responseplays

Responseplays are a form of drama in which a new script is written to engage with, critique, or extend the ideas, narratives, or performances of an earlier work, event, or cultural context. They can be direct replies that retell or reimagine a source, thematic reflections that explore issues raised by another text, or performative responses that incorporate audience input, found material, or interviews into a live piece. The central aim is dialogic exchange rather than standalone separation; responseplays position themselves in conversation with existing works and contexts, inviting audiences to compare perspectives and examine assumptions.

Common forms include direct retellings or sequels that follow characters or plot from a prior work, and counter-narratives that challenge the representation or outcomes of the source. They also appear as ensemble performances built from interviews, testimonies, or social media material, and as festival or classroom exercises designed to foster critical engagement. The practice overlaps with intertextual theatre, adaptation, and performative critique, and it is often used in postmodern or experimental theatre to interrogate canon, ideology, or public memory.

Reception and challenges: responseplays can illuminate new angles on familiar texts and democratize dialogue, but they can raise copyright or permissions issues when adapting or quoting source material, and they may be criticized as derivative if not clearly engaged with a productive aim. Scholarly interest tends to focus on their intertextuality, ethics of representation, and their role in audience participation.

See also: intertextuality, dramaturgy, adaptation, performative critique.