The Playwright as Screenwriter
by Curtis
Upon first glance writing for the stage and writing for the screen can seem very similar. The author of the work is writing characters, having them express emotion and putting them into situations of conflict.
On a stage, characters can be more verbose, carrying on long monologues and soliloquies. In a film, the performances are more understated. A movie tells a story visually through a use of montage and mise en scene.
Some writers have made the transition from theatre (with the R-E) to the theater that contains the big screen. Some have gone from writing plays to screenplays (and vise versa), maybe directing film adaptations of their plays. Others have even written and directed a series of original motion pictures.
The following list is an acknowledgement of successful writers who keep that balance between being a playwright and being a screenwriter. As an admirer of both mediums, they are really the yin and yang of popular performance art culture. These writers balance the scales. They keep the equilibrium between New York and Los Angeles.
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