The Elements of Playwriting

Rating:
Summary: A Great Book for Understanding the Playwriting Process
Review: The Elements of Playwriting is a great book for anyone who wants to understand what it takes to write a play. Catron goes over everything a person needs to know including creating characters, building a plot, and constructing dialogue. I really liked the chapter on What Makes a Play.

Even if you are not a Playwright, but you are involved in the theatre in another capacity, such as an actor or stage manager - you would still benefit greatly by reading this book. It will give you a great understanding of what a Playwright must accomplish in order to get his play to the stage.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent for Bare-Bones Structure
Review: Catron's latest shares excellent information concerning the basics of playwriting. The finest well-known playwriting instructor of our time, this book is second only to Catron's first (also available here), and one that can only be gotten via private distribution. Uh oh. I just realized I wrote a review for this a year ago.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent for Bare-Bones Structure
Review: Catron's latest shares excellent information concerning the basics of playwriting. The finest well-known playwriting instructor of our time, this book is second only to Catron's first (also available here), and one that can only be gotten via private distribution. Uh oh. I just realized I wrote a review for this a year ago.

Rating:
Summary: This is a good book for beginning playwrights.
Review: Complete treatment and helpful. Easy to read and well organized. Good exercises.

Rating:
Summary: Not Just For Playwrights!
Review: 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.
Catron is both a playwright and a professor, and this is reflected in his conversational, yet erudite, writing style. He covers the practical aspects of shaping stories from the artisan's point of view, and the intellectual concerns of literature from the scholar's.
The book begins with perhaps the most useful chapter on 'becoming a writer' of any 'how to' book on the market. If you've ever abandoned a work halfway through, despairing over where to go to next, or if you've ever questioned why you even bother to write fiction, then this chapter offers the solution. Catron asks that you begin with the statement 'These things I believe' - what you subsequently write will form your 'Personal Credo'. This will help you define your attitudes, beliefs and passions, and help you find enough thematic material to drive your future work. The 'Credo' is the first step to finding your individual voice, and a treasure-trove that you will plunder endlessly for the rest of your writing days. This first chapter alone makes the book worth owning.
Another great chapter is 'Turning Your Ideas into Plays', again, applicable to all fiction writing. Catron analyses ideas as one of three basic types: character, situation or thematic. From there, he takes you through a series of exercises to help nourish your 'seed' into a full-grown fictional work. Along the way, he provides relevant examples from the masters to help you visualise your own work. In fact, the book is peppered throughout with entertaining and relevant quotes from writers to inspire the beginner and to provoke thought on pertinent subjects.
The remaining chapters deal with character, dialogue and plot building, revising and re-evaluating your work, resources for playwrights, and proper script format. I recommend this book, not only for playwrights, but also for those interested in putting some direction in their work.

Rating:
Summary: CORE TEXTBOOK FOR THE SERIOUS PLAYWRIGHT
Review: I am a Midwestern physician by day and fledgling playwright by night. One year ago I decided to take an idea to paper and wrote my first play. The story was clear in my mind so the writing went easy. Within six weeks I had completed a rough first draft. At this point I ventured over to the local bookstore to see what books they had on playwriting. There were several, but Louis Catron's The Elements of Playwriting caught my immediate attention. Standing there, I skimmed the contents then read a few pages. The book was full of pearls gleaned obviously from a lifetime of experience in the theater. I bought the book and ordered a coffee to read more, (isn't that the way it always happens?)

Catron goads our left and right brains into action in ten chapters that range from how to get the play started, formatting the text and incorporating Aristotle's six elements of live theater into the work, to suggestions on getting your work published and performed. Various exercises to get the point across are used along the way. The book is a joy to read; a superb "nuts and bolts" treatise for the novice and veteran writer alike. I pick up something new each time I read it. I particularly enjoyed the discussion on how to be a playwright, involving as much with how one "thinks" as what ones "does."

In my opinion, Louis Catron's The Elements of Playwriting is the best book on the subject out there. It helped me complete my play and make it a more polished work. The book would be perfect as the main textbook in any college playwriting class. Louis Catron's "Elements" certainly "plays in the heartland!"

Rating:
Summary: CORE TEXTBOOK FOR THE SERIOUS PLAYWRIGHT
Review: I am a Midwestern physician by day and fledgling playwright by night. One year ago I decided to take an idea to paper and wrote my first play. The story was clear in my mind so the writing went easy. Within six weeks I had completed a rough first draft. At this point I ventured over to the local bookstore to see what books they had on playwriting. There were several, but Louis Catron's The Elements of Playwriting caught my immediate attention. Standing there, I skimmed the contents then read a few pages. The book was full of pearls gleaned obviously from a lifetime of experience in the theater. I bought the book and ordered a coffee to read more, (isn't that the way it always happens?)

Catron goads our left and right brains into action in ten chapters that range from how to get the play started, formatting the text and incorporating Aristotle's six elements of live theater into the work, to suggestions on getting your work published and performed. Various exercises to get the point across are used along the way. The book is a joy to read; a superb "nuts and bolts" treatise for the novice and veteran writer alike. I pick up something new each time I read it. I particularly enjoyed the discussion on how to be a playwright, involving as much with how one "thinks" as what ones "does."

In my opinion, Louis Catron's The Elements of Playwriting is the best book on the subject out there. It helped me complete my play and make it a more polished work. The book would be perfect as the main textbook in any college playwriting class. Louis Catron's "Elements" certainly "plays in the heartland!"

Rating:
Summary: BEST OF THE BEST
Review: I am delighted to see this wonderful title in print again. Unlike many playwriting books on the market today, Catron's guide deals in specifics rather than in mumbo jumbo or vague generalities. (And, from an aesthetic point of view, this reprint edition boasts a far more attractive cover than did the original first edition (hardcover) or the previous paperback edition.)

Dr. Catron deals with being a playwright, the characteristics of plays, turning ideas into plays, creating characters, building plot, constructing dialogue, evaluation and revision, script format, and resources for playwrights. Seven of the ten chapters conclude with excellent exercises designed to get the reader WRITING.

A note of constructive criticism: While the chapter on formatting the script is better than most, I would have liked to have seen it go into even greater detail. Even so, I can recommend this book without reservation and have given copies of it to friends who have become as enthusiastic about it as I.

Rating:
Summary: BEST OF THE BEST
Review: I am delighted to see this wonderful title in print again. Unlike many playwriting books on the market today, Catron's guide deals in specifics rather than in mumbo jumbo or vague generalities. (And, from an aesthetic point of view, this reprint edition boasts a far more attractive cover than did the original first edition (hardcover) or the previous paperback edition.)

Dr. Catron deals with being a playwright, the characteristics of plays, turning ideas into plays, creating characters, building plot, constructing dialogue, evaluation and revision, script format, and resources for playwrights. Seven of the ten chapters conclude with excellent exercises designed to get the reader WRITING.

A note of constructive criticism: While the chapter on formatting the script is better than most, I would have liked to have seen it go into even greater detail. Even so, I can recommend this book without reservation and have given copies of it to friends who have become as enthusiastic about it as I.

Rating:
Summary: Catron helped get my play on stage
Review: I completed the first draft of my play "American Brass" back in 1999. It was pretty awful. Then, I found this wonderful book by Prof. Catron. Following the guidelines and inspiration contained in his book I eventually transformed the draft into a stageworthy script.

Before reading his up front advice "Don't show anyone your first draft", I had given a reader a look at the play. The reader, an experienced theater person, tried to be helpful with constructive comments, which I came to understand after reading Catron's book meant - I had no plot, my characters were flat and I was writing narrratives rather than dialogue.

This book provides a clear understandable guide to the structure and dynamics of a successful play and how to write one. Rewrite, rewrite, rewrite.. and before each rewrite review Caron's book for insight and inspiration.

There's also practical advice - look to get your play on stage not necessarily on Broadway. So I had a high school do a reading and then a church group and now I have the area community theater interested in a full production.

Thank you Prof. Catron