Class

Elements of Playwriting

In "Elements of Playwriting" students will learn the fundamental skills of playwriting. They will explore strategies for writing natural- sounding dialog, developing unique and compelling characters, and creating work that is as engaging on stage as it is on paper. Students will learn about common playwriting conventions-- and be encouraged to break them. This will not be a prescriptivist class. While technical skills will be practiced, the ultimate goal of the class will be for students to find their voices. Each day of class will include a reading discussion, an in class writing exercise, and a workshop. The class will read a variety of ten minute plays and short excerpts from longer works, including The Empty Space by Peter Brook, A Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo by Rajiv Joseph, The Thanksgiving Play by Larissa Fasthorse, These Shining Lives by Melanie Monarch, Pick Me Girl by Sharifa Yasmin, and Hit the Wall by Ike Holter.

During in class writing time, students will be given prompts that are topical to each week's lesson. Students will be assigned a weekly writing exercise to complete at home and workshop the following week. Writing exercises will be open-ended, and students may choose to forgo them if they are inspired to pursue a different idea. Since plays are meant to be heard, student work will be read aloud during workshop.

In lieu of purchasing physical copies of any plays or books, students should purchase a membership to New Play Exchange. A basic reading membership, which costs $10 and can be canceled or renewed annually, will suffice, but students are encouraged to peruse the other membership types as it is a helpful resource for playwrights and they may want access to additional features. Any readings not on New Play Exchange will be excerpts distributed by the teaching artist (in adherence to copyright codes of conduct for educational use).

Please complete this request form at least two to three weeks in advance if you have any accessibility requests for this class. This class takes place in-person, at the Loft at Open Book. Please see the Loft’s website for the most up to date information about the Loft’s COVID policies.
No class on November 25.