Dear Six Women Playwriting Festival in Colorado Springs,
I have received your letter that my one act play “Dirty laundry on The Crazy Girls Line” was not accepted into your festival. I am more then ok with that. However, what I am not ok with is the evaluation sheet you sent me with a rejection letter. I did notice that the other six plays chosen are all from cities and states that seem to have a more conservative background. Which makes me wonder about the people you chose to read the plays and evaluate them. What are these “readers” qualifications?
The readers that you named D, E, and F did not seem to appreciate my work. That's fine, that is even welcomed but to not have sufficient explanation to go along with the one’s and three’s circled is inexcusable.
The only little clue that was left was by D who said “ – long dialogue about nothing, uninteresting, bore, NOT PARTICULARLY GOOD WRITING”. And this is where I have a problem with faceless critiques. Who is this person in Colorado Springs to tell me my writing is not good? How would this help me in a re-write of my script (which I do not intend to do unless some one with qualifications I know, advises it. As it has been published since the rejection!)
My play is loud, sexual and in your face. This man/woman named “D” must be sexually frustrated, blind to the world of depression, or just a simple minded housewife who failed in her own writing and decided to become a “reader” for her local arts council’s play festival to pass the time between watching her stories. She/He can be that but that should not read in the evaluation. If you cannot give a helpful critic beside ‘I’m bored and I don’t like it,’ then don’t circle numbers 1-5. How about saying ‘I don’t get it. It’s not my world but here is some helpful suggestions’ and go on from there. Even that would be something. But no, our friend “D” thinks my sweat and blood is something she can scribble her frustrations away on.
How can a festival that is meant to encourage female playwrights blast those who eagerly submit? How is this encouraging? Are you only encouraging material that is conservative, not original in form and character? Just because your readers do not like my content, which is, what “E” said does not make me a bad playwright. It does not make them bad people. What it does make is a bad festival for sending me their hate notes in the mail with a rejection letter. If I was a younger playwright this might have devastated me. I hope for your sake you did not mail more so-called evaluations with ignorance written on them to other eager female playwrights.
If you are looking for more conservative, safe plays, then you should specify in your postings. But as for my play being a boring read, I would have to disagree, this comedy is meant to be performed on it’s feet. The actress who originated the role in another recent festival was nominated as best actress. A festival that my play made semi-finals in. A festival that went on to publish my play in a "Best of Anthology". So 6 Women Playwriting Festival in Colorado Springs you can keep your “evaluation” because it’s trash. Next time spend a few bucks on some educated readers who will be helpful not hurtful.
Sincerely,
Angry playwright
