Classy

from the mind of Kato McNickle

Finding a good playwriting class takes a little work. Classes can be offered at colleges, community centers, or private tutoring sessions. Most of these options will mean spending some money, anywhere from $50 for a local recreation class to hundreds or thousands of dollars at a college or university. Your first job is to figure out what you need and if a classroom is the right place for you.

Are you a first-time or novice playwright looking for a class that will provide structure to your writing regimen? In that case check out what classes may be offered through your local parks & recreation, community center, or library. Oftentimes these classes are run by playwrights residing in your community who teach workshops to supplement their income.

A class like this will introduce you to the basic concepts of theatrical storytelling and provide you with a peer group of similarly interested community members. It will also provide a structure whereby you will have to write each week in preparation for each week's class. Many first-time playwrights find this kind of class very helpful.

If you've been writing a while or are seeking a more focused environment, then you may want to look into college or university programs. How do you find a good one? Step one - you read new plays. Why new ones? Because you are seeking out emerging artists whose work engages you.

Next, start Googling. Where did they study and with whom? Better yet - are they teaching anywhere? Maybe they're running a two-week workshop at a conference or a guest lecturer somewhere. Find out.

Start targeting their former professors. Read those professor's plays. Did you really dig them? If so, find out how you can study with them too.

Along the way, read interviews and articles, download podcasts, sit in on lectures and talks, and take notes. These sorts of resources can be as valuable as sitting in a classroom. You can use an interview in The Dramatist like a forty-minute master class. Think of it that way and there's no limit to who you can study with, anywhere, anytime.

It is possible to find a good playwriting class. It's up to you to do your research and find where that classroom is.

Visit the Playwright Zoo Archive.