THEA 266
Introduction to Playwriting Fall 2024
Division I Writing Skills

Are you tired of the classics? Were you frustrated by casting choices in the past? Have you struggled to find a play to direct? Sometimes, you must step away from the canon and create your own work. Do you have something to say about race, gender, ethnicity, nationalism, yourself, and the Other? Do you have a story to tell? Did you ever want to write your own play but didn’t know how to start? This is your chance. In this course, you will participate in a series of workshops that will lead to the writing of your first play. You will be guided through the principles of playwriting, beginning with understanding the basics: plot, character, dialog, setting, and theatricality. The mechanics of playwriting will be enhanced by a theoretical understanding of the concepts of genre, style, and aesthetics. Every week, your homework will be to write new dialogs, leading to the first draft of your first play. In class, students are expected to read each other’s work aloud and, on occasion, to stage it. By the end of the semester, having brought at least one play into the world, you will not become an experienced playwright, but you will be well on your way to understanding the foundations of the craft. This course culminates with a festival of public staged readings of original student work.