by Squint Theatre (Author)
How do playwrights write collaboratively? What role can improvisation play in unlocking a story? When does research spark the imagination and when does it get in the way?
Long Story Short is a collection of plays and a toolkit for writers, devisers, dramaturgs and theatre-makers. Inspired by Squint's collaborative practice and drawing on the company's renowned education programme, Long Story Short lifts the lid on the company's methodology. It provides a range of tools and techniques for any aspiring artist who is looking to form a company, write a play, devise from scratch - or all three.
Squint's plays are published here for the first time; Long Story Short (2014) - a whirling dissection of journalism in the digital age; Molly(2015) - a reality television-style journey into the warped mind of a sociopath; and The Incredible True Story Of The Johnstown Flood (2023) - a transatlantic exploration of class, exploitation and the act of storytelling.
Alongside the plays is The Squint Toolkit; 30 exercises from the company's theatre-making process. These exercises are presented in a user-friendly way covering topics such as, writing subtext, devising from music, carrying out research and generating story through improvisation.
Plays, commentary and practice come together in a book that sheds light on the peaks and pitfalls involved in growing a company and developing an artistic ethos across over ten years.