I love writing headlines.

Of course, I mostly write headlines for my own stories, so maybe it’s easier for me to see all the different angles. However, I do believe headline writing is easier if you think through your play in relation to some of the standard headline categories. Here are three categories you might consider.

Fact Based Headlines

Playwright Paralyzed at Keyboard

I have a rare muscle disorder called Periodic Paralysis. I don’t usually end up completely stuck at my keyboard, but I do often loose my hands. This fact based headlines could lead to a fascinating human interest story and would work for either of my plays. I’ll bet there is a human interest story about the author of every play you produce.

Theater Chooses New Musical for Centennial

“Centennial” usually means 100 years in business. Maybe your theater could celebrate 100 shows, 100 days in the new building, 100 months in one location, or making the 100th payment on that capital improvement loan. This is show business , so as long as you play fair with your audience, you can bend the facts a bit.

Playful Headlines

How Crazy is Your Boss?

“House of Many Rooms” looks at a serious mental illness (multiple personalities). Sometimes serious topics need a light touch, like this one about nutty bosses. People’s funny stories keep it light, while your director or star talks about dissociative identity disorder and the new play.

Would You Marry a Porn Star?

I can hear the telephones wringing for this great radio show topic. Would men and women take different sides on this one? Does it matter if the porn star is retired or active? Should people be forgiven their early indiscretions? It would make a fun discussion with great tie-ins to the musical “Big Feet, Big Love.”

Special Event Headlines

It’s Pajama Night at Local Playhouse

Maybe nobody cares that your new musical has been running for two weeks, but a pajama party is something new and newsworthy–especially if you have pictures! Of course a pajama party or lingerie night is a great tie-in for “Big Feet, Big Love,” but a theme party could also work for “Romeo and Juliet,” “Superior Donuts,” or (oh, no) “Sweeney Todd.”

Group Therapy Offered at Local Theater

This might be a night offering special pricing for mental health professionals interested in seeing the psychological dramedy “House of Many Rooms.” What profession or special interest group cares about the play you have in rehearsal now? For “To Kill a Mocking Bird,” you could have Lawyer’s Night where lawyers can pay extra and make a donation to a local charity. Or how about this one: show your unemployment benefits card and get half off on a matinee performance of “The Full Monty.”

Fact based, funny and special event headlines are all worth considering. What about rhyming, impossible and controversial headlines? You don’t have to do this stuff alone–even if you are the producer, director or marketing manager. Give actors and techies a category and a few beers and who know what they might come up with.