As is often the case for playwrights, finding a venue for their work is not an easy task. Many local playwrights enjoyed premieres in other U.S. cities and abroad before getting their work produced in the Bay Area.
Although playwright Will Dunne enjoyed success in San Francisco and abroad while living here for over 25 years - now a part-time resident - he is now receiving deserved recognition in Chicago with the world premiere of his latest play The Ascension of Carlotta at a new Chicago theater.
In a telephone interview, Will graciously answered questions.
(Bay Times) What would you say the main differences are between the San Francisco Theatre scene and Chicago’s?
(Dunne) The most obvious difference is size. Chicago’s theatre community is much bigger … and one of the biggest differences I see is that Chicago theatres produce a lot more shows that are by local writers and that focus on local people.
While you were living full-time in SF, you had several of your pieces produced, is that correct?
Yes, I’ve had about 15 productions of my work in California. My plays The Bridge and I Married a Werewolf each received a Drama Logue Playwriting Award, and Between Quakes received a Best-of-Year Mention from the Examiner and another from the Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle.
And what about recognition elsewhere?
Three plays developed while I lived in San Francisco - Hotel Desperado, Love and Drowning, and How I Became an Interesting Person - were selected for presentation at the U.S. National Playwrights Conference. In Chicago, three short plays and one full-length play have been presented at Chicago Dramatists. One of these plays, Deep Gardens, was later produced at Chicago’s Second City in partnership with Chicago Dramatists.
Do you have any new projects in the works right now?
Besides the opening of The Ascension of Carlotta, yes, but I usually don’t like to talk about my work while I’m working on it. I’ll just say it’s an historical play and the first time I’ve worked on an historical play. I was doing research when I was interrupted by word that my book was accepted for publication by the University of Chicago Press. It’s due out in 2009.
What book is that?
It’s called The Dramatic Writer’s Companion. Over the past 20 years of working with playwrights and screenwriters, I’ve developed about 600 character, scene and story development exercises. The book represents the best 65 of these.
What are your writing habits? Do you have a routine? Do you write every day?
When I’m working on a project, I work every day for long hours. It takes me about a year to develop a script, live with the characters, do revisions, and have readings.
Where and how do you get ideas for your plays?
I don’t have any one way - ideas aren’t hard to find - taking the idea and making a commitment to explore it and creating a story out of it is the challenge. Figuring out what the play is about. Since my plays are character centered, developing them and seeing what they want to do - out of which comes the story; I don’t start with plot - and then deciding what the theme is and what holds the thing together. Endings are often where the heart and soul of the story lay, particularly the last scene. Every project is different. There are no rules that are consistent. You’ve only got guiding principles.
It’s been great talking with you. I hope you have a great opening!
Same here, and thanks.
For further information about Will Dunne Dramatic Writing Workshops, visit www.willdunne.com or call (415) 609-8670. A new series of monthly Story Weekend seminars for playwrights and screenwriters begins at the end of April and continues through June. For more information about Will Dunne’s April 10 Chicago premiere of The Ascension of Carlotta, go to www.16thstreettheater.org
