Dramatists Toolkit, the Craft of the Working Playwright: The Craft of the Working Playwright

Its brevity aside, the most striking feature of Jeffrey Sweet's The Dramatist's Toolkit is that it's not written like most playwriting texts. Instead of ponderously essaying Aristotle (though if you want a good analysis of Poetics, I'd recommend Hatcher's Art & Craft of Playwriting), Sweet cuts to the chase of negotiations and subtext. His is the only book on playwriting that I've ever seen to really get to the heart of creating scenes (and the better part of the book focuses on just this).Because of this emphasis, this is not going to be the book you should refer to for structure; again, Hatcher is strong there, as is Gordon Farrell's Power of the Playwright's Vision (the only text I've seen to give numerous structural breakdowns). However, Sweet's advice - taken well, and with the usual pinch of salt - is very liberating to the writer who's been struggling against formulaic playwriting texts.Sweet's book is worth its cover price based solely on its discussions of negotiations, which really are eye-openers as to how subtext really works. His section on exposition, with a discussion on high and low contexts, is likewise strong. The book is great as a reference while doing your actual writing, just to remind you of things you can really make work.Now, Sweet's a bit brief (but powerful) in this book, but makes up for it in the sequel, Solving Your Script. The latter is a reinforcement of the ideas from The Dramatist's Toolkit, with enlightening, well annotated examples. Together, they make up a powerful combination addressing what is so rarely touched on in playwriting books: how to actually write powerful, subtle scenes. Combine them with a couple of good structural books like Hatcher or Farrell, and you've got a much better basis than most of the formulaic texts.

After you've learned the basic ingredients of a play (for which I recommend Buzz McLaughlin's "The Playwright's Process"), this is the single most useful text available on the subject of playwriting. Sweet's advice on exposition in dialogue will change the way you write -- and think. His fascinating discussions on violating rituals and negotiation also will influence your work. Sweet's ideas on improvisation are equally intriguing. In addition to his writing ideas, Sweet also suggests how you might create an ongoing forum with other playwrights to read and discuss one another's works-in-progress. All playwrights want to be produced and here, too, Sweet has some extremely practical ideas for moving a play from page to stage. Anyone who wants to write a good play -- or improve one they've already written with some focused editing -- should order this book today!

I teach college playwriting, so I've read lots of these books. My ideal book for use in the classroom (and for my own review as a writer) is one that strikes a balance between clearly describing the basic principles, providing inspiration and courage for the journey ahead, and leaving enough time to actually write! Jeff Sweet's "The Dramatist's Toolkit" is my current choice. This book introduces a few especially useful tools. It also provides enough biz illustrations to make the beginner feel in safe hands and make the road-weary glad for Sweet's wise and witty companionship. I recently spoke with a dramaturg who said that Sweet's chapter on Ethics was the best writing she'd seen on that subject. I heartily agree. The final sentence in the Ethics chapter is well worth becoming a calligraphied, fancy-framed plaque posted high above the callboard for future generations to hide in their hearts. Jeff Barker, Professor of Theatre and Playwright in Residence, Northwestern College, Orange City, Iowa

I like to read, and I like to write plays. The not-too-surprising result is that I've read a lot of books on playwriting. Jeff Sweet's The Dramatist's Toolkit is by far the best I've read. With most books on playwriting, I count myself lucky to learn one or two tips I find useful. In the Dramatist's Toolkit, I marked ten interesting points in the first three chapters alone. Sweet is extraordinarily gifted in analyzing why something works in a play and presenting the analysis in a readily understandable way. His discussions of the difference between literature and a play script, the need for audience participation in a play (and how to create it), the use of objects, the transformation or destruction of objects, and the way in which the use of space can illuminate different aspects of a play are all right on the money. While I would recommend this book strongly to anyone thinking of writing a play, I do think it is especially useful to the working playwright struggling to solve a specific problem in a specific script. Just as a wrench is most useful if you have a nut to loosen, and only a paperweight (or blunt instrument) otherwise, The Dramatist's Toolkit is most useful when a deadline looms and a scene just won't jell. If that happens to you, a quick reading (or re-reading) of this book will surely provide several ideas worth trying.

Sweet's book is a valuable compilation of tools for playwrights. It contains original concepts, not just a rehash of other playwriting books. Negotiation over objects, high and low context dialogue, violating rituals, the unspoken concept and characters speaking with different voices are all extremely useful tools which have changed my writing for the better. After reading "Toolkit," I went back and reread Pinter and Albee and Ibsen and others. Sure enough, they utilized these tools in their plays. I just never recognized them before. This book is a quick and entertaining read - probably about two hours. But the concepts have to be practiced. The only thing Sweet doesn't do in this book is write your play for you.