One of the first stages of development is to provide the play with a reading, with a director, stage manager and actors. These will be conducted several ways.
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Private Readings with actors, for the playwright, followed by a discussion of the dramaturgical elements of the work.
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Public Readings for an invited audience with discussion to follow, and a follow-up session alone with the writer, director and dramaturge.
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Staged Readings for the public, in which the company of actors work with the writer and director for a week or more to put the play on its feet. This would also be followed by a discussion, and a follow-up session.
The type of reading a play receives will depend on what is most useful for the playwright.
Plays in their final stages of development will be given a workshop with an artistic team consisting of director, stage manager, dramaturge, actors, and possibly designers to look at the play in depth as a production. The goals of these workshops are to examine the play for its dramatic cohesiveness, and to consider the possibility of a full production. These workshops will not be for the public, although a small private audience might be included for the final reading.
In some cases, after a play has received a workshop, the workshop production will be presented for the public. These workshop productions will be minimally produced with 1-3 performances, and are primarily to assist the creative team in determining the viability of the script.
