FALL 2010 WRITING CLASSES
Please see the full Fall 2010 class descriptions and schedules below. Curriculum ranges from The First Draft to TV Writing to Experimental Theater.
Courses offered in:
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WRITING FOR THE STAGE
The First Draft
Being a great playwright can mean years of wrestling with a first draft. Becoming visible in the industry, however, demands that you write more – faster – and increase your submissions while not compromising your voice. In this ten-week course, you will transform the blank page into a first draft through writing exercises, readings, and instruction from working playwrights. A small, intimate class setting of 6-8 playwrights includes weekly workshop readings that allow you to see what works and what doesn’t. You bring the talent; we bring the deadlines, feedback and inspiration. And while the process of writing this play may seem unending, you will inevitably be rewarded by the satisfaction of that final [Blackout].
Section A: Instructor Edwin Sanchez (Barefoot Boy with Shoes On)
Sundays from 11:00am – 2:00pm Begins Sunday, September 12
September 12, 19, 26, October 3, 17, 24, November 7, 14, 21, December 5
Section B: Instructor Julian Sheppard (Buicks, Skin & Bones)
Mondays from 7:00pm – 10:00pm Begins Monday, September 13
September 13, 20, 27, October 4, 18, 25, November 1, 8, 15, 22
Section C: Instructor Michelle Bossy (Associate Artistic Director, Primary Stages)
Tuesdays from 2:30pm – 5:30pm Begins Tuesday, September 14
September 14, 21, 28, October 12, 19, 26, November 2, 9, 16, 30
Section D: Instructor Rogelio Martinez (Fizz, All Eyes and Ears)
Thursdays from 6:30pm – 9:30pm Begins Thursday, September 16
September 16, 23, 30, October 7, 14, 21, 28, November 4, 11, 18
Section E: Instructor Kara Lee Corthron (Holly Down In Heaven, Etched in Skin on A Sunless Night)
Thursdays from 11:00am – 2:00pm Begins Thursday, September 23
September 23, 30, October 7, 14, 21, 28, November 11, 18, December 2, 9
Section F: Instructor Cusi Cram (All The Bad Things, A Lifetime Burning)
Wednesdays from 2:30pm – 5:30pm Begins Wednesday, October 13
October 13, 20, 27, November 3, 10, 17, December 1, 8
Note: There will be two Saturday sessions from 11:00am - 2:00pm on October 30 and November 20
The Rewrite
No sooner do you put the pen down on your first draft than rewrites begin dancing in your head. Revision is a necessary part of the playwriting process, but can be maddening without the proper feedback and structure. This course will provide you with the necessary guidance to tackle and improve elements of structure and action without compromising your unique voice and style. Come in with a finished or semi-finished play, throw in a little of that persistence for which you playwrights are famous, and leave with a stage-worthy rewrite.
Section A: Instructor Rogelio Martinez (Fizz, All Eyes and Ears)
Thursdays from 2:30pm – 5:30pm Begins Thursday, September 16
September 16, 23, 30, October 7, 14, 21, 28, November 4, 11, 18
Section B: Instructor Cusi Cram (All The Bad Things, A Lifetime Burning)
Tuesdays from 6:30pm – 9:30pm Begins Tuesday, October 12
October 12, 19, 26, November 2, 9, 16, 30, December 7
Note: There will be two Friday sessions from 6:30pm – 9:30pm on October 22 and December 3
Experimental Theater
The survival of theatrical art depends upon the visionaries who challenge traditional rules of space, time, and dramatic structure and who see the theatricality in everything. Playwrights like Chekhov, Ibsen, and Albee all produced work that was experimental for the time period. Look at ‘em now! The opportunity to influence the future landscape theater is yours – and writing a play is far from the only way to convey your message and impact an audience. Through writing exercises, homework and weekly discussions, this ten-week course will inspire and give you the freedom to defy theatrical convention and unleash your innermost artistic rebel. After completing a first draft of your
experimental piece, you will learn the necessary steps to bring it to life in whatever space inspires you.
Instructor Saviana Stanescu (Aliens with Extraordinary Skills)
Mondays from 2:00pm - 5:00pm Begins Monday, September 13
September 13, 20, 27, October 4, 18, 25, November 1, 8, 15, 22
Solo Performance
Being a working artist often presents the challenge of mastering multiple trades. For writers, actors, directors, and any combination of the three, this course focuses on opening up the multi-talented theater artist to every medium of solo performance. By demanding clarity and specificity while emphasizing elements of conflict and resolution, this unique art form allows you to take command of your story and characters, the most important being yourself. Held in a rehearsal studio, this course will encourage you to break away from structured writing, get on your feet and create. Techniques such as repetition and ad-libbing will be addressed, preparing you to develop a performance that is unique, dynamic, and completely your own.
Instructor Dael Orlandersmith (Yellowman, Beauty's Daughter)
Tuesdays from 2:30pm - 5:30pm Begins Tuesday, September 14
September 14, 21, 28, October 5, 12, 19, 26, November 2, 9, 16
Docudrama for the Stage
We need not look further for dramatic inspiration than the world around us. Perhaps you’re inspired by the stories of war veterans, confounded by the state of the environment or enthralled with the recent exposure of Russian Spies in the US. Maybe your roommate’s real-life drama seems made for the stage. Regardless, the people and events that surround us inevitably inspire – or at least, influence – our art. Adopt a headline that moves you and bring it to this ten-week course, where you’ll integrate your own research and documentation with dramatization. You will then learn to build dramatic structure from your real-world research and text, making your play a solid and compelling piece of life-inspired theater.
Instructor Saviana Stanescu (Aliens with Extraordinary Skills)
Mondays from 2:00pm - 5:00pm Begins Monday, September 13
September 13, 20, 27, October 4, 18, 25, November 1, 8, 15, 22
Libretto 1
The Libretto is the backbone of the musical theater writing process, bringing structure to the piece by marrying plot and character development with musical composition. This ten-week intensive course tackles the techniques of plot structure, story development and adaptation, as well as how to write for various musical genres such as pop, rock, and musical theater. Be it your skepticism about Sondheim’s genius or vision for the integration of hip hop on stage, your voice is valued and discussion is key. You will be encouraged to explore the collaborative process – a stronghold of musical theater writing – and develop ideas for original musicals. By the end of the course you will have a solid treatment of your musical and be prepared, with or without a composer, to embark on the first draft.
Instructor Kait Kerrigan (…Samantha Brown, Henry & Mudge)
Wednesdays from 6:30pm – 9:30pm Begins Wednesday, September 15
September 15, 22, 29, October 6, 13, 20, 27, November 3, 17, December 1
Advanced Libretto
A musical is only as good as its libretto. Any producer will tell you that without a strong story that drives forward from conflict to discovery, great songs don’t matter. This advanced-level course is designed for writers who are in the process of developing a musical. Each week, we’ll workshop writers’ musicals-in-progress as well as look at successful musicals to figure out what make them tick. We will explore story and scene structure, thematic resonance, theatrical devices, song placement, and dramatic tension. You will establish a clear goal in consultation with your instructor (first draft, second draft of the first act, new draft with a new collaborator, etc.) so that you may receive the necessary guidance throughout the course. By the end of the semester, all students will be expected to achieve their stated goal and define their next target.
PREREQUISITE: In order to enroll, you must submit a treatment and/or 10-page sample for the musical that you want to develop.
Instructor Kait Kerrigan (…Samantha Brown, Henry & Mudge)
Thursdays from 10:00am – 1:00pm Begins Thursday, September 16
September 16, 23, 30, October 7, 14, 21, 28, November 4, 18, December 2
Music Theater Composition
Even for the most seasoned songwriter, composing for the theater is a unique challenge. This introductory course will focus on the basic elements of melodic writing and crafting a song. Through writing assignments and score analysis, we will develop tools to overcome writer’s block and explore the components necessary to compose those ‘great songs’ that go down in musical theater history. The focus here will not be on lyrics; this will be a music-centered course specifically designed for beginning and intermediate composers.
Instructor Brian Lowdermilk (…Samantha Brown, Henry & Mudge)
Thursdays form 6:30pm - 9:30pm Begins Thursday, September 16
September 16, 23, 30, October 7, 14, 21, 28, November 4, 11, 18
Screenwriting
Interior - Studio B. Seven students around a table. A TV screen flickers on their faces. Overheard are familiar lyrics. Cut to screen: we see a flash of the 2004 remake of Dirty Dancing. Pan on students’ faces as they sigh in disgust. Cut to instructor, who swivels around in her chair to face the class. Tight on instructor: “You’ve just seen example of how visual storytelling can go awry without the proper approach to plot, dialogue, and scene structure. Ineffective dialogue and scene construction, particularly along with tired subject matter, ultimately make for a film nobody wants to watch. This is a totally different beast than playwriting, guys. We’re here to explore, tackle, and conquer the medium in a constructive environment, reading our work aloud and giving one another feedback. Who’s ready?” Pan of students taking furious notes... Fade to black.
Instructor Francine Volpe (Director of Play Development, Studio Dante)
Sundays from 5:00pm – 8:00pm Begins Sunday, September 12
September 12, 19, 26, October 3, 17, 24, 31, November 7
Television Writing 1
Writing for television is a valuable and marketable skill that could potentially open up a world of opportunity. While seasoned writers often crave the change of pace of episodic writing, there are specific elements of style, structure, and skill implicit to this medium. Regardless of your writing experience, this ten-week course will provide you with the structure and process behind writing for the small screen, resulting in a first draft of a pilot and a whole catalog of tools and ideas for the next one.
Instructor Kara Lee Corthron (“Kings”)
Tuesdays from 6:30pm – 9:30pm Begins Tuesday, September 21
September 21, 28, October 5, 12, 19, 26, November 9, 16, 30, December 7
For more information or to register, contact
Tessa LaNeve at 212.840.9705 x212 or espa@primarystages.org
