The
Art of Dramatic Writing
We
have all been forced to read classical theater plays at some point or another.
“Romeo and Juliet” as freshmen, “The Tragedy of Julius Caesar” as sophomores,
“The Tragedy of Macbeth” as seniors. It doesn’t matter when; you’ve been forced
to read a play. Maybe you even read the
Diary of Anne Frank script as a freshman. Whether you enjoyed the script format
and the stage directions or the more conventional form of storytelling in
books, at the heart of your reading pleasure, there are several important
aspects you subconsciously search for: strong, likeable characters to invest in
and a strong premise. In his book The Art
of Dramatic Writing, Lajos Egri methodically and concisely presents an
intriguing guide to the construction and writing of plays that can be applied
to a short story, novel, or even a screenplay.
Lajos
Egri was born in the city of Eger, Hungary, and wrote his first play at the age
of ten. For more than thirty-five years he wrote and directed plays in Europe
and the United States. He was director of the Egri School of Writing in New
York City for many years. He worked in the film industry in Los Angeles. His
book The Art of Dramatic Writing is
widely regarded as one of the best works on the subject of playwriting and was
even easily adapted to apply to short stories, novels, and film.
That
being said, The Art of Dramatic Writing is
far more interesting than any stuffy old book about writing plays has any right
to be. Egri’s conversationally caustic tone seems indicative of malice, yet he
injects a certain sharp-edged humor to his guide. Instead of simply writing a
step-by-step guide to writing a good play with sections and subsections and
numbered headings, Egri instead offers his advice and then offers several
scenarios and examples from both effective and ineffective plays. He explains
what is good about the good plays and what is bad about the bad ones. He opts
to write and explore the logical thought process behind bad decisions. But
rather than writing a complicated, psychological analysis, Egri comes up with
his own little play scenarios or takes scenarios from famous plays and explores
the thought process behind it. His method creates a sense of intrigue and
fascination with the art of storytelling and a sense of being actively involved
in the writing of a story, rather than just being told how to write one.
Egri
begins his guide by asserting the importance of a “premise.” Egri notes that
“every sensible invention must have a purpose, every sprint a destination (1).
Throughout his book, though his topic may wander and touch on many different
aspects, such as characterization and plot complexities, Egri
always touches back on the “premise.” He says that “every second of our life
has its own premise” and that though “we may not succeed in proving each tiny
premise” this in no way “alters the fact that there was one to prove” (1). Egri
always comes back to the driving point, the premise, the whole point of the
story. He builds up from the premise and ultimately every method he teaches,
every process he outlines, every tactic he employs, all come back to the
premise. He examines the premises of famous plays you probably know: Romeo and
Juliet, King Lear, Macbeth, Othello in order to tell the reader what it was
about them that made them such popular plays.
What
is most effective about his style is that Lajos Egri writes with short, simple
diction yet makes complex and intricate points about the finer nuances of
writing an engaging, well-thought out story. His methodical approach would be
difficult, perhaps impossible, to read if it had been merely outlining the
process to writing, but Egri’s methodical approach is riddled with artful
language and colorful diction. His writing is all the more interesting because
of its sophisticated understanding of the human psyche. In fact, the sub title of the book is “Its Basis in the Creative Interpretation
of Human Motives.” Not only does the Art
of Dramatic Writing offer an informative guide on dramatic, creative
writing but also an analysis and critique of human motives and emotions. What
drives a characters drives the “play.” By exploring the complexities, or even
superficialities, of human nature, Egri tells his reader how to construct a
believable three dimensional character of their own.
He
offers an interesting perspective of writing. And after a while, the reader can
forget that he or she is reading a writing guide and get so distracted by the
eloquent words and sophisticated, professional yet biting, copasetic tone and
little scenario diversions that they come to the end of a section and forget what point he was
making.
If
any criticism could be offered, it would be a purely personal criticism.
Personally, I did not appreciate that Mr. Lajas Egri was constantly critical.
He offered good tips on how to write a good play and what makes a good play,
but he would not, or could not, offer a good play without adding something
immediately derogatory. Even when complimenting the character development and
complexity of the characters in A Doll’s
House, and admitting that “we are tracing the completeness of Nora [one of
the characters],” Egri still feels the need to slip in that “we are not
discussing Ibsen’s deficiencies” (71). He compliments the characters but still
cannot seem to conceal his condescension for other playwrights. His tone
borders on aloof and arrogant, but all in all, these lines are far and few
between, and bearable when they do appear.
All
in all, the book is very intriguing, very entertaining, whether you want to
learn how to write creatively and dramatically or if you are simply looking for
something interesting to read. The human
studies and character analysis reflect the psychology and science behind what
makes a fictional character three dimensional and realistic. Everything you
subconsciously search for, he has picked up on and written into one engaging,
intelligent guide. Lajos Egri’s Art of
Dramatic Writing is not a book to groan when you pick it up; it’s
informative, professional, but witty and with an oddly personal touch. The Art of Dramatic Writing is both
useful and enjoyable, without being preachy. It does not do well as a
quick-reference guide, but it does offer a good starting point for all aspiring
writers out there.
Works
Cited
Egri,
Lajos. The art of dramatic writing: its basis in the creative interpretation of
human motives.. [Newly rev. ed. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1960. Print.
"Lajos
Egri." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 1 Aug. 2014. Web. 8 Jan. 2014.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lajos_Egri>.
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