Every production I'm involved in gives me more and more experience, ideas, and motivation for my scriptwriting.
I recently finished a second production of a script of mine, and with many notes and ideas, I'm ready to begin a final rewrite. However, life intervened, and while I was in the final dress week of my own show, I was asked to step into a role for another production where they had to let an actor go.
I was given multiple parts that total about 180 lines. So while the final dress week was occurring for my show, I was simultaneously learning my lines for the new show. Monday, after my show closed, I was at the rehearsal for the new show, which had been in rehearsals for about three weeks already. But I showed up at the rehearsal off book. I learn lines quickly.
Anyway, every show I'm in, I get the opportunity to explore someone else's script in depth, at least for the scenes I'm involved with, but usually much more, as I carefully watch all the scenes I can to dissect and analyze. Many times I'm able to uncover the playwright's motivations and techniques. Sometimes I merely enjoy being part of the whole creation. And on occasion, I learn what not to do from a less than excellent scriptwriter who barely went far enough to complete the script, and certainly didn't go far enough to complete a remarkable script.
Over and over, I encourage every scriptwriter to become involved in productions for the sake of experiencing the various aspects, and therefore knowing what is involved in all those aspects, from acting to stage management, to set building, directing, lights, props, costumes, and even taking tickets. All these elements are vital to the complete production, and one only learns these aspects if one personally experiences them.
