Introduction

The central aim of this blog is to encourage more people to read plays. However, any medium that offers the full text, be it audiobook, filmed version, or traditional print copy – they are all encouraged. Therefore, you may consider “Why Read Plays” as a catch-all that is simply promoting the experience of plays. Luckily, the texts of a huge number of plays are freely available to read online.

Traditional commentators typically offer quite prescriptive advice on plays such as “one must always read plays aloud” or “plays are written solely for performance.” Such rigid advice merely alienates a potential audience. What’s important is that new readers become familiar with the story that a particular play tells. How you access that experience is largely irrelevant. It can certainly be a visit to the theatre, but an audiobook, e-book, film, or printed version of the play is equally legitimate. Of key importance is removing any perceived barrier to plays. Many of us have become so accustomed to reading novels that other storytelling mediums like plays are sadly neglected.

You may ask – isn’t it unusual to sit down and read a play?  Aren’t plays meant to be acted live on stage in front of an audience?  That is how it works – correct? Indeed, this is the most common and understandable reaction to the suggestion that one read a play. However, apart from the medium that the work is presented in, namely a work of drama divided into acts and scenes, plays are simply stories. Just remember that classic and modern plays have provided us with some of the best-known stories and characters of all time. Names like Hamlet, Faustus, Romeo (or Juliet), and Oedipus, along with Eliza Doolittle, Blanche Dubois, and Willy Loman each conjure up a specific tale. Plays form an integral part of literature, no less than novels or poetry. Therefore, plays are just as valid as reading material.

The Arguments

The following points cover the main reasons to read plays. The last point tackles some of the negative aspects of reading plays and offers some easy solutions.

Brief time commitment – it’s not a 700-page novel.

Plays rarely exceed a couple of hours of reading time due to the time restrictions necessary for theatre performances. This means that plays offer short yet powerful reading experiences where a full story is quickly presented to the reader.

The play is not regularly performed – “Oh darling, I’m dying to see it on the stage.”

Not all plays are regularly performed at a theatre near you. Many famous plays are rarely if ever performed and even when they are staged, tickets may be expensive. In such situations, reading or listening to a play is an excellent substitute and means that you are not denied access to great works of literature (comedy, romance, tragedy, satire etc.). There is also a degree of class snobbery about who goes to the theatre, and one may completely avoid this yet still access a play – at home.

Dialogue – it’s just chat, chat, chat.

Plays are mostly comprised of dialogues and monologues. This is merely a formal way of saying written conversations and speeches. Therefore, we understand the message of a play in much the same way that we understand other people every day, i.e., by listening to conversations. A bonus is that playwrights are normally quite in tune with the sounds and rhythms of language, and this often makes reading plays quite enjoyable.

Imagination – it’s okay to use it.

Plays differ from novels in several key areas. For example, in plays, the characters and scenery are given cursory introductions. Therefore, one must rely on dialogue to understand the characters fully while the setting is created through one’s imagination. In contrast, novels often provide a guiding narratorial voice, which may offer everything from psychological insights into a character to an elaborate description of the room they’re sitting in. By comparison, plays may be described as minimalist since one must understand the situation based on the information provided. Yes, this means a little more is demanded of the reader, but the reader in turn becomes far more invested in the story because the play comes to life in their imagination.

Reading – it’s a different but not inferior way to access plays.

Playwrights craft their words in such a way that these words will eventually support a dramatic performance on stage. However, the playwright must first imagine the scene coming to life in their own head, just as a reader must when reading it. Reading a play will always be a distinct experience from watching the same play being performed, but that is not a value judgement. Reading can offer quite distinctive insights that get lost in a performance and vice versa. The point is that reading is different from, not less than, viewing a performance.

The downfalls of reading plays – and a few practical solutions.

Let’s be honest, not every play will spring to life from the page. You’ll realise it within just a few pages. One workable solution for such plays is to listen to an audiobook version because a fuller atmosphere is often created through the energetic, expressive voices of the narrators. Another option is to search online for a filmed performance of the play.

Sometimes classic plays intimidate readers because the language seems archaic, for example with writers like William Shakespeare, Ben Jonson, or Christopher Marlowe. Time spent on classical plays will certainly reward the reader, but that initial time investment is essential to build familiarity. Unfortunately, audiobook versions of classic works are usually not the solution. Instead of being eased into the text, you’ll probably just feel like you are being bombarded with antique English! Therefore, pick your classics wisely and invest time in reading slowly. Remember, it’s a mark of their merit when plays written over 400 years ago are still in print, so it’s worth checking them out.

Modern plays are by far the most accessible works. The language is familiar and the themes, though not necessarily new, may seem more relevant because they are explored in a contemporary setting. Additionally, the act of choosing what you want to read can be quite rewarding because it is a commitment to explore something different. The plays you read don’t need to be traditional, you may also delve into modern, controversial, or even taboo works.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this website will prompt readers to try out the occasional play between their normal reading material. Maybe some of you will become hooked on plays. Enjoy!