Michelene Wandor

Finally, a craft book that recognizes that a play is complete as written, and that it can be read with relative ease. The author attempts to reestablish the writer as a crucial part of the theatrical team, rather than simply a scribe who writes down what they hear. Some of the analysis is specific to British theatre, and may not translate to the American stage as well, but even for American writers there is plenty in here to use and enjoy. The author is a fierce defender of the writer, and challenges the cliches that have arisen around what theatre is and isn't, including the one that a play is incomplete unless performed. She differentiates between the art of writing and the art of performing. One complaint is the constant use of the he/she formulation; of all the clunky ways to try to be inclusive, this is the clunkiest. I'm not sure what the answer is, though the alternating he with she is probably the least invasive to the reader. Overall, a worthy work with a few minor flaws that do little to diminish the enjoyment of the work.… (meer)