Playwriting with Purpose
Playwriting with Purpose
A Guide and Workbook for Playwrights
Jacqueline Goldfinger
Playwriting with Purpose: A Guide and Workbook for New Playwrights, Second Edition provides a revised and greatly expanded holistic approach to playwriting from an award-winning playwright and professor.
This book incorporates craft lessons, scenes for study, and concrete guidance in both the art and business of playwriting. The author takes readers through the entire creative process, from creating characters and writing dialogue to revising and producing your play. Each chapter includes incisive craft lessons, provocative writing prompts, examples from plays, tips from working artists, reading recommendations, and more. Thoroughly revised, new features to this edition include:
- Vastly expanded sections on structure, world building, business of playwriting, writing for television and film, and more
- New writing exercises and pro tips from working playwrights in each chapter
- An exploration of art and craft through a new selection of international plays
- Shorter chapters with more subject headings to make it easier to find the exact craft lesson or writing prompt you want when you want it
Playwriting with Purpose gives writers and students the tools to succeed in today’s theatre industry.
Available
2025
English
978-1-032-82590-8
Drama
Routledge
Jacqueline Goldfinger is an award-winning playwright, dramaturg, and librettist. Her work has been produced around the world, including performances at The Kennedy Center, Sydney Opera House, Contemporary American Theatre Festival, École nationale de théâtre du Canada, BBC Radio 3, among others. As an educator, she has taught playwriting and dramaturgy at University of Pennsylvania (undergraduate), University of California, Davis (graduate), and others. She was the Guest Editor for the new play issue of the Journal of American Drama and Theatre. As a dramaturg, she has worked on new plays at La Jolla Playhouse, Philadelphia Theatre Company, and others.