Yo:

What does Fefu know about ways to write plays now in the 2020s (not 1930s) that address current political/rights issues without sending audiences away screaming “boring” or “preachy”?

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Dear Yo,

There is a very real difference between a Political Play, Agitprop, and simply a bad play. Agitprop bluntly states the issue and just as bluntly seeks to provoke the Audience to a specific (active) response. There is nothing inherently good or bad about this approach, the question becomes, how well does the play do its job? A “Political Play” is a work that thematically engages with a “political” issue. It can take any form, it could be a comedy, drama, tragedy, musical, or a hybrid. Think of such diverse plays (and stylistic approaches!) as SLAVE PLAY, THE OCTOROON, HAMILTON, SWEAT, etc. What stands out in these exciting and very successful plays is that characters are fully realized, three-dimensional human beings (allowing for some very conscious stylized choices), and the dramatic action is nuanced and complicated. For me, the most important quality a “Political Play” can have is that it doesn’t provide the audience with answers; it asks good, complicated questions.

Look forward to seeing your work!

Fefu

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This Fefu is a professional playwright living in New York, who has worked On and Off-Broadway and at Regional Theaters across the country.