Dear Readers,

While this issue’s theme, Point of View, may not always be as apparent on the stage or screen as in a written narrative, there are plenty of ways you can explore it in your own writing. Some tools that have been utilized include an unreliable narrator, various voiceover techniques, and the ‘point of view’ shot within film, which is when the camera moves as if you are watching a sequence (or entire film) through the eyes of a specific character.

A recent production of ‘Macbeth,’ starring Alan Cumming, experimented with point of view in a couple different ways. The production was staged in a mental hospital, where he was a patient under observation. Very quickly, it became clear that he played every character in the script, from the titular Scottish general to the castle guard.

In his work, playwright Nick Payne also plays with point of view and perspective. But he doesn’t stop there: he also likes to manipulate time, space, and perception. Take a look at his play ‘Constellations’ – though admittedly the full effect is stronger on its feet than on the page. It’s remarkable to observe the many ways in which the same words and similar sequences can be altered in subtle ways to achieve remarkably different results.

In this issue, we are delighted to include a Q&A with Sharr White, the playwright of the upcoming joint production between Manhattan Theatre Club and MCC Theater, ‘The Snow Geese.’ Happy reading!

Sincerely,

Jenni Swan

Drama Editor