The book completes and updates certain aspects of Thaiss and Davis (not repeated here), but also adds more extensive examples of a writer’s thought process, suggestions for improving the examples given, along with a useful series of checklists for several genres. Just like Thaiss and Davis, Ferguson also includes general steps for writing a logical, cohesive, and engaging theatre essay (thesis statement, outline, introductory and body paragraphs, conclusion, and multiple drafts). Below are some of the most interesting points.

1. Writing about Theatre

Stresses the importance of conversation after the show – either initiated or listened to – as a first step toward the writing process in view of a thoughtful essay.

Questions specific to theatre:

• Does this response give a sense of what it was like to be in the audience?
• Does the essay incorporate the writer’s personal point of view on the material?
• Does it support its argument with specific references to lines, scenes, elements of the set, etc.?

2. Preparing to Write and Writing the Essay

Suggests careful reading of the assignment as a pre-writing activity and guide for structuring the essay, including for understanding the scope and tone required.

Describes the conventional ways of describing placement on the proscenium stage (US, SR, SL, etc.) and the relative positions of the performer’s body (full front, one quarter left/right, left/right profile, three-quarter back left/right, full back).

“A checklist for taking good notes:

• Have you focused on your own reactions (e.g., things that annoy, astonish, delight, bore, or puzzle you) and on key moments and effects?
• Have you taken notes (or fleshed out briefly scribbled ones) as soon as possible after watching a live production?
• Have you used glossaries and dictionaries to look up words or  phrases you are unfamiliar with?
• Have you noted lines of dialogue, body positions, and stage compositions for important moments in a live production?
• Have you asked yourself questions (What function does it have? What does it do? Why is it important?) about particular themes, images, relationships, or actions that you have noted
  about a production or play text?”

3. The review response and the production response

Distinguishes:

• Review response: has the ultimate goal of recommending or not a performance seen by the reviewer.
• Production response: is more focused on demonstrating an understanding of principles of stagecraft.

This is perhaps the most useful chapter as it contains a list of specific questions for several aspects of the performance (acting and casting, design, directing, venue and audience, idea).

4. The Analytical Theatre Essay

Proposes two main approaches:

• “1. Using the play’s form and content, such as its structure (the way it is put together), shape. themes, or symbols, to analyze the way the play creates its theatrical effect and meaning.
  In the section about form and content, there is a some ambiguity in regard to how each item is assigned to either list, in particular when under the heading “content” we find items that have a clear formal component (e.g. the overall shape of the play or recurring patterns in the language).
• 2. Using theatre history to explore the play’s meaning in terms of its background and cultural underpinnings.”
  This section focuses on information coming from the biographical, social, and artistic contexts to provide fodder for the essay.

For each approach, there is a long list of specific, and appropriate questions to stimulate observation and attention to different aspects of the play at hand.

5. Research: Methods and Materials

A complete resource for students starting their research that includes primary sources (biographies/memoirs, prefaces and author’s notes, performance documents, reviews, photographs, museums, and libraries, etc.) and reference works at physical and online libraries.

Includes guidelines on how to effectively incorporate carefully selected bits of research while maintaining the author’s voice relevant.

6. The Character/Scene Analysis

“A functional tool used by actors and directors”: this chapter concentrates on the playtext as a script, the actual version utilized for a performance. It includes analysis of given circumstances, beats, action, objective/obstacles, transitions, and climax/turning point.

• “A Checklist for Writing a Character/Scene Analysis
  Have you taken the given circumstances of the scene into account?
• Does the analysis make a good case for the overall interpretation of the scene? That is, does it break the scene down into beats or units, and are the objectives, actions, transitions, obstacles, and climax all linked logically into a compelling or convincing interpretation?
• Does the analysis provide a clear, concise, “actable” guide to the scene?”

Glossary of Theatrical Terms and Concepts

 

 

 

 

 

 

The book is organized in 8 chapters, some of which are more specifically about theatre writing (here summarized in more detail), while others are geared toward the writing process per se. Still useful as an introduction for college students, for instructors the book would benefit from more specific examples applied to theatre and a broader variety of genres instead of trying to cover the entire writing process.

1. Distinctive Challenges in Writing about Theatre

An introductory chapter that emphasizes the relevance of perceiving the values and structure of both drama as the written play and theatre, its performed version.

2. Writing Techniques to Increase Learning

Offers general tips on writing in regard to:

• effective note taking at lectures: quickly jot down key words, then write a more comprehensive summary after the event
• Making annotations while reading is seen as superior to simply highlighting: provides an example of annotated critical writing on theatre.
• Asking specific critical questions of the text, i.e., “How would I summarize this reading for a person who has not read it,” or “In what ways does this work comment on issues or topics that are important to me?”
• Using a personal “reading response log” as an outlet for reflection and analysis: suggests dated entries, accurate citations of passages or books referred to, freedom to experiment different formats.

Then, more specifically for theatre, the chapter introduces three types of exercises:

• “Writing Dialogue: An Exercise in Listening” is recommended for playwrights: “the writer’s task is to record as closely as possible exactly what is spoken in a conversation and how the words are said.” The purpose of the exercise is not to guess the motives of the interlocutors’ dialogue, but exactly to reproduce in a different, written medium the details of the spoken interaction.
• “Close Description of Objects: An Exercise in Viewing”: the writer describes two or more very similar objects (e.g. apples) so as to develop an accurate vocabulary – for instanse about color, shape, metaphor – to make the the two objects easily recognizable by an external viewer.
• “Describing a Process: An Exercise in Narrative”: the description alerts the writer as to the importance of clarity for people who may not be familiar with the process, close attention its smaller steps, the necessity to enliven the narrative, and usefulness of revision once the description is put to the test of actual readers. Provides an example from theatre: “How to Build a Flat.” (18)

The authors invite writers to consider audiences in view of the specific format adopted, e.g. a general reader or a production crew? Examples provided.

3. The Writing Process: Predrafing, Drafting, Revising, Editing

A general chapter on writing

4. The Theatre Review and Dramatic Criticism

Suggests clarifying the publication venue for the review:

• Writing for newspapers: prompt publication, five w’s of journalism (who, what, when, where, why) and how. Provides a useful reportage checklist for observable phenomena: “Text: plot, major characters, main idea, effectiveness of language, other elements (such as music)
  • Setting: physical appearance, materials, style, color, relationship to the theatre’s architecture, relationship to the play
  • Costumes: choice of period, color, materials, style, relationship to the characters and the play
  • Lighting: atmosphere created, color choices, style, enhancement of (or detraction from) the mood of the piece
  • Sound: function of sound effects or musical score; specific examples of sound that support or compete with action
  • Acting: clarity of characterizations, vocal and physical work, notable moments in performance, sense of ensemble playing
  • Directing: clarity of story, casting choices, tempo and rhythm of performance,
  composition of stage images
• Writing for magazines: more interest in what goes beyond the local, e.g. a new interpretation of a classic play, themes addressed by the play that pertain to contemporary society.” Analysis is more focused on reasons and intentions, with the purpose of forming some form of judgement
• Writing for scholarly journals: takes a longer view.

Proposes an ideal order of reportage, leading to analysis, and – only at the end – to judgement: “The goal must be to see accurately, describe fully, think clearly, and then (and only then) to judge fairly the merits of the work.”

Practical hints for the theatre critic:

• Read the play in advance
• Take notes during the performance (on small or medium sized spiral notebook, roller-ball or other quiet pen, write larger than normal)
• Transcribe some key dialogue word by word (especially for new, yet unpublished plays)
• Highlight moments that need to be remembered in detail
• Keep the program or playbill
• Let a little time before starting the first, rough draft.

5. Text Analysis

Distinguishes two major formats, aimed at different types of audiences:

• literary analysis: for drama and theatre courses
• functional analysis: in view of a specific production and production team

Goes in some depth on principles of play analysis such as the analysis of action (“motive + obstacle + consequence = drama”), of the verbal and visual text, imagery and metaphor,structure and world view.

These concepts are developed in greater depth in other play analysis books, but the authors do offer fairly detailed and useful examples of analyses (literary or functional) geared toward different audiences.

6. Theatre History

General suggestions for approaching a longer research paper.

Specifically for theatre history: Read into the dramatic literature of the time. A sample theatre history paper is provided.

7. Dramatic Theory and the Theatrical Essay

Proposes two different approaches in the order of research (text –> questions –> theory, or questions –> texts –> theory) and a useful list of framing questions for this type of essay:

• Why do we make theatre?
• What constitutes a “good” play or performance?
• What is the value of drama?
• How do plays and performances communicate meaning?
• How are plays and performances organized?
• What is the nature of representation?
• What is the relationship between text and performance?
• How does drama interact with society

8. Sources for Research in Theatre and How to Cite them.

A technical chapter on sources and bibliographic style.

Focuses only on MLA style for clarity purposes, although this is not necessarily the current preferred style for theatre studies.