Think Outside the Bard

I wrote a piece recently for Stage Directions Magazine. You can read it here. The main thrust of the story is in regard to new play development and what some theaters and organizations in the country are trying to do to make sure new plays are not only being workshopped and read but actually being staged as full productions. Oftentimes, theater groups pick shows for their coming seasons based on the known tastes of its membership base. Why put on a financially risky play by an unknown playwright when you can put on "A Midsummer Night's Dream"? Why invest in an up-and-coming playwright when you can simply use the latest piece by David Mamet? For one thing - theater is more than simply a business.