The Death and Life of Drama: Reflections on Writing and Human Nature
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AlbakiReads Editorial A wide-ranging inquiry into how drama creates meaning on screen
A wide-ranging inquiry into how drama creates meaning on screen
Lance Lee brings together personal essays on the mechanics and larger social function of drama, using examples that range from ancient Athenian plays to modern popular film. The book examines how time, emotion, morality, action, and character change operate within dramatic worlds, alongside a discussion of comedy and shifting historical contexts for performance. Central to Lee’s approach is a proposed five-act model that extends characters’ lives beyond a story’s conventional beginning, middle, and end. Framed by both philosophical questions and practical concerns of construction, the collection treats screenwriting as a way of investigating how viewers make sense of human behavior and experience.
Good fit for readers who enjoy
- Screenwriters studying dramatic structure and action
- Film enthusiasts interested in how movies build character, morality, and meaning
- Readers interested in links between classical drama and contemporary film
Themes
Dramatic structureScreenwritingCharacter developmentTime and action in dramaComedy and dramatic context
Based on publisher information and book metadata.
Book Overview What makes a film "work," so that audiences come away from the viewing experience refreshed and even transformed in the way they understa...
What makes a film "work," so that audiences come away from the viewing experience refreshed and even transformed in the way they understand themselves and the world around them? In The Death and Life of Drama, veteran screenwriter and screenwriting teacher Lance Lee tackles this question in a series of personal essays that thoroughly analyze drama's role in our society, as well as the elements that structure all drama, from the plays of ancient Athens to today's most popular movies.
Using examples from well-known classical era and recent films, Lee investigates how writers handle dramatic elements such as time, emotion, morality, and character growth to demonstrate why some films work while others do not. He seeks to define precisely what "action" is and how the writer and the viewer understand dramatic reality. He looks at various kinds of time in drama, explores dramatic context from Athens to the present, and examines the concept of comedy. Lee also proposes a novel "five act" structure for drama that takes account of the characters' past and future outside the "beginning, middle, and end" of the story. Deftly balancing philosophical issues and practical concerns, The Death and Life of Drama offers a rich understanding of the principles of successful dramatic writing for screenwriters and indeed everyone who enjoys movies and wants to know why some films have such enduring appeal for so many people.
Book Details Format: Paperback | Pages: 258 | Language: English | Publisher: UNIV OF TEXAS PR | ISBN: 0292709641
FormatPaperback
Pages258
LanguageEnglish
ISBN0292709641
EAN9780292709645
PublisherUNIV OF TEXAS PR
Publication Date2005-09-01
Edition1994
AccessoriesNo Accessory
ConditionNew
Product TypeQUALITY PAPERBACK BOOKS
Weight0.84 Pounds
Length9.06 Inches
Width6.06 Inches
Height0.74 Inches
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