When a playwright starts working on their play, they might not think about the format first. But once inspiration strikes, the structure of their script is what brings their vision to life on stage.

What goes into crafting the words that make up our favorite Broadway shows? How do Broadway playwrights and book writers make our favorite characters shine and our favorite scenes come alive?

This is a draft of Arthur Miller’s classic play “Death of a Salesman.” It’s from 1948, not long before the show’s premiere on Broadway in February 1949. Nearly every page contains Miller’s handwritten ...