The Gap: Contemporary Playwriting Exercises why we need them, where they (might) come from, some examples, some test studies, and some analyses. by Kyle Reynolds Conway, M.A. A Dissertation In Fine Arts Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Texas Tech University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Approved Dr. William Gelber Chair of Committee Dr. Brian Steele Dr. Mark Charney Dr. Michael Stoune Prof. Dean Nolen Mark Sheridan Dean of the Graduate School May 2015 Copyright 2015, Kyle Reynolds Conway The Gap: Contemporary Playwriting Exercises by Kyle Reynolds Conwayis licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ to view a copy of this license. Texas Tech University, Kyle Reynolds Conway, May 2015 Acknowledgments This project would not have been possible without the encouragement, guidance, and support of a group of people, institutions, and art too numerous to mention. Personal thanks to: • My wife • My children • My parents • My siblings • My family • My friends Theatre thanks to: • Timothy Sheaff for yelling at me in high school • Dr. Kaarin Johnston for swinging swords at imaginary enemies when no one was looking in college • Dr. Dennis Fehr for getting, teaching, and living the present • Dr. Norman Bert for allowing me to be a guest researcher • Dr. Dorothy Chansky for introducing me to theatre theory • My dissertation committee for lighting the path • Dr. Gelber for everything Professional thanks to: • The late Theatre de la Jeune Lune • The living playwrights Charles Mee, Will Eno, and Suzan-Lori Parks for writing • The dead and other living playwrights too numerous to mention • Aristotle Special thanks to: iii Texas Tech University, Kyle Reynolds Conway, May 2015 • The Free Software Foundation • Linux • The World Wide Web • Edward Snowden • Creative Commons • Fedora • LibreOffice • Thanks also to anyone or anything else that helped me along the way. Finally, thanks to everyone who helped those who helped me (and on and on). • There are limits to attribution. iv Texas Tech University, Kyle Reynolds Conway, May 2015 Table of Contents Acknowledgments................................................................................iii Abstract.............................................................................................xiv I. The Gap(s)...........................................................................................1 The Proposal............................................................................................................................5 Dousing Sparks.......................................................................................................................6 Writer's Block.......................................................................................................................7 Two Approaches...................................................................................................................8 Flow....................................................................................................................................10 Classroom...........................................................................................................................10 A Present Synopsis................................................................................................................11 Contemporary Forms..........................................................................................................13 Contemporary Students.......................................................................................................14 Alternative Approaches.......................................................................................................15 Rekindling the Fire...............................................................................................................17 The Adjacent Possible.........................................................................................................17 Error...................................................................................................................................19 Exaptation...........................................................................................................................19 bobrauschenbergamerica.....................................................................................................20 Adjacent; Postmodern; Playwrights....................................................................................23 The Cognitive Surplus........................................................................................................31 e) All of the above...............................................................................................................35 New Exercises........................................................................................................................37 II. The Zeitgeist Catalyst (or, The Inciting Incident?)................................39 Olde/New/Borrowed/Blue.....................................................................................................40 Postmodern Theories and Theorists....................................................................................41 The Postmodern Internet.....................................................................................................47 Postmodern Prohibition.......................................................................................................54 III. Development of New Exercises..........................................................57 Music: Polyrhythm...............................................................................................................59 Definition(s).......................................................................................................................59 Rationale.............................................................................................................................60 Exaptation...........................................................................................................................60 Execution............................................................................................................................64 Visual Art: Software Art.......................................................................................................67 Definition(s).......................................................................................................................67 v Texas Tech University, Kyle Reynolds Conway, May 2015 Rationale.............................................................................................................................68 Exaptation...........................................................................................................................70 2510sSoftwareArtScript.py.................................................................................................74 Execution............................................................................................................................77 Dance: Dance With(out).......................................................................................................78 Rationale.............................................................................................................................78 Exaptation...........................................................................................................................78 Execution............................................................................................................................80 Acting/Directing: Status.......................................................................................................80 Definition(s).......................................................................................................................80 Rationale.............................................................................................................................81 Exaptation...........................................................................................................................82 Execution............................................................................................................................83 IV. The Test Studies................................................................................84 Playwriting Class..................................................................................................................85 Original Class.....................................................................................................................86 Syllabus Modifications.......................................................................................................87 Classroom...........................................................................................................................88 Feedback.............................................................................................................................88 #2510s....................................................................................................................................90 Elements of the Project.......................................................................................................90 Speed.............................................................................................................................90