Outrageous Fortune: The Life and Times of the New American Play

by Todd London, Ben Pesner, Zannie Giraud Voss

OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE examines the lives and livelihoods of American playwrights today and the realities of new play production from the perspective of both playwrights and not-for-profit theatres. The study, drawing on six years of comprehensive research, reveals a collaboration in crisis between the people who write plays and those who produce them. It represents the most comprehensive field study in the history of the not-for-profit theatre to analyze new play production practices and the economics and culture of playwriting in America. Set against a backdrop of dwindling audiences for dramatic work, OUTRAGEOUS FORTUNE makes clear the urgent need for new conversations and practices if the American play is to flourish.

Genres: Theatre, Nonfiction

296 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Heralded by Publisher's Weekly as "a writer to watch" with a "magnificent sense of character and ear for dialogue," Todd London is an award-winning novelist and essayist, whose second novel, If You See Him, Let Me Know, was published this February by Austin Macauley. Writer Lorrie Moore called his first novel, The World's Room, a "stunning book...written as if by a spellbinding and spellbound angel." Spring of 2020 will also see the publication of This Is Not My Memoir, co-authored with Andre Gregory (Farrar, Straus, Giroux).

Todd London has worked in the American theater for more than thirty years, supporting the flourishing of individual artists, advocating for best practices, creating connection between independent artists and producing theaters, and documenting the evolving field. His service has taken many shapes: artistic director, educator, arts journalist and essayist, public speaker, and theater historian. His theater books include: An Ideal Theater: Founding Visions for a New American Art (Theatre Communications Group); The Importance of Staying Earnest (NoPassport); 15 Actors, 20 Years (Dutch Kills Press); Outrageous Fortune: The Life and Times of the New American Play (Theatre Development Fund); and The Artistic Home (TCG). Todd was the first recipient of Theatre Communications Group's Visionary Leadership Award for advancing "the theatre field as a whole."

A former artistic director of New Dramatists and executive director of the University of Washington's School of Drama, Todd is Director of Theater Relations for the Dramatists Guild and Head of MFA Playwriting at the New School. A former managing editor of American Theatre magazine, he won the George Jean Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism for his essays. A past winner of the Miss Lilly Award (from the Lilly Awards), Todd received an honorary doctorate from DePaul University's schools of Theatre and Music in 2016. He is founder of The Third Bohemia, a traveling, interdisciplinary retreat for artists.

Reviews

[Andie · Rating 5 out of 5]

It feels very weird to finish Outrageous Fortune on the same day that Florida Stage announced that it was shutting its doors. Until today, I felt that there was a lot of audience blaming in the book, now I'm not so sure.

For those of you not in the field of New Play Development, Outrageous Fortune is a overview of the field of new play development in the American regional theatre. The book comes from a massive survey of theatres and playwrights, and paints a very stark picture of the current state of the field. I found the research to be both extremely valuable and infuriating. (The book would have gotten a high star rating from me on the research alone.)

Until today, I felt that there was too much audience blaming in the narrative. Both playwrights and artistic directors blame their audiences for not being able to support new work, that audiences cannot understand anything difficult (particularly difficult in structure), that they won't go along for the ride with new work, etc.

But we just lost the largest regional theatre dedicated to only new work. And the largest regional theatre in my community. And it completely shifts how I view the book right now. I almost want to sit back down and reread it in light of the news.

For those in the field, it says a lot of what we have already known, but has put solid numbers behind it. And while no big solutions are proposed, it does help find the common ground between the artistic staff of theatres and playwrights.

[Christine Sumption · Rating 3 out of 5]

I worked my way through Outrageous Fortune, taking breaks from time to time to throw it across the room or to try and cheer up before taking it up again. For anyone who's been involved the production or development of new plays over the past 20 years or so, there's nothing new here. That's a problem. Are playwrights still so unaware of what's involved in putting together a season of plays while trying to keep a theatre afloat? Are the folks who run theatres still so blind to the obstacles that playwrights face? What can we do to get some decent communication flowing? In my darker moments, I have the urge to blow up these regional theatres and see if we can start over, get back to first principles. At other times, I just want playwrights to band together and form their own producing entities so they're not at the mercy of organizations who need to please subscribers and single ticket-buyers. (Actually, they'd discover some good tough lessons about the challenges of producing.) The book doesn't offer any answers--and it doesn't aim to. It throws down the gauntlet to all of us to (1) face up to the fact that the current "system" is not working, (2) start talking to each other frankly, and (3) come up with some new ideas.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

The interpretation of the data is a bit over the top, but very interesting. Sounds like it is time for the telescoping play - different versions developed by and for different venues (example 11 person company version, small specialty stage technically dependent version, medium stage professional version with secondary characters taking more than one role). Different versions - developed by different theaters with the playwright - each gets bragging rights/royalty piece for their version only. In the rare and problematic situation where the play goes Broadway (or off-broadway), a new collaboration with the playwright takes advantage of the best of each of the versions and runs until it pays back costs plus 20%, at which point some money goes back to the other version developers. The education for the audience comes from discussions of the fit between the version and the vision, the artistic nuances possible in one version, not in the other. Theater goers get interested in seeing more than one version of the play, or developing a taste for one particular version of different plays. Oh, what fun!!

[Laura J. Axelrod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring, challenging and validating. I avoided reading this book because so many theater folks I used to know said it was depressing. I thought I'd feel the same way, and I wasn't sure I wanted to deal with that. But my reaction was quite the opposite. For ten years now, the theatersphere has discussed these issues. To see the results in published form with supporting statistics legitimized anecdotes publicly shared back in 2003.

The book is very clear about the problems, and the authors do a fabulous job of articulating the details. They are also critical of some aspects of the study they could've done better. With a focus primarily on the nonprofit theater sector, I almost wished they could've included other kinds of theater. Community theaters are now starting new play initiatives. I'm not sure there's a lot of data about that, though.

Creating a bridge of communication between arts admins and artists is never a bad thing. The disconnect, as the authors describe, is stunning.

(Full disclosure: I took part in this study. Though I didn't remember doing it until I got to page 20. So my opinions might be informed by that experience. Just an FYI.)

[Richard Toscan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Todd London's summary and analysis of the meetings in 2008-9 of leading playwrights, nonprofit theatre directors, and commercial producers is an essential read for anyone interested in the health and future of the American theatre. And it's a must-read for anyone with a particular interest in playwriting. While the discussions captured here happened four years ago, nothing of any significance has changed for American playwrights and the hurdles they face in moving scripts toward production. The positive outcome from the book is that some regional theatres have come to realization that they really should hire playwrights and have them on their staffs as full-time employees and not simply pay them royalties when their plays are produced. That's real progress.

[Lewis Manalo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The findings of this study on the business contemporary non-profit theater is really depressing. If you ever wondered why there was never anything new at the theater you wanted to see, this book points a few fingers.

But the study takes the sides of the playwright from the start, which skews the results of the findings. I was shocked to read how the playwrights in the study have such little regard for what audiences want to see. Maybe that's why none of them can make a living at it anymore.

[Gemma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anyone who is remotely connected to the American Theater should read this. It's the closest thing to a map, a full picture, that I have ever seen. I know what we are all up against, and I trust us to find a way through.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Required reading if you are at all interested in new play development in America today.

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A depressing but necessary read for everyone concerned with vitality of the new American play.

[Colleen]

Really great so far... so depressingly clarifying about just how hard it is to be a playwright today.

[Patrick Gabridge · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're a playwright, you should read this book. An excellent look at the state of the non-profit theatre world, in regard to new plays. (It's not a pretty picture.)

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Depressing but realistic look at how new plays are (and are not) made.