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November 25, 2025 50 mins

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Playwright Clara Rodriguez jumped into the Playwright's Spotlight in the midst of the run of her latest play - Pointy Scissors. In this discussion, we delve into the theatre company at Theatre West in Los Angeles and their Writers in Residence program. We unpack her journey into playwriting and her motivation and inspiration, the fees and benefits of various theatre companies, her steps after production, the cautions of acquiring an agent, and resources and her process of playwriting. We also chat about feedback and rewrites, letting go of creative control, writing workshops, living in the creative "world", writing comedy and defining weird. We also talk about the benefits of improv in the realm of playwriting and approaching character. Clara brings a plethora of knowledge and uncommon resources when it comes to the craft. Enjoy!

For tickets to Pointy Scissors at Theatre West in Los Angeles through December 7th, visit - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pointy-scissors-tickets-1749160107969

Clara Rodriguez is a playwright, actress, and director. She is a member of Theatre West and participant of their Writer’s in Residence Series. She is also the creator of the web series It Takes a Village and Psycho Therapy. Plays include – Tequila Sunrise, Starry Night, Leaky Brain Syndrome, Home Depot, A Perfect Evening, and Have a Heart. Her most recent play Pointy Scissors opened November 7th at Theatre West in Los Angeles as part of their WestFest series, and closes December 7th.

To watch the video format of this episode, visit - https://youtu.be/f8YGc_xgcUs


Links to resources mentioned in this video -

Theatre West - www.theatrewest.org

Group Rep - https://thegrouprep.com

New Play Exchange - https://thegrouprep.com

Write Away - https://www.pw.org/literary_events/write_away_a_free_online_improvwriting_showjam

Theatre Sports - https://www.garrymarshalltheatre.org/improv-class

Impro - https://www.improtheatre.com

Websites and socials for Clara Rodriguez - 

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/clara.rodriguez.982
IG - @clararodriguezinsta

Websites and socials for James Elden, PMP, 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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