooked source of income for creative writers. Playwrights are allowed to incorporate many of the elements that are found in film such as props and scenery, yet playwrights are allowed a broader range of themes to cover. Also, playwrights are able to sell their plays without an agent.

Things You'll Need

• Envelope
• Stamps

Instructions

1. Keep up to date with the types of plays that are typically shown at theaters. Learn about the popular actors and actresses on the stage. Figure out what kind of roles they like to play.

2. Write a play that follows the trends of plays currently written. Be sure to also write your play in the standard format that plays are written in. Also, be sure to keep your play as short as possible.

3. Send a letter to a theater asking them if they are currently accepting scripts. Be sure to include your background, a brief description of the play, and your desire for feedback. Describe how long the play is going to be.

4. Wait 3 months and then send a polite letter asking if they have read your play yet. Play theaters often forget or misplace plays that they were interested in using.

5. Take all feedback and revise your play as much as you can.

6. After the play has been sold, be prepared to write another play in order to establish a reputation at the given theater.

7. If your play is rejected, revise it and then send it out to another company. If you are beginning to feel that your play is just not the right play for the time period you are writing in, shelve the play and write a new one. Return to your old play a few months later.

8. Remain persistent.

Tips & Warnings

• See the plays being performed by the company you are submitting your play to. Join a playwright's association. Consider sending your play to a university. Try submitting your play to local play festivals. Submit your play to a contest. One or three act plays are easier to sell.

• Keep in mind that the director and others working on the play ultimately determine what occurs during the play. Do not respond to comments. Read the comments carefully. If you are not happy with them, simply ignore them.

Resources

• Playwright's Guild