Presented by Michael Weller –
Held online over Zoom:
Almost all successful plays depend on a good story, but beginning playwrights often start writing without any story in mind. This course will travel in the opposite direction – story first. Having a fully worked out story before you begin eliminates half the anxiety of writing a play, and frees you to focus on the craft itself.
Chose a good short story, novel, narrative poem, even a film to adapt for the stage – look for something with several distinct episodes, developments, twists and turns – and we’ll learn to identify the core action(s), and to restructure it as a play which you can then start writing with a plan and a purpose.
FOR THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS:
- If you are able to bring at least one finished full-length play as a sample of your work, this is helpful
- Bring a description of the story you are going to adapt, including:
- a description of the dramatic action in one sentence
- an expanded description in one paragraph