Episode #121

Writing Toward the Ending

What does it take to move a play from the cloud of an idea onto the page? In this episode of our Playwright Mini-Series, Jennifer sits down with one of the most produced playwrights, Lauren Gunderson, to unpack the alchemy of writing stories that matter. Lauren shares how she begins every piece with clarity around the ending, staying obsessed with a story long enough to see it through, then reverse-engineers her way through plot, character desire, and emotional arc. They explore her love for lean casts, the joy of adapting classics, her recent deep dive into musicals, and how collaboration fuels her creativity. Lauren offers tools such as balancing personal artistic fulfillment with the needs of theaters and audiences, utilizing collaboration as a creative accelerator, and trusting that a “bad” draft is merely a bridge to something better. No matter the style of writing, this episode is a reminder that good doesn’t come before done and that generosity, curiosity, and resilience are what carry a writer through.