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I rarely enjoy one-handers but one that I did, even when only listening to the audio and reading along with the text, was Girls & Boys by Dennis Kelly, as performed by Carey Mulligan. I really wish I could have seen this production.

Here are some contemporary(ish) playwrights I'd recommend, and a play or two of theirs:

• Paula Vogel -- How I Learned to Drive
• Martin McDonagh -- The Pillowman; Lieutenant of Inishmore
• Sarah Ruhl -- Eurydice; Melancholy Play
• Lynn Nottage -- Ruined
• August Wilson -- Fences; Joe Turner's Come and Gone
• Wendy Wasserstein -- The Heidi Chronicles
• Tracy Letts -- August: Osage County; Superior Donuts
• Suzan-Lori Parks -- Topdog/Underdog
• Tom Stoppard -- Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead; Arcadia
• Edward Albee -- The Zoo Story
• Michael Frayn -- Noises Off

Stephen King also has a memoir about writing. It's called "On Writing." It's about his career, some of his advice for writers, stuff like that. It's a little dated--he talks about how much he loves floppy discs--and you likely won't agree with all of his advice, but it's worth reading.

How Plays Work (Nick Hern Books) (pardon my typo) https://www.amazon.com/Plays-Work-Nick-Hern-Books/dp/1854593714

https://www.amazon.com/Playwriting-Purpose-Jacqueline-Goldfinger/dp/1032003812/ref=nodl_?dplnkId=fc74400b-7722-498e-9a94-c801959c77e2

The Playwright's Guidebook

That's really the only book you need to read.

Good luck!

By the way, I would really recommend to anyone that wants to read a book about playwriting to take a look at "The Art of Dramatic Writing" by Lajos Egri. Over time I read a lot of books about playwriting, screenwriting and stories in general, but this one keeps standing out in my mind as the most straightforward and effective way to think about dramatic writing, no matter the medium: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Dramatic-Writing-Lajos-Egri/dp/1434495434

it's this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Hound-Baskervilles-Steven-Canny/dp/1848422423

Watson is only watson. The baskerville heir is himself and his uncle. Holmes plays holmes, the butler, the butler's wife, the neighbor, the neighbor's wife, the guy on the train, and several other people. At some point he has a fight with himself so he's rolling around on the floor with a dummy. It is DEEPLY silly and a lot of fun.

This might help.

Staging Sex: Best Practices, Tools, and Techniques for Theatrical Intimacy https://www.amazon.com/dp/1138596493/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_ZQA4K1A5G1T7D90J7ETA?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Uploaded a rough draft of whole thing. It's been in rough draft form for a while, just forgot to upload because I've been busy.

Welcoming all feedback because if you read 75 pages of a play about porn that I threw up, you have earned the right to say whatever you'd like about it.

That being said, I'm aware of the grammatical errors that do need fixing up, but there are also some intended as not everyone speaks in perfect english.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0M8sbXnj2M6SlBRMVM3Z21kMVE/edit?usp=sharing

thanks!

I don't have any problems feeling inspiration. In fact, my best play to date is all about exceptional states of inspiration based on my extensive research on ecstatic trance and shamanism.

But there is the little problem of what to do with your inspiration. Inspiration can often be nebulous but art is the process of giving form to the imagination, being a creator and not a dreamer. This is definitely something that I have to work on.

And finally there is the matter of finding inspiration in playwriting. I think I could apply my creativity to many things. But I do feel a genuine appreciation for dramatic writing. Unfortunately the prospects for even modest success are very low so there is a fierce battle against discouragement. I just try to remind myself that the playwright is a creator and nobody can stop him from creating a dramatic world, even if it is only destined for the desk drawer.

I've almost finished the MasterClass given by David Mamet online. I have only a few more lessons to complete and then I can stop hearing him say *bippity boppity boo". Right?

Here's a great and helpful book that just came out a couple months ago. Written by playwright Jacqueline Goldfinger.

I format my works like the works that I read for the sake of sanity. If you want to look at a good example, this is four solo scripts. I've worked on one of them.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00R7TERCE

This one is more focused on screen writing for film, but I feel like it’s chapters on structure are extremely useful. “Writing Movies for Fun and Profit” by Tom Lennon and Ben Garant.

https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Movies-Fun-Profit-Billion/dp/1439186766/ref=nodl_

Here is Thief of Babes, a historical fantasy.

https://newplayexchange.org/ is the best place to find plays to read. Once you sign up you can download PDFs of scripts from some well know playwrights like Caridad Svich, Jacqueline Goldfinger, or Mia McCullough.

Stage plays aren't analyzed like screenplays. You might want to read some books on dramaturgy, play directing, and script analysis. Outrageous Fortune: The Life and Times of the New American Play is the best book on new play development. That book really cleared up a few mysteries for me since most playwriting books only cover the craft and not the business.