Collaborative Playwriting Polyvocal Approaches from the EU Collective Plays Project

In Collaborative Playwriting, five collectively written plays apply polyvocal methods in which clash and frisson replace synthesis, a dialogic approach to collective writing that has never before been articulated or documented. Based on the EU Collective Plays Project, this collection of plays showcases each voice in dialogic tension and in relation to the other voices of the text, offering an entirely novel approach to new play development that challenges the single (and privileged) authorial voice. Castagno’s case-study approach provides detailed commentaryon each of the various experimental methods, exploring the plays’ processes in detail. The book offers an evolutionary path forward in how to develop new work, thus encouraging and promoting the writing of collective, hybrid plays as having profound benefits for all playwrights. The ground breaking approaches to playmaking in Collaborative Playwriting will appeal to playwriting programs, instructors, academics, professional playwrights, theaters andnew play development programs; as well as courses in gender LGBTQ studies, script analysis, dramaturgy anddramatic literature across the theater studies curricula.

Biographies of Contributors Preface: Testimonial Acknowledgments Introduction written by Paul Castagno1. Darkness—"The Enemy Inside": COMMENTARY and PROCESS: written and edited by Paul Castagno Darkness—"The Enemy Inside" The play written by Tale Næss (Norway), Gianluca Iumiento (Italy/Norway), Sigbjørn Skåden (Norway), Kristin Eriksdottir (Iceland), and Albert Ostermaier (Germany). Translation Tale Næss.2. Bitch. COMMENTARY and PROCESS: written and edited by Paul Castagno Bitch (Kucka) Play written by Arpad Schilling (Hungary) Eva Zabezsinszkij (Hungary) developed with the actor/collaborators of the Royal Theatre Zetski Dom Cetinje (Montenegro) Nada Vukcevic, Srdan Grahovac, Stevan Radusinovic, Vule Markovic, Zoran Vujovic. 3. FREETIME: COMMENTARY and PROCESS: written and edited by Paul Castagno. FREETIME the play by the Presnyakov Brothers (Russian Federation) and Gian Maria Cervo (Italy). Translation by Giles Smith. 4. And So My Face Became My Scar. COMMENTARY written and edited by Paul Castagno with Interviews from playwrights: Rasim Erdem Avsar (Turkey), Emily Gillmor Murphy (Ireland) and Danielle Pearson (UK). And So My Face Became My Scar. The play written by Rasim Erdem Avsar (Turkey), Emily Gillmor Murphy (Ireland) and Danielle Pearson (UK). With special acknowledgment to Joele Anastasi (Italy) 5. Narcissus: COMMENTARY and PROCESS: edited by Paul Castagno Narcissus. Play written by James Bidgood (USA), Michel Marc Bouchard (Canada), Gian Maria Cervo (Italy), Chris Goode (UK), Antonio Ianniello (Italy), Anna Romano (Italy/Belgium) and Alberto Bassetti (Italy). Translation by Giles Smith. Epilogue Closing Monologue by Aboud Saeed (Syria/ Germany) Index

Paul Castagno, Ph.D., is Professor of Theater at UNC-Wilmington, USA, where he teaches playwriting, theater history and dramatic literature, and directs departmental productions. He is the author of New Playwriting Strategies: Language and Media in the 21st Century (2011) and received the 2018 Oslo International Festival of Acting Pedagogical Award for his influential work on polyvocality in contemporary playwriting.