ABSTRACT
Those plays that did make it to the top tier, varied as they were in subject matter, did share the following common charac teristics:
1. Originality — a fresh idea no one had ever seen before. 2. Selectivity. There was no fat in the play. 3. Excellent dialogue. Dialogue particular to the character
— individual voices. 4. Clear focus and themes. 5. Relevant contemporary subject matter delivered with
passion — even when put in a historical context. 6. Energy! 7. Major identification with at least one character and his
journey. 8. The ability to move the reader/audience. 9. Interest in the story — you are investing in finding out
what would happen next. 10. Theatricality — a play that could be successfully staged.
