The Alchemy of Astonishment

Stage director Will Weigler analyzed nearly 100 stories from people about their most unforgettable experiences at the theatre, and turned the results of his research into a vocabulary of staging strategies that anyone can access to powerfully express the stories they want to tell through theatre. Combining theory with application, The Alchemy of Astonishment, with its supplementary deck of teaching cards, is a useful resource for scholars, educators, students, theatre goers, and theatre artists to share a language that will allow them to meet as equitable partners in the creative co-authorship and staging of dynamic and compelling plays.

Winner of the 2017 Distinguished Book Award from the American Alliance for Theatre & Education.