Rosemarie Tichler

The authors meet and interview popular playwrights. They are interested in how they work, how they get their inspiration, and their views on plays and playwriting. While I was focused on the female playwrights for a class I am taking, I read the interviews with the male playwrights as well, and was struck by the differences. Not a single male playwright mentioned family obligations making it difficult for them to write; this was a frequent refrain with the female playwrights, who seemed to be in the same position as working women in other fields, responsible not only for meeting their deadlines, but for making the house a home. The one thing that shines through all these interviews, male or female, is how difficult it can be to get that first break, and how tough it can be to continue meeting expectations once you are regarded as a top playwright.… (mais)