Positive Rejections

Even though “We'd be glad to do your play" is exactly the answer every playwright wants to read when the letter comes back in the SASE return envelope, sometimes the rejections can be soothing. Here are a few I have received -- the sting is still there, but the words of balm did their work.

Dancing at the Revolution

• This play has “redeeming social value.” It aroused a lot of emotion. I cared about Emma and the people in prison. It explained to me why people might be drawn to anarchism as an answer to social problems. The Phoenix Theatre's Festival of Emerging American Theatre (Indianapolis, IN)
• As much as I like the play, its theatricality, and its philosophical and political universe...I just don't believe I can sell this one here at this point. Interact Theatre (Philadelphia, PA)

Homeward Bound

• We found much to admire in the play -- including its smarts, its details, the raw dramatic tension and the use of dance... Bloomington Playwrights Project Reva Shiner Full-Length Play Contest (Bloomington, IN)

Macbeth's Children

• You have a good basic premise -- vengeance corrupts innocence....Using the play to make a point about children's lives today worked well....[But] in the midwest ‘Bull Shit’ is not going to work in a children's theatre play. Jackie White Memorial National Children's Play Writing Contest, 2003

The Most Dangerous Woman in America

• Conveys character, history, political philosophies, and event vividly. Full of passion. Gives audience a sense of really being there with Emma Goldman and seeing events from her point of view (which may be alien to many but is very sympathetically and believably conveyed). I think this would be an excellent choice. The Phoenix Theatre's Festival of Emerging American Theatre (Indianapolis, IN)

The Patron Saint of Geeks

• Readers found much to admire in The Patron Saint of Geeks. The approach here is great, and the writing is tight, fast-paced and interesting...[but] the script is almost too dark for our age audience and players. Jackie White Memorial National Children's Play Writing Contest, 2003
• All of the visuals and inventions had me from the onset; the characters then captured and held me throughout....The flow from reality to dream and from inspiration to the actual was seamless and effortless. We are carried forward with care, humor, and urgency....It is honest and has a real depth of feeling. It goes beyond the “angst plays” to somewhere recognizable. American Alliance for Theatre and Education Unpublished Play Reading Project (Tempe, AZ)
• A potentially interesting take on a serious and relevant issue....[It] is very playable. Interestingly, one of its most evocative elements of spectacle is one that we are kept from actually seeing -- the gun in the box. The weapon's long-concealed presence is both chilling and powerful. Waldo M. and Grace C. Bonderman Playwriting Competition
• The characters of the two boys are fascinating and entertaining....The staging potential is awesome for the play. Lots of opportunities for physical humor and slapstick. Waldo M. and Grace C. Bonderman Playwriting Competition

Pictures at an Exhibition

• Even though your play was not selected, I did want you to know that it was enthusiastically received by our readers and advanced as a semi-finalist. Stage Theater Company (Austin, TX)
• We found much to admire in the script -- it's a terrific premise, and its execution boasts a skilled and judicious use of theatricality and a deft avoidance of didacticism...I regret to report that it has not been selected as this year's winner. Reva Shiner Full-Length Play Contest, Bloomington Playwrights Project (Bloomington, IN)

A Question of Color

• Though we're unable to produce the play this season, I enjoyed this simply-written play about a complicated issue: interracial marriage. Susan is a strong and passionate character, and I enjoyed the conflict between she and her husband, John. The inclusion of dancing and singing added some nice theatricality. Actors Theatre of Louisville, The Humana Festival
• The reader...noted much to like about the play. The reader commented on the engaging natural rhythm of your dialogue, that rings as musical and poetic without flying off into the realms of unfathomable fantasy. The reader also liked the ensemble approach...Your first reader noted that you seem to be striving for an admirable balance between the work's lyricism and the violence of hatred. The Playwrights' Center, PlayLabs 2001 (Minneapolis, MN)
• A great work, Michael. Beautifully crafted and constructed....Unfortunately, we won't be moving your play forward, this time, to the Final Ten to be considered for production. Sonoma County Repertory Theatre

Truces/Treguas

• This play has a great deal of potential if developed further. Unfortunately, we could not fit it into a slot this year. Prop Thtr (Chicago, IL)
• This guy's a professional, but this play isn't the play for us. Trustus Theatre's South Carolina Playwrights' Festival (Columbia, SC)
• I found Truces interesting and well-written...highly theatrical and provocative. The charged atmosphere between Margaret and Cortez carries a tension that promises something that I think the play delivers -- a deepened understanding of themselves....Having said that, I have to add I do not think Truces is exactly right for us. Interact Theatre Company (Philadelphia, PA)
• What a strong play! What an original concept of one of our ills. Well-crafted script...this play deserves consideration for production. Detroit Repertory Theatre (Detroit, MI)

Translation

• This Bettencourt is one sharp playwright -- this is a learned fascinating script....he is so good, I wonder why he hasn't gotten right with the appropriate format yet. Trustus Theatre's South Carolina Playwrights' Festival (Columbia, SC)