FREE FIRE ZONE Reviews
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If you want to be a writer of dramatic works for the stage, film and/or television, you must read Free Fire Zone. If, after reading it, you still want to write narrative drama, then by all means go for it. Theresa Rebeck’s extremely funny, often sardonic, always honest book should scare the hell out of the faint-of-heart—and the weak should probably steer clear of show business.
For those already writing dramatic works, this book will serve as a pointed reminder—sometimes in stick-in-the-eye fashion—of the many ridiculous stumbling blocks writers must often overcome. Rebeck tells enough juicy stories about her escapades in television and film (but also in the “pure” world of theater), to keep showbiz veterans guessing at the identities of some of the outrageous persons (and behavior) she has encountered.
Although this is not a “how-to” book, it is an important narrative on the path of at least one woman who has made a successful career writing dramatic work. If Rebeck burns bridges to certain Hollywood types along the way, one senses that those relationships had deteriorated anyway. (And if the right project requiring her talents comes along, forget bridges, the Hollywoodies will send a jet.)
This book is shot through with acerbic wit, razor-sharp observations and a healthy dose of cynicism—which Rebeck’s theater audiences know induce laughter generated by equal parts of human folly and familiar pain. If Free Fire Zone doesn’t make you laugh out loud and feel just a bit uncomfortable, check your pulse. And if it makes you want to write drama, get to it.
Jeffrey Eric Jenkins, Editor, Best Plays Theater Yearbook
If one didn't know anything about Rebeck, this sympathetic guide
through the often ruthless bureaucratic minefields of writing
for theater, television, and film might seem like a bad author's
excuse for failure. But Rebeck is an established playwright and
screenwriter, successful in both New York and Hollywood, which
gives her anecdotal evidence huge impact. As she says when relating
the miserable audition experience of a bona fide star, "If
they'll do it to her, they'll do it to anybody. And
they do." The tone here is conversational and thoughtful
as she shares her experiences, beginning with the charge "Learn
How To Write," winding through "The Power Structure," "Mendacity," "Actors," "Directors," and "Critics," and
finally offering advice on "How To Stay Sane." Rebeck
changes the names of those she discusses, using humorous but
effective aliases like Richard III and Attila to set the stage
quickly for the reader. Sometimes caustically cynical but always
brutally honest, Rebeck's entertaining volume is an essential
read for anyone contemplating writing for show business.
Library Journal
Playwright Theresa Rebeck presents Free Fire Zone: A Playwright’s Adventures on the Creative Battlefields of Film, TV and Theater, a tell-it-like-it-is guide for aspiring professional writers to the career politics inherent in writing for movies, television, and theater. Free Fire Zone also covers how to write a script with honesty, originality, and vision, but its unique strength lies in its insights for navigating Machiavellian power struggles, and the lies in all shapes and sizes that have practically become calling cards for the industry. “When a theater tells you that you have a home there, what they really mean is they want the right of first refusal on all your plays, and they don’t want to have to pay you for it.” “When it comes to talking to actors, let them figure out as much as they can on their own. It is always better to have an actor figure out what feels right for his character himself; it is never as good to tell him what he’s playing.” Free Fire Zone is highly recommended as a one-of-a-kind guide that anyone attempting to break into multimedia writing must read.
Midwest Book Review