Playwrighting doesn’t require a specific degree, but being good at it certainly requires prior experience in and appreciation for theater, which is why playwrights often have degrees in theater. A playwright’s level of success can generally be measured by where their work gets produced. At the beginning of their careers, playwrights usually get started writing plays for their own pleasure—many of which go unstaged—and gradually progress to writing plays that are produced by local or regional theater companies.
If you break the word “playwright” down into two parts, you already have a great understanding of what playwrights do: they write the scripts for plays, which then go on to be staged in theatrical productions. The play is a unique writing form, consisting of two principal elements: dialogue and stage directions. Using only these two elements, along with a brief character list and introduction to the play’s setting, playwrights weave complex dramatic narratives that are intended to truly blossom in live performance.
