Collaboration and Control, Freud on Cocaine, and Getting Your Play Realized - Playwright's Spotlight with Howard Skora

James Elden's Playwright's Spotlight

Playwright Howard Skora stopped by Playwright's Spotlight, and what a fascinating interview he delivered. What I thought would be another insightful look into the craft of playwriting, turned into an unsuspecting history lesson about the psychologist Sigmund Freud and quite a few unknown stories about his life. Not only does Howie educate me about the all things Freud, we delve into the stakes in comedy and playing against opposites, taking creative license with historical characters and stories, the research that goes into said people and events and what gets sifted out, and whether or not he writes prior, during or post research as well as the need to collaborate. In addition, we touch on writing for specific actors, stage directions requiring specificity, the pros of self-producing, rewriting during rehearsals, and the struggles and success and starting in standup when it comes to playwriting. It's definitely an episode for the books, and I look forward to catching a performance of Freud on Cocaine.
Howard Skora is a Los Angeles based playwright whose play Damaged Furniture had a 6 month sold-out run in Los Angeles that garnered him a Best Play and Best Writer nominations for the 2019 Valley Theater Awards. His first play, Miserable with an Ocean View ran for 5 sold-out months and was the top-rated original comedy in Los Angeles on Bitter Lemons for its entire run with a 94% sweet rating. His most recent play Freud on Cocaine will premiere at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks, CA September 8th, 2023.
To view the video format of this episode, visit the link below -
https://youtu.be/lFdmcz_VyCY
Links to sites and resources mentioned in this episode -
The Diane Thomas Award -
https://www.networkisa.org/contest/view/ucla-diane-thomas-award
The Actor's Gym -
https://www.theactorsgymny.org/team
The Whitefire Theatre -
https://www.whitefiretheatre.com
Hollywood Fringe -
https://www.hollywoodfringe.org
Lucy Pollack PR -
https://www.lucypr.com
Dunning-Kruger Effect -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning–Kruger_effect
Tickets for Freud on Cocaine -
www.freudoncocaine.com
Contact information and socials for Howard Skora -
www.howardskora.com
Twitter - @howardskora
IG - @howardskora
Websites and socials for James Elden, Punk Monkey Productions and Playwright's Spotlight
Punk Monkey Productions -
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com
PLAY Noir -
www.playnoir.com
PLAY Noir Anthology –
www.punkmonkeyproductions.com/contact.html

James Elden -
Twitter - @jameseldensauer
IG - @alakardrake
FB - fb.com/jameseldensauer
Punk Monkey Productions and PLAY Noir -
Twitter - @punkmonkeyprods
- @playnoirla
IG - @punkmonkeyprods
- @playnoir_la
FB - fb.com/playnoir
- fb.com/punkmonkeyproductions
Playwright's Spotlight -
Twitter - @wrightlightpod
IG - @playwrights_spotlight
Playwriting services through Los Angeles Collegiate Playwrights Festival
www.losangelescollegiateplaywrightsfestival.com/services.html

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