1. Introduction
2. Confrontation and Self-Revelation
3. French Fries and Twirler: Two Monodramas by Jane Martin
4. Bridges Across a Chasm: Three Plays by Eric Bogosian, Anna Deavere Smith, and Lanford Wilson
5. The Playwright, Actor, and Director as Visionary, Lawmaker, and Storyteller
6. Characterization Techniques for Actors, Playwrights, and Directors
7. Constructing Plot with Character Objective
8. Collaboration in Rehearsals
Appendix: The Evolution of the Solo Play
233 pages, $28.95 list
1-57766-620-8
978-1-57766-620-2
© 2000
paperback
The Power of One
The Solo Play for Playwrights, Actors, and Directors
The one-person play has a long and rich tradition, as well as being one of the most economical forms of theatre and a wonderful showcase for an actor, a playwright, and a director—especially when all three are the same person! Dean of American playwriting texts, Louis Catron offers an outstanding guide for playwrights, actors, and directors who are interested in working in this form. He demonstrates techniques of writing, acting, and directing that encourage the reader to create a personal theatrical experience, whether a full-length play or one as short as a one-act. Among the special qualities in the book are: discussions and illustrations of the actor/playwright collaboration; important and helpful tips for solo play actors, directors, and playwrights; and numerous examples of actual solo play scripts.
The Power of One includes examples of actors who have written and performed their own one-person plays and carved out rewarding professional careers for themselves. Catron provides illustrations of those who have found the monodrama a remarkably gratifying experience—people like Patrick Stewart, Anna Deavere Smith, Lily Tomlin, Hal Holbrook, Jane Martin, and many more. Also in this book is a historical overview of the solo play that illustrates its long and distinguished history, material not found in other theatrical texts.
About the Author: Louis Catron is an award-winning Professor of Theatre at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, where he teaches playwriting, directing, and acting. He has written books and magazine articles on playwriting and play direction, and as an experienced actor, playwright, and director, he has also supervised the productions of hundreds of original plays, many of them one-person plays.
The Power of One includes examples of actors who have written and performed their own one-person plays and carved out rewarding professional careers for themselves. Catron provides illustrations of those who have found the monodrama a remarkably gratifying experience—people like Patrick Stewart, Anna Deavere Smith, Lily Tomlin, Hal Holbrook, Jane Martin, and many more. Also in this book is a historical overview of the solo play that illustrates its long and distinguished history, material not found in other theatrical texts.
About the Author: Louis Catron is an award-winning Professor of Theatre at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, where he teaches playwriting, directing, and acting. He has written books and magazine articles on playwriting and play direction, and as an experienced actor, playwright, and director, he has also supervised the productions of hundreds of original plays, many of them one-person plays.