The Indiana Playwrights Circle is rolling out new programming designed to help playwrights at all levels to work within a community to advance their craft! Check out this interview with Andrew Black, who heads up the IPC, to learn more about their new opportunities.
IWC: Can you give a few examples of the “best practices” tips the Support Group will explore?
AB: At our support group, we read a short play and talked about some playwriting tools (premise, action, character, dialogue/language, theme, symbol) and how the tools were used by the playwright who wrote the short play. I think that reading a different short play at each support group and exploring playwright choices might be a great way to spend our time. It gives the writers a sense of how other writers think about their work. Reading “mentor texts” is a great way to learn about the craft, and a good well-written short play can provide a lot of great ideas for the playwright.
IWC: The idea of having actors read your script sounds exciting! What are some things a playwright should look for while their work is being read, so that they know what kind of changes would benefit the work?
AB: I always have a copy of my own script in front of me when my work is being read so I can make notes on the hard copy as I listen. Sometimes I note simple things like missing words or typographical errors. I also note where there are “repeated beats” and I realize I’m saying the same thing more than once. I may note where the pages seem long to me, or the story seems to be running long. As playwright listen to their work, they will generally get insights about what works and what doesn’t.
Another benefit of hearing the work is that the writer often realizes that the work is stronger than they knew! It is important psychologically to hear your work as encouragement to keep going!
And we always have discussion after, so the writer gets the benefit of hearing others’ opinions as well!
IWC:Can you talk about the difference between insights that actors bring to the playwriting process and the feedback that playwrights offer?
AB: Actors are “inside” the script so they will often have insights about the characters to share with the playwright. Actors are used to picking up cues about a character from the text, so the playwright can tell if the “cues” they are giving the actors are resulting in the interpretation they intended. Actors can also share information about the perceived dramatic intent or perhaps where some element is unclear and hard to understand. Also, if actors have trouble reading the dialogue, it may be that a section needs to be made more conversational and easy to say.
IWC: What are some of the common obstacles playwrights face, regarding their craft?
AB: Turning an idea or premise into a story is always tricky. It can be hard to find a narrative “through line” for a given idea or situation. Also, early drafts of plays can be “talky”. Plays need to be full of action. Finding things for the characters to “do” on stage to make the scene more active can be challenging. Also, symbols on stage are useful / powerful. Figuring out how to turn a key concept from the play into an “on stage manifestation” is not that hard to do, but it is often overlooked.
From another perspective, playwrights can be hard on themselves psychologically. Keeping going / staying motivated can be challenging. That’s why groups can be so important to the writer. Groups provide two important elements: support and accountability (to keep going).
IWC:In what ways can an attendee of the Playwright Support Group benefit from the group even if they don’t have a current work-in-progress?
AB: At our first Playwrights Support Group, we had a woman who only had an idea and had never written a play. We talked about her idea and validated its power. We talked about simple next steps she could take to get going (such as to take a class and/or to attend a scene night to hear other writers’ work). For the beginning writer, just being around others who are excited about the craft and having fun is very motivating.
IWC: Newer playwrights can learn a great deal from their more experienced counterparts, of course, but what things can experienced playwrights learn from those who are just starting out?
AB: Experienced playwrights often don’t realize how much they already know about writing! Having the chance to share expertise increases experienced writers’ confidence. At our first Support Group, we had a writer whose play was too long and needed suggestions for how to cut it down to size. We had a round robin discussion about ways to edit the work. Everybody contributed, and I learned a few tips I hadn’t thought of! Everyone gets to learn from everyone else.
And just being in a group of motivated folks who are exploring a common art form is very stimulating. We had eight attendees at our first Support Group, and I think everyone benefited!
Playwrights and screenwriters–any writers, really–of all levels and backgrounds are welcome!
Playwrights Support Group
Wednesday September 3; 7:00-9:00pm EST
Indiana Writers Center Classroom at the Indianapolis Opera Center
Free for members; $10 for nonmembers
Limited seating available. Registration is required
IPC Scene Night
Wednesday, September 17; 7:00-9:30pm EST
Location: Zoom
Cost: Free for members; $10 for nonmembers
Limited seating available. Registration is required
Register for September 17 IPC Scene Night
Andrew Black is a scholar, playwright and a teacher of playwrights. He lives in Indianapolis, having completed his PhD in Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Missouri in 2023. As a scholar, his research looks at best practices for teaching playwriting. His first book (Signature Pedagogies for the Playwriting Classroom) was published by Bloomsbury in July 2025, and his second book (The Playwriting Curriculum) will be published by Gitelman & Good later in 2025. Many of his research discoveries find their way into his classes for the IWC. As a playwright, Andy’s first full-length play Porn Yesterday (co-written with Patricia Milton in 2001) has been produced across the country. Since that first play reached the stage, it has been a non-stop, full-on adventure! Many productions of short plays and full-length plays have followed. Andrew has been on the faculty of the Indiana Writers Center since 2012 and is the founder of the Indiana Playwrights Circle. Check out his website at www.andrewblackplaywright.com