About the Selection Process for Readings

From the PCSF Board of Directors

You may have noticed in the past year that the Literary Committee has grown more selective in choosing plays for staged and developmental readings. We want to take a moment to explain our rationale in the context of plans to enhance the continuum of services PCSF offers to emerging playwrights.

The selection process has evolved as PCSF has grown and matured as an organization. Each season we learn something new. We try to incorporate these lessons into the process to make it more workable, fair and helpful for the playwright.

The main goal of a reading, whether staged or developmental, is to help the playwright get the play ready for production. In addition, we have to ensure that the reading is a satisfying theatrical experience for the people who come to see it. It is very important that the plays we develop are truly ready for an audience. We balance the needs of our playwright members with the needs of the audience that supports PCSF. We have to grow this audience if we are going to serve playwrights in a meaningful way.

The Literary Committee consists of three Board members who serve on a rotating basis. They consider first whether the play is ready for a staged reading. Our first criterion is the play's overall readiness for production (structure, plot, character development, dramatic tension, clarity, dialogue, and action). But we also have to decide if PCSF has the capacity to stage-read the play (number of actors, complexity of logistics, comprehensibility of a staged version without full production) and if the timing, budget and availability of slots will serve the play.

It's a key goal of the Board to enhance PCSF's reputation within the Bay Area theatre community as a whole. We must not be seen as a vanity organization that puts on plays for the sole benefit of those on the inside. That's why, under the able leadership of our Producing Directors Morgan Ludlow and Suze Allen, we have worked hard to upgrade the quality of the readings, by adding lighting, providing food and beverages, and putting more effort into publicity.

As playwrights, we know that it's frustrating not to have a play selected for a reading. But theatre is competitive. It benefits us to learn from constructive feedback. This is why the Literary Committee provides a Feedback Form for every play submitted. We encourage you to use these as a resource. Scene Nights are always an option for further honing your work. We are currently looking into additional programs that might fill the gap between a 10-minute excerpt and a longer piece.

Our Education Director Sara Staley will soon be fielding a member survey on what types of additional programs and services are needed to make PCSF a truly comprehensive playwright development organization. We encourage you to respond to the survey and, if you have thoughts or questions, visit the Contact Us page on the website and send us a note. Together, we can transform PCSF into the organization we know it can be.