Our grandparents studied agriculture so our parents could study science so we could study art. The problem is, art rarely pays the bills. Even the most successful American playwrights need a steady daytime nine-to-five job to take care of habits like eating and paying rent. Diversions like writing plays can seem to be a waste of time.

That is why Gary Garrison, playwright and associate chair of the dramatic writing program at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, has written “The Playwright’s Survival Guide: Keeping the Drama in Your Work and Out of Your Life.”

The book acts as a how-to manual, war story journal and bible for writers who need reminded of why they do what they do in a world that is none too accommodating for playwrights.

Part I is divided into two sections: “For your heart” and “For your soul.” This is the section for writers looking to remind themselves of why they write in the first place. Garrison talks about how to overcome common problems associated with motivation, self-doubt, finding your voice, writer’s block and how to get the kind of feedback you really need from people.

This section is filled with personal anecdotes from Garrison’s own experiences as a struggling playwright. He has a way of addressing problems with his unique personality, which can be described as flaming Texan.

You know he isn’t talking about things he has no experience with. Every example is an emotional depth charge filled with either the angst and disappointment of rejection or the frenzied joy of success.

In one passage, Garrison spells out the hazards of taking too many people’s opinion’s to heart when writing a play.

“The first full-length play I ever wrote, (and which no one will ever see), is buried in a box out of the sight of humankind,” he wrote “I can’t burn it — I’m too superstitious. I can’t read it — it’s too painful. I wouldn’t dream of showing it to my best, best, best friend — she’d take too much pleasure in knowing how awful it is.

“It’ll never see the light of day because it’s not really my play, but a play written by committee. I listened to too many people who had too many big ideas about my small play. I took every single piece of criticism and advice that came toward me, and I applied it to my play, and eventually I lost sight of what I’d written. I’ll never do that again; not as long as there’s a watermelon around.”

Garrison also talks about the importance of heroes. Just as people can not purport to be an avid gardener without ever having visited their own cities’ botanical center, playwrights need someone to look up to and admire.

It is not enough to work on one’s craft in solitude. One must see plays, read plays and become as involved in the theater as possible.

The author even gives a short treatise on the proper way to “kiss ass.”

“What am I going to say? Don’t do it? You’re going to do it. We all do it. We won’t admit to it, but we all do it … if you’re going to do it, be smart about it. Know who’s watching you, and know how many times they’ve seen you do it. Don’t become known as the playwright with the big lips.”

The second part of the book is broken up into two sections: “For your head” and “Just for good measure.” This is the practical section that tells playwrights how to format their plays, why they don’t need a manager or agent if they aren’t willing to do all of the legwork themselves, why they need to do their own legwork, how to ask qualified people for feedback, how not to get angry and fly off the handle when you’ve been blown off by someone eight months after they promised to have your play read and much more.

Garrison covers every detail from when and if to hand over the rights of play to how to get along with directors and why you should respect actors.

The author’s frankness is refreshing. It is good to read a how-to book that cuts through the dry, old tried and true format. Garrison is a wonderfully entertaining and witty writer who isn’t afraid to bare his most personal fears and most embarrassing stories for our edification.

There is nothing he won’t reveal from the hissy fit he threw when his mother hadn’t read his latest play to the time he met his hero, Lanford Wilson, with less than complete grace and aplomb.

Seeing that he’s been there and done it all makes the reader see that the road ahead is at least as full of potential success as it is failure. By keeping a positive mental attitude and possessing a willingness to work through any obstacle, one can get a leg up on the competition.

“The Playwright’s Survival Guide” is a book any aspiring writer can use for motivation and inspiration. In a pinch, it is priest, psycho-therapist and best friend rolled into one easy to carry volume.

4 Stars

---

Ratings based on a 5 Star scale.