Do You Read More Plays or See More Plays?

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 5/5/19 at 3:11pm

I find that I read far more scripts than go to live productions, mainly because I go to ISU, which has an enormous catalog of scripts in the library, as well as a large private script library in the Theatre Department. I try to see live productions whenever I can, but I experience most new plays by reading them, rather than seeing them.

Do you read published scripts, or do you just see the productions?

[DoTheDood]

Posted: 5/5/19 at 5:11pm

I see more plays than I read but I want to read more. That's more just easier (and more exciting at times) to pay for a night out than pay for a night in. Which, I doubt many people want to buy a script to just read it (Unless they plan to put on that show). I'm glad my school has a whole collection of different shows, so I've read some great scripts, but most probably just want to see it in person and not just on the page.

[Wick3]

Posted: 5/5/19 at 5:26pm

My English teacher in high school always told us that plays are meant to be seen so I’ve certainly seen more plays than read them. If I like a new play a lot, I’d buy the script to read it, wait a few weeks and then see the play again.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/5/19 at 5:37pm

Was I your English teacher? LOL, I say that all the time, as its so true.

As a director, I read LOTS of plays....but I see lots, too. My guess is I read more than I see. But i see plenty...Bway, here in Boston, amateur.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 5/5/19 at 6:18pm

I definitely see more than I read these days, but before I lived in NY I used to check out tons of plays from my local library and read them. It's a great way to get well-versed in theatre history for free. I basically just made a list of every famous play that I had heard of but never seen or read, and I started knocking them out one by one. Then, when I came across one that I really liked, I would look into other plays by the same playwright.