Dramatic Technique

by George Pierce Baker

Written by the man who founded the Yale School of Drama when he couldn't persuade Harvard to offer a degree (not just a class) in playwriting, Dramatic Technique is complilation of the playwriting techniques he had developed at Harvard through his renowned English 47 Class/Workshop, whose students included Eugene O'Neill, Philip Barry and Thomas Wolfe among several others who became recognized and successful. This book offers a breakdown of the elements of plays and playwriting in concise and straightforward terms: “Though academic, th[is] book is by no means dogmatic or theoretical. Quite the contrary. Its spirit is broadly scientific and its method is inductive.” --New York Times

Genres: Writing

532 pages, Paperback

First published January 20, 1970

About the author

1866-1935

His most valuable work, Dramatic Technique is now available free at Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36580

Reviews

[Lisa of Troy]

Annotated book in F. Scott Fitzgerald's College of One

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would have loved to experience his class in which he taught the very first at Harvard (Workshop 47) to such writers as Eugene O'Neill and Sidney Howard. This should be mandatory for all playwright and theater students as well as those with an affinity for storytelling. Superbly written and incisive, Baker answers all directly with clarity.

[Paul Puri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still relevant for screenwriting today!

Lots and lots of excerpts from old plays, but the info is still useful to think about for today’s writer.