The Literary Manager's Toolkit: A Practical Guide for the Theatre

✍ Scribed by Suea Healy

• Publisher: Routledge/Focal Press
• Year: 2022
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 191
• Series: The Focal Press Toolkit Series
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

The Literary Manager’s Toolkit is a clear and comprehensive guide to the role of the literary manager in theatre and beyond, focusing on the key skills, networks, and processes that underpin a successful career in this and associated roles.

This book outlines the tasks and responsibilities of a literary manager in the selection, development, and production of new plays. In the first part, it outlines the how, when, and why of the literary manager’s main activities, equipping the reader with everything that they will need when approaching this role’s central challenges. The second part provides a selection of practical, accessible, and easy-to-follow materials and workshop suggestions for literary managers who will work with playwrights as they develop their creative writing and dramaturgy skills.

This is the go-to resource for the working professional literary manager or dramaturg, and for students on dramaturgy courses in theatre degree programmes.

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
Half Title
Series Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Table of Contents
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Part 1
Chapter 1: An evolving and elusive job description
What a literary manager does
The paths into literary management
Locating the literary manager on theatre's managerial tree
Compensation for the literary manager
A potted history of the literary manager
Chapter 2: Attracting unsolicited scripts
Encouraging the receipt of unsolicited scripts
Advising writers on what to submit
Advising writers on how to submit
Informing the writer of what happens next
Chapter 3: Systems, structures, and approaches
The day-to-day operations of a literary department
Reading and assessing unsolicited scripts
Common approaches and procedures
Responding to the writer – unsolicited scripts
Assessing and responding to solicited scripts
Sourcing solicited scripts and spotting playwrights of note
Agents
Chapter 4: Dramaturgy
A history of dramaturgy
Dramaturgy today
Paths into dramaturgy
The specific responsibilities of a dramaturge
Chapter 5: Supporting and nurturing new writers
A pastoral role
A view from a playwright
Ways to mentor writers
Organising workshops
Running up a writers group
Start a social group linked to your venue
Hold industry talks
Obtaining funding for events
The importance of clarity and managing expectations
Funding mentorship
A seed commission
Writers residencies
Life advice
Chapter 6: Diversity and inclusion
Understanding your theatre's culture
Institutional habitus
Breaking down barriers
Check your lens and filters
Chapter 7: The issue of pay
A consideration of the challenges facing a fringe theatre: to pay or not to pay readers
A case study
Chapter 8: Life after literary management
Next steps
Part 2
The literary manager as teacher
Suggested workshops
Workshop 1: Getting started
Workshop 2: Getting Started II
Workshop 3: Giving meaning
Workshop 4: Shaping story
Workshop 5: Developing characters
Workshop 6: Active dialogue
Workshop 7: Setting – genre
Workshop 8: Dialogue
Workshop 9: Universal stories
Useful teaching materials
Stephen Jeffreys' nine stories
Questions
Answers
A story scaffold
Bonus activity using the story scaffold
Know your story
Transitive verbs
Bibliography
Index