Anthropology of Character

Where we live shapes who we are. Different regions of the country have varied dialects, belief systems, and axioms. This trend is equally pronounced within different countries, socio-economic statuses, and time periods. In plays this is no exception. Such dramatists as August Wilson, Anton Chekov, Tennessee Williams, and Shakespeare made the deliberate choice to set their classic dramas in Pittsburgh, Russia, New Orleans, and Denmark respectively to tell their powerful dramas. But, setting can be more than the environment in which your story is set it can also be a reflection of your characters. This class will explore setting and how this dramatic element can help advance your plot, shape your story, affect your characters, enhance tension, and inform your theme as you look to create or rewrite your play. We will explore how setting not only creates a dialogue among your characters, but also is a key blueprint to the world of your play that will be accessed by your creative team during production. If utilized to the fullest extent, setting can be a valuable asset to your play and not just a place where your characters dwell. Throughout the six weeks there will be in-class writing exercises, some light research, presentation of material, and a visit by a professional set designer. This class is built for beginning, intermediate, and advanced writers and is perfect for either someone who is at the beginning stages of trying to craft a play or someone who is looking to rewrite their play. This is a workshop in every sense of the word and will require some outside reading if one is to get the true benefit from participation in this seminar.

The Playwriting Seminars

The Playwrights' Center's Playwriting Seminars are classes taught by our impressive 10-11 fellowship recipients.

They take place about once a month on a Tuesday from 6-8:30 PM in the Rehearsal Hall.

RSVP is required to annap@pwcenter.org or 612-332-7481 x23. Space is limited.

Click for 10-11 course descriptions and instructor information.

Write Like The Masters, Steal From The Best

An 8 week course offered in SPRING 2011- DATES TBA

Designed for both beginning and experienced writers, this course founded in a conversation between reading and writing plays. Together we will read samples of a wide range of dramatic writing, not for its literary value per se but in order to unlock other writers’ secrets to making two-dimensional text vibrant in three dimensions. We will focus on developing a rich vocabulary of theatrical forms and traditions, of both novel and classic approaches to fundamental building blocks of theatre, including plot, character, dialogue, and spectacle. I approach playwriting from a perspective of writing for a “total theatre.” In other words: I use acting exercises to discover character, directing exercises to teach spectacle, and poetry to explore language. As the course progresses, I hone in how to translate these theatrical elements to the written page: structure, character, language, and spectacle.

THEATRICAL LIGHTNING: Writing the Ten-Minute Play

A 6 week course offered in SPRING 2011- DATES TBA

Jon Jory has famously referred to the ten-minute play as a "bolt of theatrical lightning."  Unfortunately, the process of creating one can feel more like wandering through the fog.  This class is designed to help beginning-to-intermediate level writers grapple with this tricky form.  Over a number of weeks, writers will read examples of ten-minute plays, discuss how the authors are approaching the challenges inherent in the form, and work on their own ten-minute plays.  At the end of the class, playwrights will have created and revised at least one ten-minute play--and likely more.

Note:  This class is not for absolute beginners.  Some playwriting experience is required, and a basic knowledge of accepted formatting is expected.  You needn't have written a ten-minute play, but you should have completed at least one play of some length, and ideally more than one.