DON'T FIGURE IT OUT!

Ken Wolf, Artistic Director of Manhattan Repertory Theatre in New York City, presents the 503rd episode of THE PLAYWRITING PODCAST. Episode Story Topic: The 500th Episode Compilation Episode: Action & Events and The Emotional Event Map THE FINAL 500TH EPISODE CELEBRATION COMPILATION IS HERE! After 500 episodes of THE PLAYWRITING PODCAST, what are the profoundly important ideas I keep coming back to again and again? What have I learned from writing plays, directing over 150 productions, and working with hundreds of playwrights? For this final celebration compilation, I wanted to bring together something at the very heart of playwriting. A play is a live emotional experience. Things need to happen on stage in real time. That is what makes a play so exciting. Something wild and magical is unfolding live on stage. So this special compilation dives into ACTION AND EVENTS and one of my favorite playwriting tools, THE EMOTIONAL EVENT MAP. Instead of simply sitting down and hoping a play magically manifests with dialolgue what if you map out everything about your play first? What happens if you know the problem of the play, incorporate action and events, use problem stacking, make every scene top what came before it, and create a path toward a fantastic climax? Then you can sit down, unleash your creativity and WRITE because you know where you are going. The map is not there to restrict your imagination. It can actually give your imagination tremendous FREEDOM. And then this episode takes the concept of ACTION even further. Action in our plays is important but action in our lives is just as important!  Finish the draft. Get actors together. Make the connection to a theatre. Create a reading of your play or a small production. Take a friggin' RISK! Try something NEW. Nobody can discover the work you keep hidden in your computer. At some point you have to say, THIS MATTERS TO ME, and take action to bring it into the world. And THAT feels like the perfect way to finish this crazy, wonderful 500th Episode Celebration. After all these years and all these episodes, perhaps it comes down to something beautifully simple. MAKE SOMETHING HAPPEN. On the stage. On the page. And in your life. Thank you for listening. Thank you for creating. Thank you for being a playwright. Now write something exciting, take a risk, make the call, open a new door and KEEP GOING. Episode 600, here we come!   Listen to Episode 503 and ALL 503 EPISODES of The Playwriting Podcast at https://www.howtowriteplays.com/ AND AT howtowriteplays I have my Playwriting Coaching and my Premiere Playwriting Coaching at an amazing 50% off this week only in celebration of 500 Episodes. Premiere Playwriting Coaching https://www.howtowriteplays.com/premiere-playwriting-coaching   Playwriting Coaching https://www.howtowriteplays.com/consulting-coaching   So if you want to work with me to write a compelling and exciting and producible play don't miss this opportunity to save some bucks too! And check out: My two new Playwriting programs: The Play Creation System https://www.manhattanrep.com/play-creation and my FAST LEARNING MODULES: https://www.manhattanrep.com/modules   Check out our 3 Tiers of developing your play in NYC with Manhattan Rep: Manhattan Rep's Play Production Reading We will put together a Professional Reading of your play in NYC! https://www.manhattanrep.com/reading   Manhattan Rep's Play Production Workshop We will bring to life a workshop production of your play in NYC! https://www.manhattanrep.com/workshop   Manhattan Rep's Play Production Program Let us help you self-produce your best play in New York City or anywhere in the world. https://www.manhattanrep.com/play-production-program   AND... Also, Check out Manhattan Rep's INSTAGRAM  @manhattanrepertorytheatre Email: [email protected]

Ken Wolf, Artistic Director of Manhattan Repertory Theatre in New York City, presents the 502 episode of THE PLAYWRITING PODCAST. Episode Story Topic: 500th Episode Compilation #3 - A Professor Albert Compilation! THE 500TH EPISODE CELEBRATION CONTINUES, AND PROFESSOR ALBERT IS BACK! This special compilation brings together some of my favorite Professor Albert moments from over the years, complete with his terrible German accent, enormous ego, questionable acting ability, attempts to replace me as host, and his never ending campaign to become an internationally famous motivational music superstar. But underneath all the insanity, there is some serious PLAYWRITING MAGIC going on. Professor Albert and I dive into creating compelling and incredibly specific characters, using people from your own life, combining characteristics from different people, creating opposites, building conflict, understanding what your characters want, exploring their inner and outer problems, and making choices that can transform characters on a page into living, breathing people on stage. And Professor Albert has one particularly important piece of advice. HAVE FUN! If you are having fun creating your characters, that creative spark can find its way into your play. This is playwriting learning served with a giant helping of ridiculousness. Professor Albert auditions for Hamlet, searches desperately for an agent, ties me up in various locations, hypnotizes you into becoming a better playwright, promotes himself relentlessly, and occasionally allows me to speak. Somehow, through all of this madness, there are some fantastic ideas you can immediately put to work in your own playwriting. So come celebrate 500 episodes of The Playwriting Podcast with Professor Albert and me. Have some fun. Learn something new. Get incredibly specific. Create characters that jump off the page. Take some chances. Make some MAGIC. And most importantly, never stop writing, never stop creating, and never stop being the wonderfully unique playwright that only YOU can be.  Listen Episode 502 and ALL 502 EPISODES of The Playwriting Podcast at https://www.howtowriteplays.com/ AND AT howtowriteplays I have my Playwriting Coaching and my Premiere Playwriting Coaching at an amazing 50% off this week only in celebration of 500 Episodes. So if you want to work with me to write a compelling and exciting and producible play don't miss this opportunity to save some bucks too! And check out: My two new Playwriting programs: The Play Creation System https://www.manhattanrep.com/play-creation and my FAST LEARNING MODULES: https://www.manhattanrep.com/modules   Check out our 3 Tiers of developing your play in NYC with Manhattan Rep: Manhattan Rep's Play Production Reading We will put together a Professional Reading of your play in NYC! https://www.manhattanrep.com/reading   Manhattan Rep's Play Production Workshop We will bring to life a workshop production of your play in NYC! https://www.manhattanrep.com/workshop   Manhattan Rep's Play Production Program Let us help you self-produce your best play in New York City or anywhere in the world. https://www.manhattanrep.com/play-production-program   AND... Also, Check out Manhattan Rep's INSTAGRAM  @manhattanrepertorytheatre Email: [email protected]

Ken Wolf, Artistic Director of Manhattan Repertory Theatre in New York City, presents the 501th episode of THE PLAYWRITING PODCAST. Episode Story Topic: 500th Episode Compilation #2 - The Principles of Playwriting! Come celebrate 500 episodes with me! You can listen to Episode 500 and ALL 500 EPISODES of The Playwriting Podcast at https://www.howtowriteplays.com/ AND AT howtowriteplays I have my Playwriting Coaching and my Premiere Playwriting Coaching at an amazing 50% off this week only in celebration of 500 Episodes. So if you want to work with me to write a compelling and exciting and producible play don't miss this opportunity to save some bucks too! And check out: My two new Playwriting programs:   The Play Creation System https://www.manhattanrep.com/play-creation and my FAST LEARNING MODULES: https://www.manhattanrep.com/modules   Check out our 3 Tiers of developing your play in NYC with Manhattan Rep: Manhattan Rep's Play Production Reading We will put together a Professional Reading of your play in NYC! https://www.manhattanrep.com/reading   Manhattan Rep's Play Production Workshop We will bring to life a workshop production of your play in NYC! https://www.manhattanrep.com/workshop   Manhattan Rep's Play Production Program Let us help you self-produce your best play in New York City or anywhere in the world. https://www.manhattanrep.com/play-production-program   AND... Also, Check out Manhattan Rep's INSTAGRAM  @manhattanrepertorytheatre Email: [email protected]

Ken Wolf, Artistic Director of Manhattan Repertory Theatre in New York City, presents the 500th episode of THE PLAYWRITING PODCAST. Episode Story Topic: Celebrating 500 Episodes of The Playwriting Podcast! 500 EPISODES! I can hardly believe it. Nine years ago, I sat on the floor of the bathroom at Manhattan Rep on West 45th Street because I thought it had good room tone, and I recorded the very first episode of The Playwriting Podcast. I had no idea where this adventure would take me. Now, here we are at EPISODE 500! Thank you to every playwright and theatre artist who has listened, laughed, learned, created, and gone on this crazy journey with me. For this special 500th episode, I went back through some of my favorite moments from the podcast. We talk about what I have learned from producing and directing theatre, creating action on stage, cutting the words you do not need, making backstory work, having FUN, stepping into your fear, and daring to be insanely creative. Most importantly, we celebrate what makes theatre so powerful. A play is not simply words on a page. A play is a LIVE EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE, where actors and audiences come together and something magical can happen. Come celebrate 500 episodes with me! You can listen to Episode 500 and ALL 500 EPISODES of The Playwriting Podcast at https://www.howtowriteplays.com/ or simply search THE PLAYWRITING PODCAST on Audible or your favorite podcast app. After 500 episodes, my message is still the same. NEVER GIVE UP. Your story matters. Your creativity matters. Keep writing. Keep taking chances. Keep bringing your work to life. Thank you for being a playwright. Thank you for being an artist. And thank you for helping me get to 500!   My two new Playwriting programs: The Play Creation System https://www.manhattanrep.com/play-creation   FAST LEARNING MODULES: https://www.manhattanrep.com/modules   Check out our 3 Tiers of developing your play in NYC with Manhattan Rep: Manhattan Rep's Play Production Reading We will put together a Professional Reading of your play in NYC! https://www.manhattanrep.com/reading     Manhattan Rep's Play Production Workshop We will bring to life a workshop production of your play in NYC! https://www.manhattanrep.com/workshop     Manhattan Rep's Play Production Program Let us help you self-produce your best play in New York City or anywhere in the world. https://www.manhattanrep.com/play-production-program   AND... Also, Check out Manhattan Rep's INSTAGRAM  @manhattanrepertorytheatre Email: [email protected]

Ken Wolf, Artistic Director of Manhattan Repertory Theatre in New York City, presents the 499th episode of THE PLAYWRITING PODCAST. Episode Story Topic: DON'T FIGURE IT OUT!   AND ONLY at Howtowriteplays.com and ManhattanRep.com! MY PREMIERE PLAYWRITING COACHING - A year long program where I help you write a perfect play, and teach you everything you need to know about Playwriting and connecting your plays to theatres and producers. Now 40% off until Monday August 10 at Midnight.  LAST LAST CHANCE!   Book it here:   https://www.howtowriteplays.com/premiere-playwriting-coaching   And LAST CHANCE: Playwriting Coaching  - 40% off -  Book it here:  https://www.howtowriteplays.com/consulting-coaching   AT MANHATTANREP.COM Check out our 3 Tiers of developing your play in NYC with Manhattan Rep:   Manhattan Rep's Play Production Reading We will put together a Professional Reading of your play in NYC! https://www.manhattanrep.com/reading     Manhattan Rep's Play Production Workshop We will bring to life a workshop production of your play in NYC! https://www.manhattanrep.com/workshop     Manhattan Rep's Play Production Program Let us help you self-produce your best play in New York City or anywhere in the world. https://www.manhattanrep.com/play-production-program     AND... Also, Check out Manhattan Rep's INSTAGRAM  @manhattanrepertorytheatre   Email: [email protected]

Ken Wolf, Artistic Director of Manhattan Repertory Theatre in New York City, presents the 498th episode of THE PLAYWRITING PODCAST. Episode Story Topic: Creating Magic with Magician Jim Vines of Broadway Magic Hour! This was a fantastic interview!     Get tickets to Broadway Magic Hour here: https://broadwaymagichour.com/ I sit down with award-winning magician Jim Vines, star and creator of the hugely successful Broadway Magic Hour in New York City. What starts as a conversation about magic quickly becomes a fascinating discussion about storytelling, surprise, escalation, emotional connection, and why great art, whether it is a magic show or a play, creates unforgettable live experiences. Jim shares how believing that anything is possible has shaped both his life and his career. (Have I found by doppelgänger?) We explore how magicians create wonder, how playwrights can use those same principles to keep audiences engaged, and why surprise is one of the most powerful tools any storyteller has.  We also dive into Broadway, self producing, audience psychology, and the incredible similarities between creating theatrical magic and creating theatrical truth. This episode is inspiring, practical, and filled with ideas you can immediately use to create Magic in your own work. This one's a keeper!  ------------------------------------------------------ Still 40% off until August 10, 2026 MY PREMIERE PLAYWRITING COACHING - A year long program where I help you write a perfect play, and teach you everything you need to know about Playwriting and connecting your plays to theatres and producers. Now 40% off!    Book it here:   https://www.howtowriteplays.com/premiere-playwriting-coaching   Playwriting Coaching  - 40% off -  Book it here:  https://www.howtowriteplays.com/consulting-coaching   AT MANHATTANREP.COM Check out our 3 Tiers of developing your play in NYC with Manhattan Rep: Manhattan Rep's Play Production Reading We will put together a Professional Reading of your play in NYC! https://www.manhattanrep.com/reading   Manhattan Rep's Play Production Workshop We will bring to life a workshop production of your play in NYC! https://www.manhattanrep.com/workshop   Manhattan Rep's Play Production Program Let us help you self-produce your best play in New York City or anywhere in the world. https://www.manhattanrep.com/play-production-program   AND... Also, Check out Manhattan Rep's INSTAGRAM  @manhattanrepertorytheatre   Email: [email protected]

Ken Wolf, Artistic Director of Manhattan Repertory Theatre in New York City, presents the 497th episode of THE PLAYWRITING PODCAST. Episode Story Topic: BE COURAGEOUS!   Midsummer Madness 40% Discount on all my Playwriting and Actor Services until July 31st, 2026 at:   https://www.manhattanrep.com/     Playwriting Coaching Premiere Playwriting Coaching Script Consultations Short Play Script Consultation Script Review Write Your Own One Actor Show Monologue Coaching and more.   And   Check out our 3 Tiers of developing your play in NYC with Manhattan Rep:   Manhattan Rep's Play Production Reading   We will put together a Professional Reading of your play in NYC!   https://www.manhattanrep.com/reading       Manhattan Rep's Play Production Workshop   We will bring to life a workshop production of your play in NYC!   https://www.manhattanrep.com/workshop     Manhattan Rep's Play Production Program   Let us help you self-produce your best play in New York City or anywhere in the world.   https://www.manhattanrep.com/play-production-program       AND...   Also, Check out Manhattan Rep's INSTAGRAM    @manhattanrepertorytheatre       Email: [email protected]

Ken Wolf, Artistic Director of Manhattan Repertory Theatre in New York City, presents the 496th episode of THE PLAYWRITING PODCAST.   Episode Story Topic:   Developing a Musical!     Midsummer Madness 40% Discount on all my Playwriting and Actor Services until July 31st, 2026 at:   https://www.manhattanrep.com/     Playwriting Coaching Premiere Playwriting Coaching Script Consultations Short Play Script Consultation Script Review Write Your Own One Actor Show Monologue Coaching and more.   And   Check out our 3 Tiers of developing your play in NYC with Manhattan Rep:   Manhattan Rep's Play Production Reading   We will put together a Professional Reading of your play in NYC!   https://www.manhattanrep.com/reading       Manhattan Rep's Play Production Workshop   We will bring to life a workshop production of your play in NYC!   https://www.manhattanrep.com/workshop       Manhattan Rep's Play Production Program   Let us help you self-produce your best play in New York City or anywhere in the world.   https://www.manhattanrep.com/play-production-program       AND...   Also, Check out Manhattan Rep's INSTAGRAM    @manhattanrepertorytheatre       Email: [email protected]

Ken Wolf, Artistic Director of Manhattan Repertory Theatre in New York City, presents the 495th episode of THE PLAYWRITING PODCAST. Episode Story Topic: Writing a Musical!   AND ONLY at Howtowriteplays.com MY PREMIERE PLAYWRITING COACHING - A year long program where I help you write a perfect play, and teach you everything you need to know about Playwriting and connecting your plays to theatres and producers. Now 40% off!    Book it here:   https://www.howtowriteplays.com/premiere-playwriting-coaching   Playwriting Coaching  - 40% off -  Book it here:  https://www.howtowriteplays.com/consulting-coaching   AT MANHATTANREP.COM Check out our 3 Tiers of developing your play in NYC with Manhattan Rep: Manhattan Rep's Play Production Reading We will put together a Professional Reading of your play in NYC! https://www.manhattanrep.com/reading   Manhattan Rep's Play Production Workshop We will bring to life a workshop production of your play in NYC! https://www.manhattanrep.com/workshop   Manhattan Rep's Play Production Program Let us help you self-produce your best play in New York City or anywhere in the world. https://www.manhattanrep.com/play-production-program   AND... Also, Check out Manhattan Rep's INSTAGRAM  @manhattanrepertorytheatre   Email: [email protected]

Ken Wolf, Artistic Director of Manhattan Repertory Theatre in New York City, presents the 494th episode of THE PLAYWRITING PODCAST. Episode Story Topic: Developing Grit!   All my Playwriting Services are 40% off until Wednesday Night July 1 at Midnight. Check it all out at the link below: https://www.manhattanrep.com/playwright   Check out our 3 Tiers of developing your play in NYC with Manhattan Rep: Manhattan Rep's Play Production Reading We will put together a Professional Reading of your play in NYC! https://www.manhattanrep.com/reading   Manhattan Rep's Play Production Workshop We will bring to life a workshop production of your play in NYC! https://www.manhattanrep.com/workshop   Manhattan Rep's Play Production Program Let us help you self-produce your best play in New York City or anywhere in the world. https://www.manhattanrep.com/play-production-program   AND... Also, Check out Manhattan Rep's INSTAGRAM  @manhattanrepertorytheatre And... Playwriting Coaching  -  Book it here:  https://www.manhattanrep.com/playwriting-coaching at 40% off! Email: [email protected]