Playwriting Classes

What Will You Learn?

• Class 1: Introduction to Playwriting
• - Discussion on the elements of a play
• - Writing exercise: Character creation
• - Character Development: Deep dive into creating complex characters
• Monologues
• - Selected character-driven monologues.
• - Writing exercise: Character monologues.+ cold readings from actor(s)
• - Dialogue and Voice: Reviewing dialogue scenes, Reading & Watching: Dialogue-focused plays
• - Take Home Writing Exercise: Bring in your favorite / a play, Create a one-page scene with at least two characters about why this play is the best play ever made, Show us it’s the best play with your characters’ dialogue.
• Class 2: Dialogue, Voice, & Theme
• -Reviewing dialogue scenes from previous class
• - Reading & Watching: Dialogue-focused plays
• - Writing exercise: Dialogue scenes
• Theme and Message:
• - Identifying and incorporating themes: comedy vs dark comedy vs seriocomedy vs farce vs immersive vs paratheatre vs tragedy vs biographical vs period vs horror
• - Reading: Thematic plays
• - Writing exercise: Thematic exploration
• Structure and Plot
• - Understanding play structure.
• -How to write stage directions
• -Play vs Screenwriting structure
• -What makes a well-formatted play?
• - Reading: Examples of well-structured plays
• - Writing exercise: Read a 10 minute play and create a plot outline
• - Techniques for writing effective scenes
• - Take Home Reading: Scene examples from various plays
• Class 3: Short Scenes + One-Act Play
• - Reviewing “Scene Studying”
• - Writing exercise: Scene development
• - Developing a One-Act Play:
• - Structuring a one-act play
• - Group Reading: One-Act plays
• -Take Home Assignment: Finish creating scene for One-Act play.