Today we have Mary Watson, a senior writer from Academized, sharing her years of wisdom on how to write truly engaging essays about theatre. Mary has a Master’s degree in Theatre Studies and has been teaching, writing, and critiquing theatrical works for over a decade.
Her expertise comes from Academized, an essay writing service that can help students craft high-quality essays on any topic, including theatre. With a team of experienced writers and editors, Academized provides guidance and support throughout the writing process. Let’s dive into Mary’s expert tips!
She Says:
The number one piece of advice Mary gives is to always make your theatre essay personal and full of your own voice. “Too many students try to write like a bland academic journal.
That makes for a dry, uninteresting read. The best essays are rich with the writer’s personality and experiences with the theatrical works they’re analyzing.
To make your writing personal, Mary suggests relating the plays, musicals, or performances to your own life where possible. “Did a particular scene or character remind you of something from your childhood? An experience you had? Moments like those allow you to build connections for the reader.” She also recommends using personal pronouns like “I” and “me” liberally. “This reminds the reader that these are your views and analyses, not just regurgitated facts.”
According to Mary, a common mistake is rehashing the same trite analyses that teachers and critics have covered ad nauseam.
She Explains:
The truly great essays find unique perspectives to write from.
As an example highlighted in other reviews, her favorite technique is looking at shows from unconventional lenses.
You could explore the symbolism and foreshadowing in a musical from a queer theory perspective. Or analyze the portrayal of gender roles in a classical Greek tragedy through a modern feminist lens. Getting creative with your angle instantly makes your essay stand out.
Mary emphasizes reading beyond just the most popular mainstream analyses as well.
Check out academic journals, literary critiques, and essays from diverse viewpoints. See what interesting new angles authors are taking. Those can inspire you to craft an even more original perspective.
Vividness is key when writing about the performative arts, Mary says. She tells students:
Don’t just say the production was good or that the acting was strong. That’s vague and bland. Give me rich, Transportive details!
Mary shared an example of a vividly descriptive paragraph that would hook readers:
From the moment the heavy maroon curtain raised, we were fully immersed in the smoky, dimly-lit Prague pub where the first scene took place. The middle-aged Czech bartender polishing brass beer mugs looked like he was ripped straight from the streets of 1930s Czechia. And when the first barmaid entered, slamming her tray of empty pint glasses down on the scratched wooden bar, you could practically smell the stale scent of cigarettes and beer wafting through the room.
See how much more engaging that is than just saying ‘the set was very realistic’?” Mary asks rhetorically.
Vivid details allow readers to envision the experience themselves. That’s the goal when writing about such a visual art form.
Since plays, musicals, operas, etc. are storytelling mediums, Mary believes the best essays should also tell a story of their own when analyzing them. But this story needs to be clear and logical.
she advises.
Your essay should have a natural narrative flow.
Not just random observations in a scattered order. First, introduce the work with key details about the storyline, creators, and your thesis statement. Then logically track your storyline and arguments through that central thesis, using transitions like ‘additionally’, ‘moreover’, and ‘consequently.
Mary says to think of your essay like the theatrical work itself.
It needs a coherent arc with a beginning hook, a developed middle, and a concluded ending. Treat your analysis like the narrative through-line.
On a technical note, Mary emphasizes properly citing any sources used. “This is especially crucial when directly quoting lines from the theatrical works. You need to give attribution. Otherwise, it’s plagiarism.”
She also advises following formatting requirements for theatre essays to a tee.
Most institutions require you to use a specific style like MLA, APA, Chicago, etc. when formatting your paper layout, heading structure, citations, and bibliography. Don’t disregard this or you’ll lose points!
With these tips from the expert Mary Watson, you’re now ready to craft truly engaging and insightful essays about theatre. Remember to add your personal voice, take a unique angle, use vivid descriptions, tell a logical narrative story, and never overlook formatting and citations. Your theatre essays are sure to get rave reviews.
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