Women Who Write Plays: Interviews With American Dramatists (An Art of Theater Book) [Paperback]

Alexis Greene (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2001 | ISBN-10: 1575252627 | ISBN-13: 978-1575252629 | Edition: 1st

In this collection of 25 interviews, theater critic Alexis Greene talks with women who write plays for the American stage. She explores topics such as cultural background, playwriting style, the challenges of sustaining a career, and the relationship between life and art. These in-depth conversations provide unique insights into the work, thought processes, and personalities of an extraordinary group of writers.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

A theater critic, dramaturge, and teacher, Greene presents her edited interviews with 23 contemporary women playwrights working in American theater. Asking insightful, pointed questions, Greene explores the playwrights' personal backgrounds, reasons for writing, creative processes, and artistic intentions. Her goal was "to give these writers room to give themselves context" by making "the connections between their lives and their art" and she succeeds fully. The playwrights respond to Greene's questions honestly and thoughtfully, allowing the reader to hear their unique voices. These women are a diverse group, ranging in age from their early thirties to their seventies and representing a variety of ethnic, cultural, geographical, and political backgrounds. They are also playwrights who have been writing since the 1970s and 1980s as well as those only beginning their careers. This is an enjoyable read for both those interested in theater biography and those who aspire to be playwrights in today's American theater. Recommended for all theater collections. Laura A. Ewald, Murray State Univ., KY
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

No one could interview all contemporary U.S. playwrights, but Alexis Greene has come close to talking with every major, minor, and influential woman playwright now active in the U.S., from Lynne Alvarez and Pearl Cleage to Cheryl West and Wakako Yamauchi. She missed Wendy Wasserstein, Maria Irene Fornes, and Rebecca Gilman, to name three, and still this thick book is a treasure trove of insights into the creative process and the daily struggle of making plays as a woman at a time when theater is for the most part still a male-dominated medium. Especially fascinating are the various ways these writers wandered into the profession: Naomi Wallace was a poet first, Paula Vogel got hooked on theater as a teenager, and Migdalia Cruz always wanted to write but didn't tackle playwriting until after studying with Fornes. The interviews aren't all equally insightful, but there is so much in them that a reader will find plenty of diamonds amid the dross. Jack Helbig
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 543 pages
• Publisher: Smith & Kraus Pub Inc; 1st edition (June 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1575252627
• ISBN-13: 978-1575252629
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,304,130 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Provides many insights into the acting process, September 12, 2001

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Women Who Write Plays: Interviews With American Dramatists (An Art of Theater Book) (Paperback)

Alexis Greene's Women Who Write Plays interviews 23 women who write plays for the American stage, covering a range of topics from play styles and special challenges to relationships between life, art and culture. Provides many insights into the acting process.