You have a great story in your head, and now you’re ready to turn it into a play. This playwriting workshop offers students the opportunity to explore both the technique and aesthetics of contemporary playwriting in a supportive environment. 

We’ll begin with a close reading and analysis of representative plays from the English canon, ranging from William Shakespeare and George Bernard Shaw to Caryl Churchill and Sarah Kane. This will help us understand the principles of dramatic structure and theatrical world-building. 

We will then workshop each other’s original short plays using a version of Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process – a feedback structure that creates a mutually supportive community where you receive feedback on your own work and offer positive and productive feedback to your colleagues. 

Throughout the course, we will devote class time to writing exercises designed to explore the technical aspects of playwriting as well as to open up creativity. We will also explore the shared fundamentals between playwriting and various forms of digital storytelling (e.g., social media content and film and TV screenwriting). 

Your playwright’s journey will conclude with a seated reading of one of your short plays, followed by a conversation with an invited audience – an invaluable opportunity to experience your play in a more formal setting and to learn how it impacts others. 

A residential study trip to Stratford-upon-Avon will include watching a show at the Royal Shakespeare Company as well as a tour of the theatre.

Professor: Lynne Connor, Professor, Chair, and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, Department of Theatre and College of Arts, University of North Carolina. lconner2@uncc.edu