Dramatic Technique

George Pierce BakerProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.0

Word count: 1M words
Chapters: 102

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Dramatic Technique by George Pierce BakerAuthor: Baker, George Pierce, 1866-1935,Language: English, Class: PN: Language and Literatures: Literature: General, Criticism, Collections, Release Date: Jul 2, 2011

Editor's review

George Pierce Baker was a key figure in early twentieth-century American theatre education, and Dramatic Technique is a systematic discussion of the technical problems of dramatic writing, belonging to the literature of dramatic theory and playwriting method. Its value lies not in offering ready-made writing formulas but in placing dramatic structure, character action, and the arrangement of conflict within an analyzable and trainable framework, reflecting the basic approach of academic theatre teaching of the time. For today's readers, the examples and terminology bear the marks of their era, and some views need to be assessed in light of later playwriting practice, but it remains a useful source for understanding the early form of modern playwriting studies. It can be read as a sample of how the idea of "dramatic technique" was systematized, with attention to how the author breaks down the composition of a scene and how he discusses the organization of audience attention. For those engaged in scriptwriting, theatre research, or teaching, the book offers a perspective weighted toward structure and technique, and can be read in comparison with later playwriting theory.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who want to learn scriptwriting and understand the basic problems of dramatic structure
Researchers and teachers in dramatic literature and playwriting theory
Those interested in the history of early twentieth-century American theatre education
Creators who need public-domain material on dramatic theory for reference

Not a good fit for

Beginners looking only for ready-to-use playwriting templates
Readers expecting analysis of contemporary film and television screenwriting cases
Readers impatient with theoretical, analytical writing

Reading tips

Read through the table of contents first to grasp the author's overall framework for discussing dramatic technique.
As you read, check the book's structural analysis against plays you know well.
Skim dated examples; focus on technical principles and methods of argument.
Read in comparison with later playwriting theory to identify continuities and changes in viewpoint.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for complete beginners in playwriting?

It is more of an academic systematic discussion than a quick-start handbook. Beginners willing to read slowly and compare it with specific plays can gain a sense of structure; those who want to grasp writing steps quickly may find it too theoretical, and are advised to read a more accessible introductory playwriting book first before returning to this one.

Are the book's views on dramatic technique still applicable today?

The basic problems it discusses—structure, conflict, character action—still have reference value, but the examples and some ideas carry the limitations of the early twentieth century. It is best treated as a historical sample of how dramatic technique was systematized and read in comparison with contemporary playwriting theory, rather than as the only standard.

What prior knowledge of drama is needed to read it?

It is best to have a preliminary understanding of basic dramatic elements such as plot, character, conflict, and scene, and to have read several classic plays. This way, when the author analyzes technical problems, you can draw on concrete textual experience for comparison, and your understanding will be more solid; readers with no experience of reading drama can start with selected plays.

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About the author

George Pierce Baker Author · American · 1866–1935

George Pierce Baker (1866–1935) was an American theater educator who taught for many years at Harvard University. He founded the 47 Workshop, which offered systematic writing training to young people interested in dramatic composition and had a lasting influence on modern American theater education. His representative work, Dramatic Technique, discusses the structure and methods of playwriting and emphasizes the connection between stage practice and the craft of writing; it is still regarded as an important reference for the teaching of dramatic writing. Public information is limited, and many details of his life cannot be verified, but his teaching and writings show that he placed particular emphasis on technical training and stage viability, offering inspiration for later generations in both dramatic creation and teaching.