Acting Writing

Screenwriting Classes

This course introduces students to the fundamentals of playwriting, styles of plays, creating compelling characters, dialogue, structure, and themes. Students will engage in writing exercises, read and analyze plays, and develop their own original one-act play.

Ben Goldman

About Course

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1. Understand the basic principles of screenwriting
2. Develop complex characters and compelling dialogue.
3. Structure a script, beatsheet, and logline effectively.
4. Analyze and critique plays constructively.
5. Write and revise a short film and see it performed

Ages 13 and up

This is an 8 week course

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.

Course Content

Instructors

Ben Goldman

Social Media Coach

5.0

2 Students

5 Courses

Ben Goldman has made his living on and off social media since college. He used to own and manage several popular accounts totaling over 10 million followers before deciding to step back and work on his businesses.

Ben has built huge followings for businesspeople and politicians when asked and has a proven history of capitalizing on any and all social media sites created. He also operates a popular Instagram and TikTok account focused on the anime One Piece.

Ben Goldman

0.0

0 Student

6 Courses

Juliana Martin

Scriptwright

0.0

0 Student

1 Course

Juliana Martin (she/her) discovered her love for playwrighting in 2020 during the pandemic and has been passionate about it ever since. She believes in the power of new stories to resonate with modern audiences. Her plays, including “Chicken or the Egg?”, “Control Alt Delete,” “Hammered Hamlet,” and “The Will to Live,” reflect her dedication to creating meaningful theatre. An awarding winning playwright, Martin was honored to see “The Will to Live” win the Best of Fringe award at the Las Vegas Fringe Festival this year at Las Vegas Little Theatre.

A graduate of UNLV with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Theatre Performance, Juliana has also enjoyed performing as an actor with companies like A Public Fit, Vegas Theatre Company, Majestic Repertory Theatre, and Nevada Conservatory Theatre. She also works as an Intimacy Director & Coordinator across the Vegas Valley, ensuring safe and authentic performances. Currently, Juliana is excited to be working on a new play and an immersive show, continuing her journey of bringing vibrant stories to life.

Screenwriting Classes

About Course