Playwriting: A Writers' and Artists' Companion (Writers’ and Artists’ Companions)

"Full of inspiration and practical advice, Playwriting: A Writers' & Artists' Companion is a comprehensive companion to writing for the stage. PART 1 includes reflections on the art and the craft of playwriting, guidance on writing for a full range of genres and spaces and a brief history of playwriting itself. PART 2 contains inspiring advice and reflections from leading playwrights:April De Angelis, Bryony Lavery, David Greig, Christina Reid, Dennis Kelly, Frank McGuinness, Lynn Nottage, Howard Brenton, Roy Williams, Tanika Gupta, Timberlake Wertenbaker, Polly Stenham, Tom Stoppard, Jack Thorne, Steve Waters, E.V. Crowe, David Henry Hwang, Lin Coghlan, Zinnie Harris and Anne Washburn. PART 3 offers practical exercises and advice on planning and conducting research, working out plots and characters, mastering authentic but accessible dialogue, navigating the industry and the rehearsal and production process."-- Provided by publisher Cover Contents Preface by Carole Angier and Sally Cline Foreword by Rufus Norris Acknowledgements Introduction Part 1 Reflections Reflections Fraser Grace Why a play for the stage? Reflections Clare Bayley Choose your theatre as you would your religion Learning the craft On second chances Posterity and ephemerality The voice of experience Reflections on the history of playwriting 1: The Ancients and after Fraser Grace A brief history of playwriting Playwriting in the ancient and classical worlds Ancient Greece Enter the critic Aristotle abused Lives of the Greeks Roman theatre Roman Britain Medieval theatre Behind the masque Diverse duckers and dodgers The distracted state The survivors’ club Restoration theatre Eighteenth century The age of Garrick Enter (and exit) Sheridan Reflections on the history of playwriting 2: Modern and contemporary Clare Bayley The nineteenth century The early twentieth century The fifties The Royal Court The sixties The seventies and eighties Gay theatre Ireland Black and Asian theatre Women’s theatre Avant-garde, experimental, alternative, performance and live art The 1990s Verbatim Faction Postdramatic theatre Site-specific, immersive and durational Contemporary Reflections on source Clare Bayley The original play Where do you get your ideas from? Adaptations Translations and versions Verbatim, documentary and faction Devising Reflections on writing by scale Fraser Grace The solo play The epic play The small-scale play Reflections on space Clare Bayley Cast size Scene structure Entrances and exits One setting or many Proscenium arch theatre Thrust staging Flexible spaces: The black box, the studio theatre Configuration In-the-round Site-specific Promenade theatre Immersive theatre Outdoor theatre Reflections on genre Fraser Grace Genre as expectation So what are the most current genres in today’s theatre? Family drama Single-issue drama Political drama History play Social comedy-drama The ‘post-dramatic’ text Part 2 Tips and tales – guest contributors April de Angelis Howard Brenton Lin Coghlan E. V. Crowe Dennis Kelly David Greig Tanika Gupta Zinnie Harris David Henry Hwang Bryony Lavery Frank McGuinness Lynn Nottage Christina Reid Polly Stenham Tom Stoppard Jack Thorne Anne Washburn Steve Waters Timberlake Wertenbaker Roy Williams Part 3 Write on: Writing a play Fraser Grace and Clare Bayley Research and planning Fraser Grace Character Dialogue Place and situation Action and plot Units of energy and convenience 1: Acts Units of energy and convenience 2: Scenes Image and symbol Onstage and offstage worlds Drafting and redrafting Stage directions Cutting Formatting and layout Write on 2: The industry Finding a suitable theatre Pitching Literary manager or dramaturg? Agents Getting your play published Professional bodies Theatre writers’ groups Writing courses and degrees Write on 3: Rehearsal and production Casting Actors Directors Designers Stage management team Rights in rehearsal Rehearsal room etiquette Marketing, press and publicity Press Night and reviews Reviews and reviewers note from a former critic Bibliography Index "Full of inspiration and practical advice, Playwriting: A Writers' & Artists' Companion is a comprehensive companion to writing for the stage.PART 1 includes reflections on the art and the craft of playwriting, guidance on writing for a full range of genres and spaces and a brief history of playwriting itself.PART 2 contains inspiring advice and reflections from leading playwrights:April De Angelis, Bryony Lavery, David Greig, Christina Reid, Dennis Kelly, Frank McGuinness, Lynn Nottage, Howard Brenton, Roy Williams, Tanika Gupta, Timberlake Wertenbaker, Polly Stenham, Tom Stoppard, Jack Thorne, Steve Waters, E.V. Crowe, David Henry Hwang, Lin Coghlan, Zinnie Harris and Anne Washburn.PART 3 offers practical exercises and advice on planning and conducting research, working out plots and characters, mastering authentic but accessible dialogue, navigating the industry and the rehearsal and production process."-- Site de l'éditeur