Writing Too Small

Too many plays deal with small issues. As a result they have little drama and move audiences little. A current play in New York “Skeleton Crew” is more in the tradition of great plays. One reviewer in The New York Times (1/20/16) stated, “Ms. Morisseau works her big themes on a small, closely patterned canvas.” That is, the playwright may be writing about specific characters but the themes are universal. Therefore the play reaches all kinds of audiences with deep drama. That is why Dominique Morisseau is said to be writing in the tradition of Clifford Odets, August Wilson, and Arthur Miller. There is much to write about—let it be about something big.