The Playwright at Work: Conversations

by Rosemarie Tichler, Barry Jay Kaplan

Rosemarie Tichler and Barry Jay Kaplan take us behind the scenes in conversations with thirteen of today’s most distinguished playwrights, including Tony Kushner, John Guare, Wallace Shawn, Suzan-Lori Parks, David Henry Hwang, and Sarah Ruhl. Talking with each of the playwrights where the work happens - the playwright’s home, a dark theater, a coffee shop - Tichler and Kaplan follow their curiosity through a wide range of topics, from the playwrights’ earliest memories of the theater to how they found their unique voices, and from their working relationships with directors, actors, and designers to their involvement in the purely commercial aspects of their profession. Taken together, these conversations constitute a collectively taught master class in the art and craft of writing for the stage.

Genres: Theatre

314 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2012

Reviews

[Brian]

Less would have been more. This book got tedious at times, as the writers seemed to ask the same questions of 13 playwrights and treated every word those playwrights said as precious. Sadly, they weren't...and some tougher editing would have made for more lively reading. All of that said, this book makes we want to write plays (again), so I would say it will be inspirational to some. It also may changes the way you watch and read plays.

[Grace Valaskovic]

tbh not edited well at all but of course i appreciate hearing from the likes of sarah ruhl, vogel, and suzan-lori parks

[James Binz]

Loved reading about some of my heroes. Skipped a couple that I never heard of.