Tips on Writing a Script

Make it Sparkle Video with Maria McConville
Actress, Director and Playwright

(5:43) runtime

Director’s Notes

In this segment, Maria shares

• Instead of staring at a blank screen, or wondering where to start, just start writing down the dialog you're hearing in your head. It could be the middle of the play, or the beginning. Then you can start to mold it.

• You can make the story physical, laying pages on the floor and rearranging.

• Think about what it would be like to stage it, or if you only had one location or only five characters to work with.

• Maria shares some great activities to do with students and young playwrights. Stay tuned to the end!

About Maria McConville

Maria McConville is an actor, teaching artist, and playwright. Now a resident of Connecticut, she was a NYC Public School teaching artist since 2005. She has worked with the Theatre Development Fund, LeAP! Onstage, Periwinkle Theater for Youth, and a Shakespeare and Playwriting teaching artist with Theatre For A New Audience. Maria has worked with 2nd grade through 12th grade, though, she has a special place in her heart for 6th-8th graders. Her students have performed and adapted the work of Shakespeare, written their own plays, devised ensemble performance pieces, sang and danced in musical productions, and performed their peers work on a Broadway stage. Growing up in New York, Maria attended LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts for Drama, and recently adjudicated the auditions for incoming students. Maria has performed with/at NYTW, EST, CSC, Woodshed Collective, SoHo Rep, HERE Arts Center, undergroundzerofestival, The Kirk @Theater Row, Fordham Alumni Company, 78th Street Theater Lab, aMios, BAX, and Shakespeare in the Park-ing Lot. Her published plays include To Date or Not to Date (Playscripts), #VIRAL and #Censored (Stage Partners).