The Art of Dramatic Writing
Language: English
Pages: 334
ISBN: 1434403874
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
"For many years, Lajos Egri's highly opinionated but very enjoyable The Art of Dramatic Writing has been a well-guarded secret of playwrights, scriptwriters, and writers for television. Unlike many other books on playwrighting (several of which Egri criticizes during the course of this one), the author's systematic breakdown of the essentials for creating successful realistic plays and screenplays effectively demystifies the process of creative writing." --John Longenbaugh
worthy citizen, a wealthy gentleman becomes a thief. The daughter of a respectable and religious family crashes into the underworld and prostitution. Why? On the surface, these examples are part of a riddle, part of the so-called “mystery of life.” But they can be explained, dialectically. It is a Herculean task, but not an impossible one if we remember that without contradiction there would be no motion and no life. Without contradiction there would be no universe. Stars, moon, earth would not
once a week. At night I go home. Nobody to talk to, just sitting watching the bugs, with one little light because the government’s got to save electricity. You had to go off and leave me to that! What’s the war to me that I have to sit at night with nobody to talk to? What’s the war to you that you had to go off and— WEBSTER: That’s why I’m standing up now, Martha. MARTHA: What took you so long, then? Why now? Why not a month ago, a year ago, ten years ago? Why didn’t you stand up then? Why
playwright’s part to do so. There must be a force which will unify all parts, a force out of which they will grow as naturally as limbs grow from the body. We think we know what that force is: human character, in all its infinite ramifications and dialectical contradictions. • • • Not for a moment do we believe that this book has said the last word on playwriting. On the contrary. Breaking a new road, one makes many mistakes and sometimes becomes inarticulate. Those coming after us will dig
clear-cut premise, it is child’s play to find the character who will carry the burden of that premise. When we accept the premise “Great love defies even death,” we necessarily will think of a couple who defy tradition, parental objections, and death itself. What kind of person has the capacity to do all this? Certainly not Hamlet or a professor of mathematics. He must be young, proud, impetuous. He is Romeo. Romeo fits the part assigned to him as easily as Orgon does in Tartuffe. Their
to the quick. Crisis. It seems Helmer is determined now. He says: Very well—I must put an end to this. He calls the maid, and gives her a letter to mail immediately. She goes. NORA: [Breathlessly] Torvald—what was that letter? HELMER: Krogstad’s dismissal. NORA: Call her back, Torvald! There is still time. Oh, Torvald, call her back. Do it for my sake—for your own sake—for the children’s sake! Do you hear me, Torvald? Call her back! You don’t know what that letter can bring upon us. HELMER: