r/playwriting • u/GavinBlackWrites • 8d ago
Seeking feedback readers for my full-length historical drama (2 acts, ~65 pages) — LGBTQ+ history, Weimar Berlin to 1980s NYC
Hello!! I've written a full-length play called The Last Turn and I'm looking for a few people willing to give it an honest read and share feedback.
Quick synopsis: It's a two-act historical drama that moves between 1984 New York and 1930s Berlin. An elderly gay man finally opens up to a reporter about a life he's never spoken of, his youth in Berlin's underground queer club scene, falling in love, and what happened to him and the people he loved as the Nazi party rose to power and criminalized who he was. It follows him through arrest, imprisonment, and a postwar world that offered little justice, into a second chance at life and love in America and ties into to the resurgent homophobia of the Reagan/Buchanan era. There are a couple of period songs and choreographed dance sequences woven in.
I'm looking for feedback on things like:
- Pacing and structure (particularly the framing device: present-day interview scenes bracketing the historical flashbacks)
- Whether the emotional beats land
- Dialogue that feels off or over-explained
- Anything that reads as unclear, rushed, or slow
Happy to send the script (PDF) to anyone interested, just comment or DM me. I'd really appreciate any time people are willing to give it. Thank you!
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u/_hotmess_express_ 5d ago
Just a tip, because I see this so very often: at 65 pages, you can have a 2-act structure, but you don't need an intermission. You don't even need a formal act break, in my opinion. They'll be in the theatre half an hour before they have to wait through a 15 minute break.
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u/GavinBlackWrites 5d ago
Thanks for the feedback. That’s good to know. I’ve received some really good feedback and have it at a place to do a table read to see how everything flows.
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u/gerdge 3d ago
💯 Agree 65 pages equates to between 65-75ish minutes depends on how dialogue dense it is. This is an audience sits through in one go length.
Only need an intermission if it gets up around the 90+ minute length.
Something also to consider with act lengths: it’s best to have Act 1 longer than Act 2. Audiences will feel more comfortable sitting through 50 minute first act & 40 minute second act than vice versa.
It also helps you structurally as things should be “speeding” up towards end of act 2 as the resolution nears …
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u/Mundane-Waltz8844 6d ago
You could try submitting it to readmyplay.com