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Playwright. Screenplay Writer, and Novelist Lawrence C. Connolly streamed into Playwright's Spotlight and, as always, we touched base on many topics not covered in previous episodes. It never ceases to amaze me. In this discussion, we delve into adapting a novel and the allegory of Frankenstein, staging multiple locations on stage, the process of outlining a five-act play, approaching cross-talk amongst multiple characters, and the musicality of dialogue. We also we unpack flow state. the magic writing, staging and graphics on the stage as well as letting dialogue drive the dialogue and how to eliminate parentheticals. We wrap with the evolution of his writing career, the Doorway Effect, the Pittsburgh Market, and his approach of lighting and sound on the page. It's just another insightful episode where you'll walk away with more playwriting knowledge. Enjoy!

Lawrence Connolly is a novelist, screenwriter, and playwright. He is a writer on the podcast Mystery Theatre by Prime Stage Theatre which premiered his adaptation of Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein, and he was recently commissioned a play based on the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe, opens in November 2025 at Pittsburgh’s New Hazelett Theatre.

To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/cjzOiW27laA

Resources mentioned in this episode -

Pittsburgh Public Theater -
https://ppt.org

Websites and Socials for Lawrence Connolly -
https://lawrencecconnolly.com

FB - https://www.facebook.com/LawrenceCConnolly
IG - @lawrence_c_connolly

Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight

Punk Monkey Productions -
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com

PLAY Noir -
www.playnoir.com

PLAY Noir Anthology –
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html

James Elden -
Twitter - @jameseldensauer
IG - @alakardrake
FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer


Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir -
Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods
- @playnoirla
IG - @punkmonkeyprods
- @playnoir_la

FB - fb.com/playnoir
- fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions


Playwright's Spotlight -
Twitter - @wrightlightpod
IG - @playwrights_spotlight


Playwriting services through LACPFest - www.lacpfest.com

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Angelica Cheri swung by Playwright's Spotlight after leaving the rehearsals of her Broadway play Wanted only to jump into the rehearsals for the West Coast Premiere of her play Burta Burta. She was wiling to share her insights of the craft. We delve into the rehearsal process, approaching rewrites and the importance of dramatic truth, finding opportunities and landing an agent, changes to pieces from a thesis to premieres to publication. We also touch on the trick of raising stakes, the structure of a song in musical theatre, magical realism and laying breadcrumbs, achieving foreshadowing, playwriting vs musical theatre, and how analytics can rename a play. We wrap it up discussing the struggles with the business of playwriting as well as with the craft itself, the differences between structure vs form, approaching character and the math in human emotion, and, finally, creative license. It's a talk chock full of nuggets of theatrical knowledge that I took a lot from. Enjoy.

For tickets to the West Coast premiere of her play Berta Berta that which runs through August 25th at the Echo Theater Company in Los Angeles, visit https://www.echotheatercompany.com/berta-berta.

Angelica Chéri is a playwright, bookwriter, lyricist, screenwriter and poet. Her plays include Phenomenal Woman, Maya Angelou; The Seeds of Abraham; The Sting of White Roses; Crowndation; and The Wiring & the Switches. She and collaborator Ross Baum received the Richard Rodgers Award for their musical Wanted (formerly titled Gun & Powder), which is heading to Broadway next season. She received her BA in Theater from UCLA, MFA in Playwriting from Columbia University and MFA in Musical Theater Writing from NYU.

To watch the video format of this episode, visit https://youtu.be/ul3ThJixBRk

Links to resources mentioned in this episode -

Playwright's Bill of Rights - https://www.dramatistsguild.com/rights

The Richard Rogers Award - https://www.artsandletters.org/rodgers-award

The O'Neill - https://www.theoneill.org/monte-cristo-award

National Alliance for Musical Theatre - https://namt.org

Cleveland Arts Prize - https://clevelandartsprize.org

Theatrical Works Worldwide - https://www.theatricalrights.com

Website and Socials for Angelica Cheri -

www.angelicacheri.com
IG - @angleicacheri
FB - https://www.facebook.com/angelicacheri

Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight

Punk Monkey Productions -
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com

PLAY Noir -
www.playnoir.com

PLAY Noir Anthology –
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html

James Elden -
Twitter - @jameseldensauer
IG - @alakardrake
FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer

Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir -
Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods
- @playnoirla
IG - @punkmonkeyprods
- @playnoir_la

FB - fb.com/playnoir
- fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions

Playwright's Spotlight -
Twitter - @wrightlightpod
IG - @playwrights_spotlight

Playwriting services through LACPFest - www.lacpfest.com

Support the show

Send us a text

Episode 100! Thanks for supporting us on this journey. We would love to hear how this podcast may have helped you with your creative endeavors.

To celebrate this milestone, Rick Elice of Jersey Boys, Peter and the Star Catcher, Water for Elephants, The Addams Family, The Cher Show, and the upcoming Princess Bride Musical, was gracious enough sit in the Spotlight (TWICE) after a botched first recording. We owe this opportunity to Cameron Scott who put this entire thing into motion. Be sure to check our his episode as well.

In this discussion, Rick shares his journey to becoming a Tony-Award winning playwright, the origin of Jersey Boys, writing devices and exercises, working backwards, the need for great stories and compelling characters, and the gift of luck. We also delve into stage directions and the difference to Author's Notes, multipurpose props and set pieces, The Princess Bride and meeting William Goldman, organizing principles, the economy of storytelling, and the difference in stage versus film. We wrap up with memory plays and "reliable" narrators, theatre as a medium of metaphor, and the benefits of working on multiple projects.

It was an extreme honor to have Rick on the podcast. He is extremely humble and shares some amazing stories I know you will enjoy.

To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/u2llPIM9sSY

Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -

Pepper's Ghost - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepper's_ghost

Slade School - https://www.ucl.ac.uk/slade/

Samuel French (Concord Theatricals) - https://www.concordtheatricals.com/

Musical Theatre International - https://www.mtishows.com/

Theatrical Rights Worldwide - https://www.theatricalrights.com/

Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight

Punk Monkey Productions -
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com

PLAY Noir -
www.playnoir.com

PLAY Noir Anthology –
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html

James Elden -
Twitter - @jameseldensauer
IG - @alakardrake
FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer

Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir -
Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods
- @playnoirla
IG - @punkmonkeyprods
- @playnoir_la

FB - fb.com/playnoir
- fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions

Playwright's Spotlight -
Twitter - @wrightlightpod
IG - @playwrights_spotlight

Playwriting services through LACPFest - www.lacpfest.com

Support the show