IN-PERSON & ONLINE:
the first draft
Whether you're writing your first play or your hundredth, it's not always easy to set the creative wheels in motion. This 10-week class will guide you through the development of your first draft. Open to new and returning students, this class will be run just like a real-life writing room, interacting with your instructor and classmates live either in person or via Zoom.
This class might be for you if you:
Are a playwright of any level looking to start the first draft of your new play.
Are starting out in the world of playwriting or want to write your first play.
Want concrete deadlines and constructive feedback to encourage you to get your ideas on the page.
In this class you will:
Bring in new pages to hear them read aloud in class.
Strengthen your writing skills with exercises and assignments from your instructor. Read about each section below to see which instructor might be the best fit for you. (Still not sure? Email us!)
Engage in discussion with fellow writers, making connections with your artistic peers.
By the end of this class you will:
Have a solid start on—or even complete!—a first draft of a full-length play.
Be ready for Rewriting Your Draft!
FACULTY
Gina Femia
Matthew Paul Olmos
Michael Walkup
Calamity West
PRICING
10-Week Class
Returning Students: $560
New Students: $580
8-Week Class
Returning Students: $480
New Students: $520
Learn about our Payment Plans.
FOR MORE INFO
Learn more about How It Works.
For more information, please call 212.840.9705 x215 or email espa@primarystages.org.
REGISTRATION AND SCHEDULE: In-Person Classes
SECTION A
Instructor: Michael Walkup (Artistic Director, Page 73)
Mondays from 6:00pm – 9:00pm ET
September 23, 30, October 7, 21, 28, November 11 (at Page 73 offices), 18, 25, December 2, 9
*Please hold December 16 as a make-up date if needed
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This class will be held at ARTNY Studios, located at 520 8th Avenue.
**Please note that class on November 11 will be held at Page 73's offices, located at 80 Hanson Place in Brooklyn, as ARTNY is closed for Veteran's Day. -
This class is run in the spirit of a dramaturg running a workshop for playwrights. The class relies on students generating pages outside of class and attending each class. You will read each other's pages out loud and follow that with structured feedback led by Michael. Peer-to-peer conversation is central, along with hearing from Michael each week about your writing. Playwrights will be encouraged to write as many pages each week as they feel inspired to, and you'll commit to actively reading and discussing around 12 minutes of writing per student per week (typically 10-15 pages). The feedback Michael leads aims to illuminate what the pages have already accomplished, and not predict what you should do next. Weekly participation will keep you on the path toward a complete first draft. Michael will help you articulate the style and structure that your particular play wants to be told in by meeting you on your own turf and reflecting back to you what he sees in your writing—where it may want to push ahead, where it may be losing steam or clarity, and where certain playwriting tools (such as character, reversals, language, song, and physical action) may push a scene to the next level.
SECTION B
Instructor: Gina Femia (Writer, Kilroy's List and Leah Ryan Prize honoree)
Tuesdays from 6:00pm – 9:00pm ET
September 24, October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, November 12, 19, December 3, 10
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Class will be held at ARTNY Studios South Oxford Space, located at 138 S Oxford St. in BROOKLYN.
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Gina believes that the classroom is a place to get to know yourself, your process, and your creative language as a writer. Class sessions will include a combination of writing exercises and sharing sessions, where you read each other's pages out loud and respond to that work. Writers will bring in sections of their play (around 20 pages) that they have questions about in alternating weeks as a way to delve into larger sections of storytelling. participate and learn how to effectively give feedback and take ownership over your processes by crafting specific questions you have for the pages you bring in. Gina will encourage you to think outside of chronological order when writing, embracing the energy of what is most exciting to you instead of creating a set course for yourself. As a way to set up strong habits as a writer outside the classroom, Gina will give writing assignments every week to help develop a creative routine between sessions. This class is an opportunity for writers to continue expanding both your creative practice and practical practice in the exploration of your work.
Gina often writes in poetic realism, and their work includes themes of queerness, sexuality, and gender exploration. Writers of all levels and styles are encouraged and welcome.
SECTION E
Instructor: Tasha Gordon-Solmon (Writing Faculty, NYU Tisch)
Wednesdays from 6:00pm – 9:00pm ET
October 16, 23, 30, November 6, 13, 20, December 4, 11
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This class will be held at ARTNY Studios, located at 520 8th Avenue.
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Tasha aims to create a fun, safe, and productive space where you can get the feedback you need to create the best version of the play you want to write. The class is structured as a workshop, where the majority of time will be spent reading work aloud and discussing it. Tasha will guide the discussion and tailor her notes to your style and goals. She'll also use those feedback sessions as a jumping off point to discuss larger playwriting concepts that can be applied to everyone's work.
In the first class, Tasha will lead you through a comprehensive series of exercises to help you begin a play or clarify your vision for a play you have already begun. Then, you will bring pages from your play every week (about 5-10). She will also give exercises intermittently based on the work happening in class. There is flexibility depending on where you are at, and you'll check in with Tasha about your individual goals throughout the semester. By the end of the class you'll have most—if not all—of a new play, along with a toolbox of writing techniques and exercises to apply to your work in the future.
Tasha writes plays that are theatrical, language-driven, and darkly comedic. She is obsessed with form, and a lot of the class exercises will focus on exploring different theatrical tools and styles. All voices and writing styles are welcome and encouraged!
REGISTRATION AND SCHEDULE: ONLINE Classes
SECTION C
Instructor: Matthew Paul Olmos (Writer, so go the ghost of mexico, part one at La Mama, American Nationalism Project developed through NYTW)
Mondays from 6:30pm – 9:30pm ET
September 23, 30, October 7, 21, 28, November 4, 11, 18, December 2, 16
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Matthew believes in putting the playwright in charge of their own process, with each writer asking questions regarding what they were working on specifically or are needing support with, as opposed to giving prescriptive notes. In the beginning, students will bring in 8-10 pages to share each week, and depending on the needs and wants of the group, this may evolve into students alternating weeks to bring in larger sections of work. As a class, you'll read the work, give space for the playwright to ask questions, then share your experience with the pages and (if useful to the playwright) offer neutral questions/opinions. Though the class is primarily focused on bringing in pages, you might be encouraged to write for sake of discovery – such as writing exploratory scenes that would never be in the final play, trying exercises on your scene to see what it unearths.
Matthew most often writes in a theatricality where the rules of naturalism don't necessarily function in the way we are used to. He does a lot of research for his work, so some of his historically-driven plays use realism, but the world of the play is still often very theatricalized.
SECTION D
Instructor: Calamity West (Writer, Roundabout/Underground, The Goodman, Williamstown)
Thursdays from 7:00pm – 10:00pm ET
September 19, 26, October 10, 17, 24, 31, November 7, 14
*Please note that this is an 8-week class
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This course is designed for writers looking for a supportive, enthusiastic, and collaborative environment to put their playwriting fundamentals to the test. Being run as a true writer's workshop, this course asks that playwrights enter the space with an idea for their new play. Together with Calamity, you'll develop living documents for each of your works that will help you navigate your way through your individual creative processes along with developing road maps for your dramatic works. Playwrights will be expected to complete weekly writing exercises for character development in addition to generating new pages for your first draft. By the end of this course, you will have a better understanding of your individual process, the confidence to enter a workshop space within the industry itself, and most importantly - a complete first draft.
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR CLASSES
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Our in-person classes are held at ARTNY Studios, located both in Midtown and in Brooklyn:
ARTNY Midtown Studios: 520 8th Avenue, 3rd Floor, NYC
ARTNY South Oxford Studios: 138 South Oxford Street, Brooklyn
Submitting and Sharing Pages
Our in-person classes are fully digital for sharing and reading pages. All pages will be shared via a class Google Drive folder, and we will use devices in class to read each other’s pages. Please come to class with a device (laptop, tablet, etc) and a charger/power cord for your device. If you are unable to bring your own device, please contact ESPA Administration.Covid Policy
The safety of our students, faculty and staff is our top priority. In order to maintain a safe environment, please see our Covid Policy for all in-person classes. -
Zoom Meeting is easy to start, join, and use to collaborate online in a personable way via desktop or mobile without complicated set-ups. The Zoom Meeting Host (your ESPA instructor or administrator) sends out a meeting link and at the time of your class, you just click the link to launch the virtual classroom via your web browser. In the Zoom Meeting, each participant can share their webcam so that you're not only hearing your instructor and classmates but seeing them too, making it feel similar to being in one of the studios at ESPA. Other exciting collaborative Zoom features include Breakout Rooms in which students can meet in smaller groups, “Raise Your Hand” feature to better facilitate balanced conversation, Screen Sharing, and Chat. If you can't log in via a computer, there are also options to phone into the meeting so you can still participate in the class even if you find yourself without computer or internet access. And Zoom has an Apple and Android app, making it possible to take part in class from any device.