Ever wonder if you could be the next Neil Simon, Arthur Miller or Tennessee Williams? Find out when you enter HOHPs playwriting contest. It’s open to all elementary and high school aged youth to promote the work of budding artists.
Rules and guidelines will be posted on our website shortly. The winner will receive a monetary prize as well as have their play produced on the HOHP stage! We’ll see you at the theatre!
Before writing your play you are encouraged to read the Playwriting Tips and Resources. 10 Things to Keep in Mind:
- Character speech should be interesting, not everyday ordinary speech. Make sure each character has a distinct voice – you should be able to “hear” each character.
- Your characters all need interesting actions: plays are about action, not people standing around talking. But action does not automatically mean violence. Trying to get a date, borrowing money, begging for forgiveness – these are all possible “actions” that a character might do and could be quite interesting to watch.
- There must be growth in your characters over the course of the play. What have they learned? How have they changed? How has the plot affected them?
- Your play needs a conflict. Is there a compelling problem?
- Every single scene should add new information about the plot or characters, and each scene should build on the one that came before.
- Keep ahead of the readers. Don’t let them figure out your ending before you get there.
- If the reader/audience can infer it, don’t say it.
- Give yourself enough time to write the play. Many plays end too quickly because the author ran out of time.
- Never use a stage direction when you should have a scene – your story needs to be told through the events and actions of the scenes.
- Be original. Don’t do something you’ve already seen on TV or in movies.