Cutting Plays for Performance - Practical Guide to Editing Plays

In this review of Cutting Plays for Performance the bottom line is clear: it is an indispensable, practical manual for directors, dramaturgs and editors who need a structured approach to cutting plays. The book's single biggest reason to buy is its actionable process - it walks through why to cut, how to cut for time and audience, and how to communicate those choices to a production team, making the editing task less guesswork and more collaborative planning. This review focuses on how the book performs as a working toolkit rather than an academic text.

Key Features

• Comprehensive guidance: Offers clear explanations of the various reasons for cutting so readers can align edits with artistic goals.
• Methodical approaches: Describes multiple methods to serve different purposes, including shortening for time and shaping story for specific audiences.
• Team communication: Suggests practical ways to communicate cuts to a production team, helping preserve clarity across collaborators.
• Structural focus: Covers structural issues such as plot beats and rhetorical concepts so cuts maintain narrative integrity.
• Legal awareness: Addresses legal considerations so users remain mindful of rights and permissions when editing texts.
• Worksheets and examples: Includes practical worksheets and step-by-step examples that guide the reader through real editing tasks.

Who It's For

Cutting Plays for Performance is best suited to theatre directors, stage managers, dramaturgs and advanced students who regularly adapt plays for performance and need a clear, repeatable process. The book's practical worksheets and worked examples make it particularly useful for teams preparing staged readings, truncated festival pieces, or time-limited productions.

Those looking for an academic history of play editing or a collection of case studies without hands-on tools should look elsewhere; this book prioritizes applied technique and workflow over theoretical breadth.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Provides a usable, step-by-step process for cutting that can be applied to both classical and modern plays.
• Includes worksheets and concrete examples that make planning and execution straightforward for production teams.
• Focuses on communication and legal considerations, reducing common risks when altering texts.

Cons

• The text emphasizes practical workflow over deep theoretical analysis, so readers seeking extensive scholarly context may find it limited.

Specifications

Our Verdict

Cutting Plays for Performance is a pragmatic tool for practitioners who must make clear, defensible edits for live production. Its emphasis on method, communication and legal awareness makes it good value for directors and dramaturgs who need reliable workflows rather than theoretical discussion. Buy it if you want a working play-cutting blueprint for collaborative productions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this book include practical tools I can use in rehearsal?
Yes, it contains worksheets and step-by-step examples intended for planning and executing cuts during rehearsal and preproduction.

Is it suitable for classical plays as well as modern work?
Yes, the text explicitly addresses cutting across both classical and modern plays and covers structural considerations for each.

Will it help with legal issues when altering text?
The book discusses legal considerations to raise awareness, though productions should still consult rights holders or legal counsel for final permissions.