The Playwright's Guidebook: An Insightful Primer on the Art of Dramatic Writing

Description: The Playwright's Guidebook by Stuart Spencer During the more than ten years that Stuart Spencer has taught playwriting, he has struggled to find an effective handbook for his courses. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Publisher Description Having taught playwriting for ten years, Stuart Spencer could find no effective handbook for his courses - so finally he wrote his own. The result, The Playwrights Guidebook, is a concise and engaging handbook full of the kind of wisdom that comes naturally with experience. Spencer presents a coherent way of thinking about playwriting that addresses the important principles of structure, includes insightful writing exercises that build upon one another, explores the creative process and trouble-shoots recurrent problems that playwrights actually face. Notes Having taught playwriting for ten years, Stuart Spencer could find no effective handbook for his courses - so he finally wrote his own. This is it. Author Biography Stuart Spencer is a playwright who teaches at Sarah Lawrence College. Review "Stuart Spencers meticulous handbook does something I had thought was almost impossible: it describes, clarifies and analyzes the mysterious process of building a play. And moreover, he does so with the grace and respect of a first-rate teacher for the intelligence and potential of his students. There is no ideology, no formula for instant success here. Just the distilled experience of a real practitioner generous enough to share, and reliable enough to be trusted." --Jon Robin Baitz, author of Ten Unknowns and Substance of Fire "Stuart Spencers The Playwrights Guidebook is indispensable. Clearly and thoroughly, Mr. Spencer--a playwright himself--leads all playwrights (not only the beginner) through the travails of creation and the jungle of production. He is to be congratulated." --Edward Albee "Eureka! A clearly written, well-structured, intelligent how-to book about playwrighting. Like the good teacher and good writer that he is, Stuart Spencer guides rather than browbeats. Should be next to the laptop of any aspiring, or working, playwright." --Warren Leight, author of Side Man "If you want to be a playwright, heres your bible." --David Lindsay-Abaire, author of Fuddy Meers and Wonder of the World "At last! A straight-from-the-shoulder approach to playwrighting that finally blows the dust off much of the mystique surrounding this craft. Stuart Spencer writes with wit, insight, clarity, brilliant first-hand knowledge, and yes, finally, offers genuine help! Refreshing and beautifully organized, this book is long overdue." --Jack OBrien, Artistic Director, The Globe Theatres, San Diego "A sensible, lucid, thorough and tremendously helpful journey into the always mysterious realities of playwrighting." --Romulus Linney, author of The Sorrows of Frederick, Holy Ghosts, and Tennessee "Mr. Spencers guidebook is full of solid, straightforward advice in a conversational voice that takes the mystery out of how plays are wrought, not written." --Michael Weller, author of Moon Children and Loose Ends Promotional The Playwrights Guidebook, by Stuart Spencer, is a concise and engaging handbook full of the kind of wisdom that comes naturally with experience, presenting a coherant way of thinking about playwriting and including invaluable writing exercises. Long Description Having taught playwriting for ten years, Stuart Spencer could find no effective handbook for his courses - so finally he wrote his own. The result, The Playwrights Guidebook, is a concise and engaging handbook full of the kind of wisdom that comes naturally with experience. Spencer presents a coherent way of thinking about playwriting that addresses the important principles of structure, includes insightful writing exercises that build upon one another, explores the creative process and trouble-shoots recurrent problems that playwrights actually face. Review Quote Stuart Spencers The Playwrights Guidebook is indispensable. Clearly and thoroughly, Mr. Spencer--a playwright himself--leads all playwrights (not only the beginner) through the travails of creation and the jungle of production. He is to be congratulated. Promotional "Headline" The Playwrights Guidebook , by Stuart Spencer, is a concise and engaging handbook full of the kind of wisdom that comes naturally with experience, presenting a coherant way of thinking about playwriting and including invaluable writing exercises. Excerpt from Book The Playwrights Guidebook PART ONE STRUCTURE PROLOGUE: THE TOOLS THE TOOLS were about to discuss provide you with the means to begin writing your play. Even the expert use of these tools will not solve all your writing problems, but they can offer you a sense of craft. Then you can apply that craft to begin the infinitely more difficult job of actually saying what youre trying to say. Its important to remember as youre reading and working on the exercises in Part One that these ideas really are tools, not rules. There may be the laws of drama I mentioned in the Introduction, but youre better off not thinking of them as that. Many great plays do not use the tools Im presenting here, or if so, they use them in such idiosyncratic fashion that they are almost impossible to identify. For example, one is hard pressed to find a clear action for Lear in King Lear. Even if one does find action and conflict in Waiting for Godot, anevent for the play is very elusive. In fact, thats the point of Becketts play--that there is no event. The contemporary work of playwrights such as Richard Foreman and Robert Wilson also lack any of my tools, yet many people--myself included--find their work fascinating and rewarding. An audience goes to the theater to be entertained, informed, excited, provoked. People go because they are interested in your play, for whatever reason and on whatever level that may be. And your job is to keep them interested. If you have done that, then you have accomplished your task, no matter how little you may have used the tools I will tell you about. Conversely, no matter how brilliantly you may have structured your play, if it cant capture an audiences interest, then youve failed. Details ISBN0571199917 Author Stuart Spencer Short Title PLAYWRIGHTS GDBK Language English ISBN-10 0571199917 ISBN-13 9780571199914 Media Book Format Paperback DEWEY 808.2 Place of Publication London Country of Publication United Kingdom Edition 1st Birth 1944 Imprint Faber & Faber Subtitle An Insightful Primer on the Art of Dramatic Writing DOI 10.1604/9780571199914 UK Release Date 2003-03-03 AU Release Date 2003-03-03 Pages 400 Publisher Faber & Faber Edition Description Main Year 2003 Publication Date 2003-03-03 Audience General NZ Release Date 2005-06-30 We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:653778;

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