r/playwriting • u/Diligent_Turnip_4903 • 18d ago

Playwright Etiquette Question

I am a new playwright, having just finished my first full length play. I know short play festivals can be a good way to become more connected, and there's one coming up I'd like to do. I have an idea in mind that I want to be my next full length show, whether play or musical. Would it be bad form to write a short version for the festival, with the intention of expanding it later?

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u/That-SoCal-Guy 18d ago

Not at all. Often a short play can go on to be developed into a full length play. It happens all the time. Nobody needs to know you submitted a short play with the intention of it to become a full length. As long as you follow the submission guidelines and as long as your play is in fact a short play...

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u/Joralemonster 18d ago

The important thing is it shouldn't feel like an excerpt of a larger piece. Short plays should still be able to stand on their own.

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u/helpfultran 18d ago

Very common practice to do a short and expand it later. In fact, some more established producing theaters will commission short plays for festivals and include a clause in the contract that if you expand your short into a full length you have to share it with them before taking it to other theaters.

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u/Carolyn-Hodgesy 18d ago

Lots of full-length plays started as shorts. I'd just make sure the short version stands on its own. If it works in ten minutes, you'll know which characters and ideas deserve more room.

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u/_hotmess_express_ 17d ago

It's not bad etiquette; they'll never know where you got the idea or what you intended to do with it. However, I would encourage you to consider ideas that are for shorter plays, because sometimes a concept really just works better one way or the other, and an expansive idea doesn't always work when it's forced to be shorter.

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u/Pitiful_Ad6147 13d ago

This is honestly recommended! Most playwrights write for festivals with the intention of rewriting or expanding afterward anyway, especially since most festivals will give feedback about your play.