English: Playwriting

Studies models of dramatic structure and contemporary concepts of writing for the stage. Students will apply these principles to the creation of original works. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisites: ENGL 1730 or THE 1500; minimum Sophomore standing. Cross-listed with: THE 2600.

Prereqs enforced by the system: ENGL 1730 or THE 1500; minimum Sophomore standing; Cross listed with THE 2600; Total combined enrollment = 20 PACE students by permission and override

This course introduces you to the craft of playwriting—learning to write a play is, in many ways, learning to build a world. Some of the world-building tools we will learn and utilize this semester are dramatic action, dramatic structure, plot, character, stage directions, dialogue, theatrical space, theatrical style, subtext, and script formatting. An understanding of the use of these elements will provide you with the foundation to create original plays for the theatre. An understanding of the basic structure of dramatic writing can also be applied to writing for film, television, and prose fiction. Class discussions will require that students share insights and perspectives on selected plays, as well as their own writing and the writing of classmates. It also requires workshopping your original work. At the end of the semester, you will have written and revised two 10-minute plays. In whatever field you pursue, you will inevitably receive feedback on your performance and have to offer others feedback on theirs. Feedback can be scary, but a workshop class like this will give you plenty of practice in receiving and giving feedback. Using Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process, you will learn how to listen actively to critical feedback, respond gracefully to that feedback, and process that feedback in a productive manner. You will also learn how to provide honest, tactful, and productive feedback to others.