Should
you wish
to
order this from Amazon,
please
click anywhere on the cover.
|
And the Tony Goes to....
Elaine Stritch At Liberty won the American
Theatre Wing's 2002 Tony Award for Best Special Theatrical Event.
Let's hear it for the one-person show!! (Click
here for one of the many well-deserved glowing reviews.) She's
not the only solo performer to receive a Tony. Christopher
Plummer (Barrymore), Robert Morse (Tru), Hal Holbrook (Mark
Twain Tonight), and Julie Harris (The Belle of Amhurst) also
have been honored with "Best Actor/Actress" awards. Does that--I
hope-- encourage you to create your own monodrama?? |
| For a review
of The Power of One, written by Doug Cummins, Chair of the Department
of Theatre Arts at Furman University, and published in Southern Theatre,
please click here: BookReview.html |
| Stephen Peithman reviews a number of books including
The
Power of One, of which he says, in part, "...Catron does an excellent
job here, particularly in helping an actor determine if he or she is capable
of serving as playwright and director as well, or if a collaborative
effort is preferable.") Link. |
| For Talking
Broadway's interview regarding The Power of One, please click
here: Interview. |
|
The Power
of One: The Solo Play for Playwrights, Actors, and Directors
(Heinemann Publishers)
~Paperback~
--One special feature
of this book
is the inclusion of
a number of
actual one-person
scripts so
you can see how others
have
created the one-person
play--
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter
One: Introduction
Chapter
Two: Confrontation and Self-Revelation
Chapter
Three: French Fries and Twirler: Two
Monodramas by Jane Martin
Chapter
Four: Bridges Across a Chasm: Three Plays by Eric
Bogosian, Anna Devere Smith, and Lanford Wilson
Chapter
Five: The Playwright, Actor, and Director as
Visionary, Lawmaker, and Storyteller
Chapter
Six: Characterization Techniques for Actors,
Playwrights, and Directors
Chapter
Seven: Constructing Plot with Character Objective
ChapterEight:
Collaboration in Rehearsals
Appendix:
The Evolution of the Solo Play
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| |
|
Should
you wish
to
order this from Amazon,
please
click anywhere on the cover.
A friend
directed me to a most amazing post on Amazon. The topic was a review
of Syd Field's
The Screenwriter's Workbook. (Note: screenwriting,
not playwriting.) Here's what a reviewer of that book said, giving
Field's book one star out of a possible five:
"I've
been a (moneymaking) script writer and scriptwriting prof for almost thirty
years, and typically check out the new books.
"The
author [Syd Field] of this workbook certainly had good intentions, but
the book itself is useless to anyone other than an absolute novice.
"If
you want to learn to work with a script, don't buy this [book by Field]
OR my own books (which are now out of print). Instead, try Louis Catron,
the most highly respected scriptwriting professor and author on Earth."
Yeow!
(And that for scriptwriters...from an experienced screenwriter, professor,
and book author!) I'm humbled.
Here's
the current link to that quotation: Amazon
link. |
| Of this
book, and of The Elements of Playwriting (below), playwright Jean-Claude
van Italie said, "Catron's books are the Mercedes of playwriting books." |
Writing
in The Playwright's Companion, Mollie Meserve wrote:
". .
. it makes for compelling reading and, once begun, is difficult to put
aside. Paradoxically, Catron's is also a book which the reader will
also, we believe, quickly but temporarily set aside in order to capture
immediately on paper some new idea or rediscovered technique inspired by
Catron's amiable and often eloquent prose. In our opinion, this is
a book that avoids the pitfalls and embraces the triumphs of every other
work currently available on the subject of playwriting and should be held
as essential reading in the eyes of dramatists of all levels of their careers." |
|
Playwriting: Writing,
Producing,
and Selling Your Play
(Waveland Press)
~Paperback~
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Foreword
Preface:
You Can Learn Quality Playwriting
Introduction:
This Book's "Audiences"
Chapter One:
Why Playwriting?
Chapter Two:
Prelude to Playwriting
Chapter Three:
"A Maker of Plays"
Chapter Four:
The Credo
Chapter Five:
The Writer's Journal
Chapter Six: Guidelines
for the First Play
Chapter Seven:
The
One-Act Play: The Theatre's Iconoclast
Chapter Eight:
The Scenario
Chapter Nine:
The Sound of a Breaking Harp-String
Chapter Ten:
The Scene Not Written, the Speech Unspoken
Chapter Eleven:
Script Format: Preparing the Final Version
Chapter Twelve:
Don't Talk About It, Write It!
Chapter Thirteen:
An Introduction to the "Six Elements of Drama
Chapter Fourteen:
Plot: Part One
Chapter Fifteen:
Plot: Part Two
Chapter Sixteen:
Plot: Part Three
Chapter Seventeen:
Character: Part One
Chapter Eighteeen:
Character: Part Two
Chapter Nineteen:
Thought
Chapter Twenty:
Diction
Chapter Twenty-One:
Music and Spectacle
Chapter Twenty-Two:
Giving and Accepting Criticism in the
Playwriting Class
Chapter Twenty-Three:
Production and Publication
Chapter Twenty-Four:
Your
Play is Produced!
Epilogue
Index
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| |
|
This version is out of print.
The newly re-published version
is below.
| Macmillan Publishing, which
published ELEMENTS, merged with Pearson Education and in the process allowed
ELEMENTS to go out of print. Plah!
I am pleased, however, that Waveland
Press has re-published this book. It is available now.
It has, by the way, a different cover. Same ingredients. See
the cover below.
The folks at Waveland are quite
good about filling orders promptly. If you wish to visit the Waveland
website, please click here: Waveland
Press. |
The cover below is the new Waveland Press edition
of The Elements of Playwriting.
Should you wish to order it from Amazon,
please click the cover.
|
[Chosen as a selection by the Fireside
Book Club.]
The Elements of Playwriting:
How to Write Stageworthy Plays,
Develop Your Theatre Sense,
Create Theatrical Characters,
Shape Plot and Dialogue, and
Find the Resources to Get Your Play Produced
(Macmillan Publishing)
~Paperback~
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Chapter One: Being
a Playwright
Chapter Two: What
Makes a Play?
Chapter Three: The
Size of Your Canvas: Mondramas, One-Acts,
and Full-Length Plays
Chapter Four: Where
do You Start? Turning Your Ideas Into Plays
Chapter Five: Creating
Characters: People in Action to Achieve
Their Goals
Chapter Six: Building
Plot: Shaping Your Play's Action
Chapter Seven: Constructing
Dialogue: Action Through Words
Chapter Eight: Evaluating
and Revising Your Play
Chapter Nine: Script
Format: Typing Your Play for Producers and
Directors
Chapter Ten: Resources
for the Playwright
Index
An Amazon critic--Robert
Santos--says of Elements, "Not Just for Playwrights!"
His comments are most heartening, indeed. In part, he says:
Don't let the title deceive
you - this is a masterly guide for all fiction writers. Catron's insights
into creating characters, building plots, constructing dialogue, overcoming
writer's block, finding inspiration, and turning ideas into plays apply
to all forms of dramatic writing.
Bless his heart!
You can read his full comments (and comments of other readers) by
clicking here. |
Karen Hall--who
has made an enviable career as an award-winning television writer, screenwriter,
and novelist--says much the same:
With all due
respect to the publishers, I've always thought this book was badly titled.
It's really a much less specific book. It's a great primer on writing
of any sort, with wonderful exercises designed to teach plot, characterization,
dialogue, etc.
Many thanks
for those gracious remarks! You can see Karen Hall's list of "Required
reading for Wanna-Be Writers" by
clicking here. Her website is well-worth visiting (click
here) and you'll want to browse her rich materials. |
|
| |
|
Should you wish
to order this from Amazon,
please click anywhere on
the cover.
| Of this book, Broadway director Wilford Leach
said, "Bravo! Bravo! Catron's book contains flashes of lightning
for directors." |
| Baker's Plays says, "This is a dynamic,
practical text that focuses equally on the arts of interpretation
and problem-solving. The author leads students through short, lucid chapters
to develop an organized, step-by-step methodology from play analysis
through casting, rehearsal, and performance. No other directing text contains
as much information on such subjects as play analysis, directorial responsibilities
and ethics, leadership techniques, working with actors in communicating
guidelines for rehearsals and developing characters, blocking and problem-solving."
Link. |
| A portion of The Director's Vision --
The Director's Responsibilities -- is quoted on "Backstage." Link. |
|
The Director's Vision:
Play Direction from Analysis to Production
(Mayfield Publishing)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART ONE: INTRODUCTORY CONCEPTS
Chapter One: Developing
Your Directorial Vision
Chapter Two: The Director's
Functions and Responsibilities
PART TWO: PLAY ANALYSIS
Chapter Three: Introduction
to Play Analysis
Chapter Four: Plot:
How a Play is Constructed
Chapter Five: Character:
The People of the Play
Chapter Six: Thought:
The Meaning of the Play
Chapter Seven: Diction:
The Language of the Play
Chapter Eight: Music:
The Sounds of the Play
Chapter Nine: Spectacle:
The Visual Aspects of Production
PART THREE: PREPARING FOR PRODUCTION
Chapter Ten: The Prompt
Book
Chapter Eleven: Auditions
Chapter Twelve: Casting
Chapter Thirteen:
Planning the Rehearsal Schedule
PART FOUR: REHEARSING THE PRODUCTION
Chapter Fourteen: Working
with Actors, Part One: Guidelines for
Rehearsals
Chapter Fifteen: Working
with Actors, Part Two: Developing
Character
Chapter Sixteen: The
Floor Plan
Chapter Seventeen: Blocking
the Play, Part One: Principles
Chapter Eighteen: Blocking,
Part Two: Techniques
Chapter Nineteen: Rhythm,
Tempo, and Pace
Chapter Twenty: Working
with Actors, Part Three: Problem-Solving.
APPENDICES
Appendix A: Royalties,
Permissions, and Play Publishing-Leasing
Agents
Appendix B: Names,
Addresses, and Descriptions of Play Publishers-Leasing Agents
Glossary
Bibliography
Index
|
| |
|
The
hard bound copy is out of print
but
it is available from time to time
at
various used book sites.
The
paperback version is listed above,
and
it is in print.
|
The Bugs has had several
thousand productions in
the U.S. and Canada, plus a
few showings in other countries.
It has several times appeared
on lists of
"Most Frequently Produced....in
the U.S."
Should you be interested in a
copy of this play,
Click
this line to go to the Samuel French catalog
and do a title search for title
or author.
|
| |
|
Out of print.
|
Bluebird has enjoyed
over a thousand
productions in the U.S. and
Canada.
Should you be interested in
a copy of this play,
Click
this line to go to the Samuel French catalog
and do a title search for title or author.
|
| |
|
Prentice-Hall.
Out of print. It has been
republished as
Playwriting: Writing,
Producing, and Selling Your Play
and is listed higher on this
page.
|
Samuel French offers this pro
bono publico--free--as
a public service to theatre
directors.
Should you be interested in
a copy of this booklet,
Click
this line to go to the Samuel French catalog
and do a title search for title
or author.
|
|
|
