Playwrights Teach Playwriting

by Joan Herrington (Editor), Crystal Brian (Editor)

Playwrights Teach Playwriting, edited by Joan Herrington and Crystal Brian, is a collection unique in the realm of "how-to" playwriting books. These essays by such well-known playwrights as Chris Durang, Marsha Norman, Tina Howe, Tony Kushner, David Henry Hwang, Marie Irene Fornes, José Rivera, Romulus Linney, Mac Wellman, Donald Margulies explore the pedagogy of playwriting, offering fascinating and valuable insights into the way established playwrights communicate their own creative methods to young writers. Each of the playwrights included in the book has extensive experience as a teacher in a variety of venues. Their chapters offer insight into the unique vision of each playwright and provide practical and tested advice, exercises, and course structures for both students and teachers of playwriting. A concluding essay by dramaturg and literary manager, Mead Hunter, offers career advice for beginning as well as emerging playwrights.

Genres: Writing

161 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2006

Reviews

[Irma Mayorga]

There's insight to glean here when leading playwrights talk about how they go about the task of thinking through and then teaching playwriting. But, it's hard earned on the reader's part because the playwrights keep proclaiming how they "weren't meant to be teachers," "stumbled into it," or they've had to have soul-searching quests to come to terms with teaching playwriting (a thing that can/cannot be taught). Lawd, you're writing for this book, collecting the check, just get on with it. Simply tell us how you have figured out getting on about it and then share your creative exercises and observations about this endeavor with some care and detail. The best among the playwrights in this collection do just that.

[Phillip]

This is an interesting, if contradictory, book for playwrights. There’s a lot of diverse experiences and approaches - though many of the playwright “teachers” can best be summed as “you can’t really teach this but...” Though I think that’s honest! The various selections give various exercises, methods, and experiences about playwrighting. As an “emerging” playwright, I found this valuable and would certainly recommend it.

[Jillian]

An engaging collection of essays (or in some cases adapted interviews) from teaching playwrights about their paths to writing and teaching, how they approach the craft, and what advice and assignments they give to their students. I thought it offered a good variety of viewpoints (some more helpful than others, certainly, but all interesting in their own way) and I picked up a lot of instructive advice, exercise examples, and references along the way.

[Joshua Morgan]

A good book for budding playwrights and people who are interested in getting into the minds of some of our most prominent American authors.

The book, however, is strangely compiled and can become a bit redundant.

[Emma]

Straightforward and interesting pieces. Not dense interviews with pompous interviewers.