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Writing the One-Act Play
Hardcover
Literary CriticismWriting Instruction
ISBN13: 9781025400044
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 264
Weight: 1.20
Height: 0.63 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
Writing the One-Act Play is a comprehensive guide dedicated to the craft of short-form drama. Author Harold Newcomb Hillebrand provides an essential roadmap for aspiring playwrights, focusing specifically on the unique demands and structural constraints of the one-act format. Unlike full-length productions, the one-act play requires a heightened sense of economy, precision, and immediate impact, all of which are explored in detail throughout this work.
The text delves into the fundamental elements of dramatic composition, including plot construction, characterization, and the art of writing effective dialogue. Hillebrand offers practical advice on how to develop a compelling central idea and bring it to a satisfying climax within a limited timeframe. By analyzing the technical aspects of the stage, the book serves as both a theoretical study and a practical manual for the theater. Writing the One-Act Play remains a valuable resource for students of literature, creative writing, and dramatic arts, offering timeless insights into the discipline required to master the short play. Whether for the classroom or the amateur stage, this work clarifies the distinction between the short story and the short play, emphasizing the visual and auditory power of live performance.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
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