A More Perfect Ten: Writing and Producing the Ten-Minute Play

by Gary Garrison

A More Perfect Ten is a revision of Gary Garrison's pioneering book on writing and producing the 10-minute play, and it is now the most authoritative book on this emerging play form. The 10-minute play has become a regular feature of theatre companies and festivals from coast to coast, and Garrison has distilled the advice of many of those people who had been instrumental in promoting the ten minute play for the last few years. Replete with advice and tips on creating the successful 10-minute play, and cautions for avoiding the pitfalls, this new edition also includes addresses for the biggest and most important 10-minute festival opportunities, new sample 10-minute plays and questions for thought and discussion, and sample layout templates for laying out the play for submission. The savvy playwright at any level of skill can use this little book to great advantage. Plus Gary Garrison is warm, funny, irreverent, and essential.

Genres: Theatre

176 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2008

Reviews

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fair overview of strategies and challenges that surround the writing and producing of ten-minute plays. I wasn't a huge fan of Garrison's voice in the early sections of the book, but the content even early on is valid and helpful, so it balances out. And the discussion does become more focused as the book progresses.

The book also is exactly what the title suggests - a discussion of ten-minute plays. There is an assumption throughout that the reader has a least a basic understanding of how to write a play. Things like dialogue, character development, blocking, etc. are not explained, but rather are treated as familiar concepts. This works fine so long as the reader isn't expecting more introductory information - and these general concepts are discussed within the context of ten-minute plays.

The book begins with a helpful overview of strategies and pitfalls to be aware of when working on writing plays of this length. Particularly beneficial is the inclusion of perspectives beyond that the of the writer. When dealing with plays, it is important to consider all the factors that go into producing a play, and Garrison helps the aspiring playwright be aware of the broader context.

The latter part of the book contains thoughts from those working in the field, and a selection of short plays for the reader to consider in light of the lessons presented. (Full disclosure - I haven't read all the included plays yet, but I will be returning to them at some point.)

And the book ends on a very effective note - first encouraging the reader to apply the lessons, then providing an overview and encouragement. "There is something so unique and previous about you," Garrison writes in the final chapter. "You as a person, writer, friend and companion. Don't lose that in your writing."

It's an important note to end on, and effectively concludes a focused but very solid book about the craft of writing ten-minute plays.

[Mary Aalgaard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is more of a What NOT to do vs. a How to book. Garrison goes on a bit of a rant about what doesn’t work and why we shouldn’t do it. As with any book on the craft, you have to be careful that it doesn’t block you. It blocked me enough that I needed some sister therapy to get the negative voices out of my head. He offers some good examples of 10 minute plays, formatting, and tips on things to think about while writing. So, that’s good. I set the book aside and started writing my play, and tried not to worry about things that irritated this author/director/writing teacher.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of most helpful pieces of writing I've ever read. Not only is this work informative, it feels comprehensive as well. Gary is an insider in the industry, so you get the basics of what to do, but also what NOT to do with a ten minute play. It's fair but firm in its no nonsense approach.

Honestly. to the new and returning writer who wishes to submit his/her work online for production, this work is indispensable.

[Jillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book contains some helpful pieces of advice, a range of interesting short interviews, and a number of example scripts, among other resources. The author's voice could be off-putting though, and at times I wasn't convinced he even liked 10-minute plays, which is an interesting authorial choice. I personally preferred Writing the 10-Minute Play by Glenn Alterman if I had to pick just one book in this genre, but ultimately I think it was beneficial to read both.

[Katie Winkler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful and inspirational. The section with the info about submitting is dated now, but even that gives an idea of what theaters might be looking for ten-minute plays. Will be useful for the drama section of my creative writing class.

[Chuckold · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had to read this for school definitely one of the better assigned books I’ve had

[KM Bezner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used this book when writing my first ten minute play for a class and found it immensely helpful. Garrison is easy to read and is approachable, even for theatre newbies like myself.