I’m working on a new play: a four-hander about three sisters gathering to bury their mother. It’s a black comedy with satiric undertones. While I’ve written about one-third of the script, and have a loose outline for the rest, the title is not coming to me easily. Titling a play is tricky. Will it fit on the marquee? Does it intrigue without giving everything away? And does that matter? (Consider “Death of a Salesman.”)
Here are some possibilities suggested by other writers:
As short as possible.
Contains a number.
Possibly alliterative but not a rhyme.
Named after the central character.
A question.
Hmmm. Not much there. I like Tennessee Williams’ titles the best: especially the metaphoric ones. I like “Doubt” as a title. I also lean toward double meanings. “Extraordinary Rendition” could be the remarkable performance of a song, no?
I find that writing this post has helped me get thinking along the right lines. In the end, I may have to call it “Not the Playwright’s Family.” You know, just to be crystal clear.
(P.S. Gratuitous cat photo has actually nothing to do with titles.)