How to Read a Play (Paperback)

~ (Author) "We all think we know what a play is, but no one has ever succeeded in defining it..." (more)
Key Phrases: Shen Teh, Madam Ranevsky, Yang Sun (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

How to Read a Play is an introductory guide to the art of translating the printed page of a play or screenplay into dramatic mental images; it has been a classic among actors, directors, and writers for the past twenty years. Now fully updated and revised, the book devotes a chapter exclusively to screenplays, noting the intrinsic differences between a screenplay and a playscript and thus bringing this invaluable classic up to date.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Grove Press; Rev Upd edition (August 4, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080213629X
• ISBN-13: 978-0802136299
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #577,071 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THOROUGH AND "SPOT ON", May 29, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Prague, Czech Republic) - See all my reviews

I use the British phrase because the author is British, and a playwright himself. This must be a new edition of one of the best guides to script analysis in theatre I've ever come across. I've used it as a teacher in drama classes, and I've used it to come up with "guidelines" for readers when I was a theatrical literary manager. It is also useful for playwrights to see why something does or does not work. It's short and wastes no time making its points-- meaty and readable. A must for any theatrical library.