Playwright

A playwright, also known as a dramatist, is a person who writes plays. Unlike a novelist who writes for a reader, a playwright creates drama intended for theatrical performance. These works primarily consist of dialogue between characters. The term itself reveals how people view the craft. It combines the word "play" with "wright," an archaic English term for a craftsperson or builder. Just as a wheelwright builds a wheel, a playwright builds stories using words, themes, and dramatic elements.

The history of the term is quite interesting. Ben Jonson first used the word "playwright" in 1605. At that time, he used it in a pejorative sense, or a negative way. He wanted to distinguish himself as a poet rather than a mere tradesman. During that era, plays were written in meter, which was considered the domain of poets. It was not until much later that the word lost this negative meaning. The term "dramatist" was recorded for the first time 73 years after "playwright" appeared.

Playwriting has deep roots in many different cultures. In Western literature, the earliest surviving playwrights were the Ancient Greeks. Around the 5th century BC, they held annual competitions in Athens called agons. These were part of festivals celebrating Dionysos, the god of wine and fertility. Notable writers like Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides established dramatic forms that modern writers still use. In these competitions, playwrights often presented a tetralogy. This was a group of four plays consisting of three tragedies and one satyr play.

Other parts of the world developed their own traditions. In India, the Nāṭya Shāstra is a text on performing arts from between 500 BC and 500 AD. It lists playwrights as members of a theatre company, though some were even kings. One of the oldest known Indian playwrights is Śudraka, whose works date to the second century BC. In China, performers from the 6th century BC were also creating their own acts. While they were seen as actors, they also invented their own performances.

In the 4th century BCE, the philosopher Aristotle wrote a book called Poetics. He analyzed the elements that make a drama work. He identified six key components: plot, character, thought, diction, music, and spectacle. Aristotle believed tragedy was mimesis, which means the imitation of a serious action. He also introduced the idea of hamartia, or a tragic flaw. This is an error in judgment by the protagonist that creates the conflict in the story. These structural ideas still help playwrights organize their work today.

As history progressed, new styles emerged. During the Middle Ages, secular performances like The Play of the Greenwood appeared in 1276. Farces, which are humorous plays, also became popular after the 13th century. Hans Sachs was a famous farce writer who produced 198 dramatic works. Later, during the 17th century, neoclassicism became a major influence in France. This style followed strict rules called the unities. A play had to follow the unity of action, place, and time. This meant the story could not exceed 24 hours and must stay in one setting.

William Shakespeare remains perhaps the most influential playwright in history. His works are performed more often than those of any other writer. They have been translated into every major living language.

In the 19th century, the Sturm und Drang movement encouraged writers to focus on feeling and instinct. In the modern era, playwrights face new challenges. Theatre attendance has declined in some areas, making it harder to earn a living. Many playwrights must take other jobs or move into filmmaking to support themselves. For example, Morgan Spurlock began his career as a playwright.

Despite these challenges, the craft continues to thrive through new development programs. Many theatres use dramaturges or literary managers to help find new voices. Some playwrights use "cold readings" to test their scripts. This is when actors read the work without prior rehearsal to help the writer evaluate it. There are also writing collectives, such as 13P, that work together to move plays into production. One incredible example of a lasting play is The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie. This murder mystery has achieved a record-breaking run, reaching its 29,500th performance in February 2024.