Let There Be Dogs!

So, today I was chatting about my play with a dramaturg (Michelle) from Alberta Playwrights Network. A few years ago, I developed a relationship with APN (love them!). Tooth Sized Holes is the second play I've sent there.

I was expecting her to bring it up. She totally has a point. "So, you have two dogs in this play . . ." (the ellipses being code for " . . . and how do you expect this to ever be produced?" - but in a kind and supportive way).

She began the conversation by asking how I felt about the play - where it was at, etc. I was thrilled to be able to respond by saying that my life has taken a U-turn of sorts and that though a couple of years ago I was quite ambitious about playwriting, I have the luxury now of writing for the joy of it and for the unadulterated thrill of discovering the layers and possibilities of a story. And I think I believe that. Production isn't as much on my mind as it used to be, but I still feel the drive to write plays. Anyhow, it ends up that I am in a good place in my feelings towards this latest draft of Tooth Sized Holes and let 'er rip. Tell me what needs doing.

Hence the dog concern. Yes, there are two dogs in the play and although one of them takes more of a principal role, they are both on stage at the same time for one scene. I realize that rare is the theatre company that will to take that on when they could go for something that, say, doesn't have dogs in it and would be much easier to produce. There was some subtext about theatrical ways of including dogs in the story without actually having dogs on stage.

I responded by saying, "I wrote the play I wanted to write. It has dogs in it. Some people go to the theatre because they want to see something in particular, some people go to everything, some people are dragged there. People have dogs." And then I said something about the fact that maybe Shakespeare and his colleagues wondered about presenting his audience with a severed head, but it doesn't seem so weird now. And maybe it wasn't then either, but it was the first idea that popped into my head.

As I relay it, it seems like the tone of the conversation was much more snarky than it was. It was not snarky at all - I just think sometimes that playwriting in this day and age has become highly limited. That's probably a really great thing. Limitation gives way to creativity. I know that. But is there room to think outside of such strict limitations? What if someone were to take a risk and produce this play and then, suddenly, dogs become all the rage in plays? To the point that everyone spends their time trying to figure out how to put a dog or two in their scripts?

I don't know. Just something I'm thinkin' about.