Fifty Playwrights on their Craft

Fifty Playwrights on their Craft

Author: Caroline Jester

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2017-11-30

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 147423903X

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In a series of interviews with fifty playwrights from the US and UK, this book offers a fascinating study of the voices, thoughts, and opinions of today's most important dramatists. Filled with probing questions, Fifty Playwrights on their Craft explores ideas such as how does playwriting help a global dialogue; where do dramatists find the ideas that become the stories and narratives within their plays; how can the stage inform the writer's creative process; how does crossing boundaries between art forms push the living art form of theatre-making forward; and will there be playwrights in another 50 years? Through these interrogating interviews we come to understand how and why playwrights write what they do and gain insight into their processes and motivations. Together, the interviews provide an inter-generational dialogue between dramatists whose work spans over six decades. Featuring interviews with playwrights such as Edward Bond, Katori Hall, Chris Goode, David Greig, Willy Russell, David Henry Hwang, Alecky Blythe, Anne Washburn and Simon Stephens, Jester and Svich offer an unprecedented view into the multiple perspectives and approaches of key playwrights on both sides of the Atlantic.


Book Synopsis Fifty Playwrights on their Craft by : Caroline Jester

Download or read book Fifty Playwrights on their Craft written by Caroline Jester and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2017-11-30 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a series of interviews with fifty playwrights from the US and UK, this book offers a fascinating study of the voices, thoughts, and opinions of today's most important dramatists. Filled with probing questions, Fifty Playwrights on their Craft explores ideas such as how does playwriting help a global dialogue; where do dramatists find the ideas that become the stories and narratives within their plays; how can the stage inform the writer's creative process; how does crossing boundaries between art forms push the living art form of theatre-making forward; and will there be playwrights in another 50 years? Through these interrogating interviews we come to understand how and why playwrights write what they do and gain insight into their processes and motivations. Together, the interviews provide an inter-generational dialogue between dramatists whose work spans over six decades. Featuring interviews with playwrights such as Edward Bond, Katori Hall, Chris Goode, David Greig, Willy Russell, David Henry Hwang, Alecky Blythe, Anne Washburn and Simon Stephens, Jester and Svich offer an unprecedented view into the multiple perspectives and approaches of key playwrights on both sides of the Atlantic.


Fifty Playwrights on their Craft

Fifty Playwrights on their Craft

Author: Caroline Jester

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2017-11-30

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 1474239048

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In a series of interviews with fifty playwrights from the US and UK, this book offers a fascinating study of the voices, thoughts, and opinions of today's most important dramatists. Filled with probing questions, Fifty Playwrights on their Craft explores ideas such as how does playwriting help a global dialogue; where do dramatists find the ideas that become the stories and narratives within their plays; how can the stage inform the writer's creative process; how does crossing boundaries between art forms push the living art form of theatre-making forward; and will there be playwrights in another 50 years? Through these interrogating interviews we come to understand how and why playwrights write what they do and gain insight into their processes and motivations. Together, the interviews provide an inter-generational dialogue between dramatists whose work spans over six decades. Featuring interviews with playwrights such as Edward Bond, Katori Hall, Chris Goode, David Greig, Willy Russell, David Henry Hwang, Alecky Blythe, Anne Washburn and Simon Stephens, Jester and Svich offer an unprecedented view into the multiple perspectives and approaches of key playwrights on both sides of the Atlantic.


Book Synopsis Fifty Playwrights on their Craft by : Caroline Jester

Download or read book Fifty Playwrights on their Craft written by Caroline Jester and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2017-11-30 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a series of interviews with fifty playwrights from the US and UK, this book offers a fascinating study of the voices, thoughts, and opinions of today's most important dramatists. Filled with probing questions, Fifty Playwrights on their Craft explores ideas such as how does playwriting help a global dialogue; where do dramatists find the ideas that become the stories and narratives within their plays; how can the stage inform the writer's creative process; how does crossing boundaries between art forms push the living art form of theatre-making forward; and will there be playwrights in another 50 years? Through these interrogating interviews we come to understand how and why playwrights write what they do and gain insight into their processes and motivations. Together, the interviews provide an inter-generational dialogue between dramatists whose work spans over six decades. Featuring interviews with playwrights such as Edward Bond, Katori Hall, Chris Goode, David Greig, Willy Russell, David Henry Hwang, Alecky Blythe, Anne Washburn and Simon Stephens, Jester and Svich offer an unprecedented view into the multiple perspectives and approaches of key playwrights on both sides of the Atlantic.


Fifty Modern and Contemporary Dramatists

Fifty Modern and Contemporary Dramatists

Author: Maggie B. Gale

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-11-27

Total Pages: 282

ISBN-13: 1317596218

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Fifty Modern and Contemporary and Dramatists is a critical introduction to the work of some of the most important and influential playwrights from the 1950s to the present day. The figures chosen are among the most widely studied by students of drama, theatre and literature and include such celebrated writers as: • Samuel Beckett • Caryl Churchill • Anna Deavere Smith • Jean Genet • Sarah Kane • Heiner Müller • Arthur Miller • Harold Pinter • Sam Shephard Each short essay is written by one of an international team of academic experts and offers a detailed analysis of the playwright’s key works and career. The introduction provides an historical and theatrical context to the volume, which provides an invaluable overview of modern and contemporary drama.


Book Synopsis Fifty Modern and Contemporary Dramatists by : Maggie B. Gale

Download or read book Fifty Modern and Contemporary Dramatists written by Maggie B. Gale and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-11-27 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fifty Modern and Contemporary and Dramatists is a critical introduction to the work of some of the most important and influential playwrights from the 1950s to the present day. The figures chosen are among the most widely studied by students of drama, theatre and literature and include such celebrated writers as: • Samuel Beckett • Caryl Churchill • Anna Deavere Smith • Jean Genet • Sarah Kane • Heiner Müller • Arthur Miller • Harold Pinter • Sam Shephard Each short essay is written by one of an international team of academic experts and offers a detailed analysis of the playwright’s key works and career. The introduction provides an historical and theatrical context to the volume, which provides an invaluable overview of modern and contemporary drama.


The Playwright's Manifesto

The Playwright's Manifesto

Author: Paul Sirett

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2022-09-08

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 1350204307

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A manifesto for the future of playwriting, this book challenges you to be a part of that future in the belief that it is fundamentally important to write plays. Plays help us understand ourselves, others, and the world around us. Reading this book, you will be challenged to learn your craft, explode what you know, prioritise what is important to you, and write in the way that only you can write. Most books on playwriting explain how to create a believable character in a story driven by plot. This book, however, goes even further in its exploration of the playwright's most valuable tool: theatricality. By learning from the past, and the present, the playwrights of tomorrow can create new, vivid, theatrical drama for the future. This manifesto also examines the process of writing, the art of collaboration, and the impact of writing on a playwright's mental health. It identifies the highs and lows, as well as the trials and tribulations, of life as a playwright in today's world. Theatre is a living artform. It is time for playwrights to acknowledge that fact and to celebrate the unique, primal thrill that a live theatre experience offers us. The future of playwriting is in your hands. Do you accept the challenge?


Book Synopsis The Playwright's Manifesto by : Paul Sirett

Download or read book The Playwright's Manifesto written by Paul Sirett and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2022-09-08 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A manifesto for the future of playwriting, this book challenges you to be a part of that future in the belief that it is fundamentally important to write plays. Plays help us understand ourselves, others, and the world around us. Reading this book, you will be challenged to learn your craft, explode what you know, prioritise what is important to you, and write in the way that only you can write. Most books on playwriting explain how to create a believable character in a story driven by plot. This book, however, goes even further in its exploration of the playwright's most valuable tool: theatricality. By learning from the past, and the present, the playwrights of tomorrow can create new, vivid, theatrical drama for the future. This manifesto also examines the process of writing, the art of collaboration, and the impact of writing on a playwright's mental health. It identifies the highs and lows, as well as the trials and tribulations, of life as a playwright in today's world. Theatre is a living artform. It is time for playwrights to acknowledge that fact and to celebrate the unique, primal thrill that a live theatre experience offers us. The future of playwriting is in your hands. Do you accept the challenge?


Theatre as Human Action

Theatre as Human Action

Author: Thomas S. Hischak

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2019-04-04

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 1538126435

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Theatre as Human Action: An Introduction to Theatre Arts, Third Edition is designed for the college student who may be unacquainted with many plays and has seen a limited number of theatre productions. Focusing primarily on four plays, this textbook aims to inform the student about theatre arts, stimulate interest in the art form, lead to critical thinking about theatre, and prepare the student to be a more informed and critical theatregoer. The four plays central to this book are the tragedy Macbeth, the landmark African American drama A Raisin in the Sun, the American comedy classic You Can’t Take It with You, and—new to this edition—the contemporary hip-hop musical Hamilton. At the beginning of the text, each play is described with plot synopses (and suggested video versions), and then these four representative works are referred to throughout the book. In addition to looking at both the theoretical and practical aspects of theatre arts—from the nature of theatre and drama to how it reflects society—the author also explains the processes that playwrights, actors, designers, directors, producers, and critics go through. In addition to Hamilton, this edition includes full color images throughout, as well as revised chapters and expanded and updated material on the technical aspects of theatre, coverage of children’s theatre and British theatre, the role of drama as therapy, and the importance of diversity in theatre today. Structured into ten chapters, each looking at a major area or artist—and concluding with the audience and critics—the unique approach of Theatre as Human Action thoroughly addresses all of the major topics to be found in an introduction to theatre text.


Book Synopsis Theatre as Human Action by : Thomas S. Hischak

Download or read book Theatre as Human Action written by Thomas S. Hischak and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2019-04-04 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Theatre as Human Action: An Introduction to Theatre Arts, Third Edition is designed for the college student who may be unacquainted with many plays and has seen a limited number of theatre productions. Focusing primarily on four plays, this textbook aims to inform the student about theatre arts, stimulate interest in the art form, lead to critical thinking about theatre, and prepare the student to be a more informed and critical theatregoer. The four plays central to this book are the tragedy Macbeth, the landmark African American drama A Raisin in the Sun, the American comedy classic You Can’t Take It with You, and—new to this edition—the contemporary hip-hop musical Hamilton. At the beginning of the text, each play is described with plot synopses (and suggested video versions), and then these four representative works are referred to throughout the book. In addition to looking at both the theoretical and practical aspects of theatre arts—from the nature of theatre and drama to how it reflects society—the author also explains the processes that playwrights, actors, designers, directors, producers, and critics go through. In addition to Hamilton, this edition includes full color images throughout, as well as revised chapters and expanded and updated material on the technical aspects of theatre, coverage of children’s theatre and British theatre, the role of drama as therapy, and the importance of diversity in theatre today. Structured into ten chapters, each looking at a major area or artist—and concluding with the audience and critics—the unique approach of Theatre as Human Action thoroughly addresses all of the major topics to be found in an introduction to theatre text.


Mitchell and Trask's Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Mitchell and Trask's Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Author: Caridad Svich

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019-06-25

Total Pages: 73

ISBN-13: 0429756666

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'... love creates something that was not there before.' – Hedwig John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch opened on Valentine’s Day,1998, in New York City, and ever since, it and its genderqueer heroine have captivated audiences around the world. As the first musical to feature a genderqueer protagonist as its lead, the show has had an extraordinary life on film, Broadway and in the music field. A glam rock musical with a complex relationship to issues related to art, eroticism and matters of identity formation, Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a darkly exuberant fairy tale about a child that discovers she is one of a kind, but also potentially among her own kind, if she dares travel past borders that confine and try to stabilise her being and identity. Caridad Svich examines this exhilarating work through the lenses of visual and vocal rock ’n’ roll performance, the history of the American musical, and its positioning within LGBTIQ+ theatre.


Book Synopsis Mitchell and Trask's Hedwig and the Angry Inch by : Caridad Svich

Download or read book Mitchell and Trask's Hedwig and the Angry Inch written by Caridad Svich and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-06-25 with total page 73 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: '... love creates something that was not there before.' – Hedwig John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch opened on Valentine’s Day,1998, in New York City, and ever since, it and its genderqueer heroine have captivated audiences around the world. As the first musical to feature a genderqueer protagonist as its lead, the show has had an extraordinary life on film, Broadway and in the music field. A glam rock musical with a complex relationship to issues related to art, eroticism and matters of identity formation, Hedwig and the Angry Inch is a darkly exuberant fairy tale about a child that discovers she is one of a kind, but also potentially among her own kind, if she dares travel past borders that confine and try to stabilise her being and identity. Caridad Svich examines this exhilarating work through the lenses of visual and vocal rock ’n’ roll performance, the history of the American musical, and its positioning within LGBTIQ+ theatre.


Naked Playwriting

Naked Playwriting

Author: William Missouri Downs

Publisher:

Published: 2023

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781935247319

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""Naked Playwriting" is a complete, comprehensive playwriting course-from developing a theme through plotting and structuring a play, developing characters, creating dialog, formatting a script, and plying methods that aid the actual writing and rewriting processes. It also offers guidance on marketing and submitting play scripts for both contests and production, getting an agent, protecting one's copyright, and working with directors, actors, and theater companies. This new edition, in addition to fully updating the material in the popular first edition, adds detailed information on such recent develops as "Zoom plays" and "devised theater"; writing non-formulaic plays that create their own structures; a new emphasis on writing 10-minute and one-act plays; completely revised play submission guidelines that reflect a process that has wholly changed since the first edition was published; an section on the now-popular trend of moving from playwriting to TV scripting; material on the growing trend toward playwrights directing their own plays; and much more. Well-written and filled with illustrative examples, it provides both innovative and tried-and-true writing techniques, sage advice from veteran writers, a short study of the major schools of dramatic thought, and pertinent writing anecdotes. This one-of-a-kind playwriting book will help both novices and working writers discover and improve their playwriting skills and get their plays produced"--


Book Synopsis Naked Playwriting by : William Missouri Downs

Download or read book Naked Playwriting written by William Missouri Downs and published by . This book was released on 2023 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ""Naked Playwriting" is a complete, comprehensive playwriting course-from developing a theme through plotting and structuring a play, developing characters, creating dialog, formatting a script, and plying methods that aid the actual writing and rewriting processes. It also offers guidance on marketing and submitting play scripts for both contests and production, getting an agent, protecting one's copyright, and working with directors, actors, and theater companies. This new edition, in addition to fully updating the material in the popular first edition, adds detailed information on such recent develops as "Zoom plays" and "devised theater"; writing non-formulaic plays that create their own structures; a new emphasis on writing 10-minute and one-act plays; completely revised play submission guidelines that reflect a process that has wholly changed since the first edition was published; an section on the now-popular trend of moving from playwriting to TV scripting; material on the growing trend toward playwrights directing their own plays; and much more. Well-written and filled with illustrative examples, it provides both innovative and tried-and-true writing techniques, sage advice from veteran writers, a short study of the major schools of dramatic thought, and pertinent writing anecdotes. This one-of-a-kind playwriting book will help both novices and working writers discover and improve their playwriting skills and get their plays produced"--


The Art and Craft of Playwriting

The Art and Craft of Playwriting

Author: Jeffery Hatcher

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2000-03-01

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 1599634430

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Jeffrey Hatcher knows the nuts and bolts of writing for the theater. Here, he shares his views on it all--from building tension and plotting a scene, right down to moving a character from one side of the stage to the other. From crafting an intriguing beginning to delivering a satisfying ending. In Hatcher's one-on-one discussions with acclaimed American playwrights Lee Blessing, Marsha Norman and Jose Rivera, you'll find a wealth of practical advice, tricks of the trade and insight that will help you in your own creative efforts.


Book Synopsis The Art and Craft of Playwriting by : Jeffery Hatcher

Download or read book The Art and Craft of Playwriting written by Jeffery Hatcher and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2000-03-01 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jeffrey Hatcher knows the nuts and bolts of writing for the theater. Here, he shares his views on it all--from building tension and plotting a scene, right down to moving a character from one side of the stage to the other. From crafting an intriguing beginning to delivering a satisfying ending. In Hatcher's one-on-one discussions with acclaimed American playwrights Lee Blessing, Marsha Norman and Jose Rivera, you'll find a wealth of practical advice, tricks of the trade and insight that will help you in your own creative efforts.


The Playwright's Process

The Playwright's Process

Author: Buzz Mclaughlin

Publisher: Back Stage Books

Published: 2011-11-23

Total Pages: 377

ISBN-13: 0307799522

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Here is the first and only manual for playwrights ever designed to draw directly from the wisdom of leading contemporary dramatists. Interwoven with hundreds of quotations from the author's own in-depth interview series at the Dramatists Guild, in New York City, The Playwright's Process offers a fresh and lively discussion of the indispensable ingredients of strong dramatic writing. Every essential step the writer must take to create a well-written, stageworthy play is examined and explored. Also mining his own experience as a dramatist and a teacher of playwriting, author Buzz McLaughlin details the entire process of developing the kernel of an idea into a fully realized play—from the writer's very first jottings to the readings and workshops that lead to a professional production. Laying in the basic building blocks of dramatic structure, the exploration of character, the elements of good dialogue writing, and much, much more, McLaughlin reinforces every lesson with the words of: Edward Albee Lee Blessing Horton Foote Athol Fugard John Guare Tina Howe David Ives Romulus Linney Emily Mann Terrence McNally Arthur Miller Marsha Norman John Patrick Shanley Wendy Wasserstein Michael Weller Lanford Wilson A resource for beginning and experienced writers, The Playwright's Process is a virtual guided tour of the dramatist's challenging and often mysterious creative process, chock-full of specific techniques, practical exercises, and candid observations on craft and method straight from the mouths of working, award-winning playwrights. No book on playwriting has offered so much before, or in such an illuminating and integrated way.


Book Synopsis The Playwright's Process by : Buzz Mclaughlin

Download or read book The Playwright's Process written by Buzz Mclaughlin and published by Back Stage Books. This book was released on 2011-11-23 with total page 377 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here is the first and only manual for playwrights ever designed to draw directly from the wisdom of leading contemporary dramatists. Interwoven with hundreds of quotations from the author's own in-depth interview series at the Dramatists Guild, in New York City, The Playwright's Process offers a fresh and lively discussion of the indispensable ingredients of strong dramatic writing. Every essential step the writer must take to create a well-written, stageworthy play is examined and explored. Also mining his own experience as a dramatist and a teacher of playwriting, author Buzz McLaughlin details the entire process of developing the kernel of an idea into a fully realized play—from the writer's very first jottings to the readings and workshops that lead to a professional production. Laying in the basic building blocks of dramatic structure, the exploration of character, the elements of good dialogue writing, and much, much more, McLaughlin reinforces every lesson with the words of: Edward Albee Lee Blessing Horton Foote Athol Fugard John Guare Tina Howe David Ives Romulus Linney Emily Mann Terrence McNally Arthur Miller Marsha Norman John Patrick Shanley Wendy Wasserstein Michael Weller Lanford Wilson A resource for beginning and experienced writers, The Playwright's Process is a virtual guided tour of the dramatist's challenging and often mysterious creative process, chock-full of specific techniques, practical exercises, and candid observations on craft and method straight from the mouths of working, award-winning playwrights. No book on playwriting has offered so much before, or in such an illuminating and integrated way.


To Be A Playwright

To Be A Playwright

Author: Janet Neipris

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019-04-23

Total Pages: 177

ISBN-13: 0429593856

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Originally published in 2005, To Be A Playwright is an insightful and detailed guide to the craft of playwriting. Part memoir and part how-to guide, this useful book outlines the tools and techniques necessary to the aspiring playwright. Comprised of a collection of memoirs and lectures which blend seamlessly to deliver a practical hands-on guide to playwriting, this book illuminates the elusive challenges confronting creators of dynamic expression and offers a roadmap to craft of playwrighting.


Book Synopsis To Be A Playwright by : Janet Neipris

Download or read book To Be A Playwright written by Janet Neipris and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-04-23 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Originally published in 2005, To Be A Playwright is an insightful and detailed guide to the craft of playwriting. Part memoir and part how-to guide, this useful book outlines the tools and techniques necessary to the aspiring playwright. Comprised of a collection of memoirs and lectures which blend seamlessly to deliver a practical hands-on guide to playwriting, this book illuminates the elusive challenges confronting creators of dynamic expression and offers a roadmap to craft of playwrighting.