Our goal is to teach you the craft of playwriting on a professional level. Everything we do here is geared toward that goal. The writing is taught in a no nonsense style. We will give you no ambiguous suggestions to "help your character find their voice" or any other exercise that is not specifically designed to help you write on a professional level. All of the exercises, and in fact the entire 40 week curriculum has been tested time and again in my "in person" playwriting course. If something hasn't worked great in the past, you'll never see it here. Notice I did not say art. If you are a seeker of the truth and if you are willing to expose yourself in the process then with craft you may create art. 

   "Professional level". I have mentioned that a couple of times already, so I guess I better explain what I mean by it. It means both you and I are expected to operate on a very high and unforgiving level. When I give you an assignment, I also give you a deadline. The deadline is unforgiving. Just like with a real life writing assignment, one week means one week. not eight or nine days. Not a few hours late. Any of those things usually means you don't get called again by the person who hired you. Imagine being hired to write an episode for a popular TV show, and you show up three days late with the script. They will already have chosen to go with someone else's work. Oh maybe they will still use your script...eventually. But they will almost certainly never call you again. So here, we always work with deadlines. You must be able to operate efficiently and creatively under pressure, or you will never be a professional writer. You might be able to do it as a hobby, but not as a pro. Another part of the "professional level" is that you turn in what was asked for in exactly the way it was asked for. You can't change the assignment. Again, think of the TV show situation. You get hired to write an episode for a detective show, and you hand in one (with the same characters) but it's a sit-com, or sci-fi. Again, maybe not bad, and on time, but it's not the sort of thing that will a)get used or b)get you called again. So, when an assignment is given it will be very explicit and specific (which is my responsibility) and it will be expected to be done correctly. In the early stages of the class there is a little more leeway here as you learn how to do different parts of the writing. So if you try something and it's not right, don't worry, we'll fix it. Later on you will know exactly how to develop a backstory in a concise, precise manner for each and every character that walks on stage or opens their mouth; along with how to write set descriptions, and develop plots...but I'm getting ahead of myself here. I think you get the idea of what I mean by "professional level."

   Why do I call this a "playwriting" course and not a Writing course, or screenwriting, or scriptwriting course. Because this is a "playwriting" course. Why? Because if you can write a good play, you are well on your way to being able to write for any medium. This course will teach you all the things you really need to know to write a good, strong script. This is the course that will give you the foundation for everything else. Plot, story, structure, scene dynamics, character development, and more. We are going to do everything we can to assist you in your goal of learning to write this way. Once you have completed your training you will be invited into the lab, where you will have script readings by trained actors. (Check out the Writers, Actors, and Lab pages for more details.)We will happily answer your questions between class sessions. We will brow beat you and encourage you. We will push you to learn how to write plays. And if you take this course...you will definitely write...alot!

   How are we going to teach you playwriting over the web? Good question. I think we have some good answers. Before I tell you, I want to tell you what this is not. This course is not a glorified correspondence course, as so many "web" courses are, where the teacher emails each student the assignment, and the student emails their work back to the teacher, and so on. Instead, this course will work with a variety of methods. To start with, the class will be held in a "virtual classroom setting" using voice, video, and whiteboard. You will actually hear and see your teacher, and they will be able to hear you. And everyone in the class will see the script that is being read. This will be a very dynamic, and lively course. Do not worry about the particulars of the software/ hardware yet. When you sign up, you will be given everything you need. If you can read this page, chances are you have all the equipment (with the possible of exception of headphones/speakers and a mic) that you need.

I will be teaching both ACTING CLASSES FOR ADULTS AND TEENS and PLAYWRITING CLASSES FOR ADULTS AND TEENS in the SUSSEX-MIDDLETOWN-PORT JERVIS -MILFORD AREAS. Call for information