On the Write Track? My Play Writing Process!

 

As some of you may know, I am, in fact, writing a full-length play. This is what I've gone through!

The Concept

This play is basically a combination of a good number of Disney films. From Snow White to Encanto. Of course, every character is spoofed, all the names are changed slightly, but it's all for fun! The entire play is led by two narrators, one: a bubbly excited storyteller, the other: a moody, annoyed teller. With bumps, curves, and a bunch of laughs, this show is really fun for everyone!

The Beginning

I started writing this show in March of 2022 just as a fun little project to pass my time. I honestly thought I'd get bored and tired of it, like I do with a lot of other projects. This one, however, stuck with me. Being a comedy, I was able to have a lot more fun with the concept and actual writing of the script.

When I first drafted the character list, I came up with over one-hundred characters ranging from Cindy-Ella to Ugly Monster to Mary Poppin' to Alicia. Of course, many characters and stories were cut completely. There was hardly room for that many stories, much less that many characters.

The Journey

Since the start, I worked on writing the actual script. This type of show doesn't allow for many "scenes," per-se. As such, I simply made the entire script a big blob of sorts. The narrators start and end stories, making clear points for the scenes to be over. As well as this, the two narrators go over the stories as they happen, just like any narrator would. 

After writing the first draft, I worked on revising the show. This included deleting sections, adding things, changing words and phrases, and, most importantly, solidifying formatting. Because I worked on this script over a few months, I changed around the way I wrote specific elements, such as stage directions, sound effects, and dialogue. It was vital that I made everything coherent and cohesive for any readers or performers of the play.

Along with edits, I came up with other mise-en-scene elements of the play. Set designs, costume designs, and lighting ideas popped into my head throughout the writing process. 

The Future

I truly hope to have the opportunity to perform this show for an audience. Because everything is spoofed, I won't get copyrighted (think Puffs or Brother's Grimm Spectaculathon). And not getting sued is a plus in my book. This show would be a great fall play for a high school or maybe even a middle school. Clocking in at around two-and-a-half hours, it's pretty long, but I hope the comedy makes up for the length.

If anyone wants to take a look at the script and give me revision ideas, please take a look and add some comments. I'm looking mainly for ways to shorten the script, so any suggestions for adding stories or characters will likely be ignored.