So You Want to be a Playwright?

So You Want to be a Playwright?
Author: Tim Fountain
Publisher: Nick Hern Books
Total Pages: 145
Release: 2007
Genre: Drama
ISBN: 1854597167

A manual for would-be playwrights--how to develop your play from conception to opening night.

You Can Write a Play!

You Can Write a Play!
Author: Milton E. Polsky
Publisher: Hal Leonard Corporation
Total Pages: 206
Release: 2002-02-01
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1617746347

Do you have an idea for a play? A situation or experience from your home or work life? Fantasy? With helpful clear examples taken from his own experiences in teaching directing and playwriting Milton Polsky shows how to find and shape a dramatic idea and bring it to fruition. In addition to providing many practical exercises suggestions and tips he discusses and illustrates with examples from established playwrights the importance of giving shape to your idea so that what is in your head and heart can be expressed to the fullest. To facilitate this creative process there are What if? Just for You Playwright's Page sections; diagrams journal exercises; and for this revised edition end of chapter Suggested Activities for the Classroom (solo and group); addditional appendices including one on feedback; and over 50 new photos. This invaluable and basic guide to writing plays is ideal for teachers students camp counselors community theatre leaders and for anyone who knows there's a play inside trying to get out]

How Not to Write a Play

How Not to Write a Play
Author: Walter Kerr
Publisher: Dramatic Publishing
Total Pages: 164
Release: 1996
Genre: American drama
ISBN: 9780871293329

"Most young playwrights nowadays want to learn 'how to' write a play. This seems to me to be a mistake." Thus begins the first chapter of Walter Kerr's fascinating book on the art of playwriting. Taking an about-face look at the creative process, with chapters such as "How to Spoil a Good Story," Mr. Kerr leads us through the exciting and daring adventure of successfully bringing a play to fulfillment. "There is no point in pretending that this is not going to be an argumentative book or that overemphasis isn't going to crop up pretty frequently in the chapters that follow. The face of our theater is so familiar to us that we shall never see its features without blowing them up a bit, one by one. And it does seem to me that we had better do some arguing - quick." Walter Kerr, drama critic, playwright, teacher, director, and winner of a Pulitzer Prize for Drama Criticism, served as drama critic for the New York Herald Tribune and was chief critic for the Sunday New York Times until his retirement. -- from back cover

Writers' & Artists' Yearbook 2021

Writers' & Artists' Yearbook 2021
Author: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 1636
Release: 2020-07-23
Genre: Reference
ISBN: 1472968158

The latest edition of the bestselling guide to all you need to know about how to get published, is packed full of advice, inspiration and practical information. The Writers' & Artists' Yearbook has been guiding writers and illustrators on the best way to present their work, how to navigate the world of publishing and ways to improve their chances of success, for over 110 years. It is equally relevant for writers of novels and non-fiction, poems and scripts and for those writing for children, YA and adults and covers works in print, digital and audio formats. If you want to find a literary or illustration agent or publisher, would like to self-publish or crowdfund your creative idea then this Yearbook will help you. As well as sections on publishers and agents, newspapers and magazines, illustration and photography, theatre and screen, there is a wealth of detail on the legal and financial aspects of being a writer or illustrator.

Crocodile Fever

Crocodile Fever
Author: Meghan Tyler
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 127
Release: 2019-08-02
Genre: History
ISBN: 1786827883

Northern Ireland, 1989. A farmhouse window smashes, and rebellious Fianna Devlin crashes back into the life of her pious sister Alannah. Together for the first time in years, when they're forced to confront their tyrannical father's hideous legacy, all hell breaks loose. Fuelled by Taytos, gin, 80s tunes and a chainsaw, Meghan Tyler's surreal Crocodile Fever is a grotesque black comedy celebrating sisterhood whilst reminding us that the pressure cooker of The Troubles is closer than we imagine.

Zooman and the Sign

Zooman and the Sign
Author: Charles Fuller
Publisher: Samuel French, Inc.
Total Pages: 70
Release: 1982
Genre: African Americans
ISBN: 9780573618451

"'Zooman" is black teen in Philadelphia who senselessly terrorizes his community wit hour regard to race. His most recent crime is killing a 12 year-old girl on a street filled with witnesses, all of who are afraid to talk.The dead girl's father posts a sign accusing the entire community of cowardice in the face of the ever escalating violence." -- Cover [p. 4].

The Art and Craft of Playwriting

The Art and Craft of Playwriting
Author: Jeffery Hatcher
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 226
Release: 2000-03-01
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1599634430

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 High Table

The High Table
Author: Temi Wilkey
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 94
Release: 2020-04-17
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1350147206

Winner of Best Writer at The Stage Debut Awards 2020 That's actually what me and Leah came here to talk to you about. Look- there's no easy way of saying this, but... Leah and I are getting married. The dresses are chosen, the venue's been booked and the RSVPs are flooding in. But with her wedding to Leah drawing nearer, Tara's future is thrown into jeopardy when her Nigerian parents refuse to attend. This kind of love is unheard of, they say. It's not African. High above London, suspended between the stars, three of Tara's ancestors are jolted from their eternal rest. Stubborn and opinionated, they keep watch as family secrets are spilled and the rift widens between Tara and her parents. Can these representatives of generations passed keep the family together? And will Tara's decision ever get their blessing? An epic family drama played out between the heavens and earth, The High Table is the hilarious and heart-breaking debut play from Temi Wilkey.

Write A Play And Get It Performed: Teach Yourself

Write A Play And Get It Performed: Teach Yourself
Author: Lesley Bown
Publisher: Teach Yourself
Total Pages: 192
Release: 2010-04-30
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 1444129864

Write a Play - and Get It Performed is designed for would-be writers of every level and for all types of motivation by two prize-winning professionals. Whether writing for the specific needs of an amateur drama group, community event, political campaign or simply for personal or professional development, this is a guide to the craft of playwriting. It offers guidance on the creative principles of scripts, characters, plot, structure and dialogue and explains the principles of staging and stage directions as well as gives tips on how to write for a variety of different situations, for every age and ability and according to specific genres - particularly those often preferred by amateur groups, such as pantomime and musical theatre. NOT GOT MUCH TIME? One, five and ten-minute introductions to key principles to get you started. AUTHOR INSIGHTS Lots of instant help with common problems and quick tips for success, based on the author's many years of experience. TEST YOURSELF Tests in the book and online to keep track of your progress. EXTEND YOUR KNOWLEDGE Extra online articles at www.teachyourself.com to give you a richer understanding of writing a play. FIVE THINGS TO REMEMBER Quick refreshers to help you remember the key facts. TRY THIS Innovative exercises illustrate what you've learnt and how to use it.