CLASS DESCRIPTION
Do you want to write a first, second, or seventh draft of a full-length play this fall? Do you want to make sure you don’t quit or tear your hair out when the going gets hard? Would you benefit from supportive feedback on your pages paired with sweet, sweet weekly deadlines?

Writing a play takes next-level patience, problem-solving, and emotional fortitude. There’s no better feeling than having written, but to get there, you have to ditch the fear and self-doubt that inevitably pop up when you wade into uncertainty. Second-guessing is a normal and necessary part of the process for all of us. A playwright’s workshop offers clarity, support, and accountability to get you through it. It helps you make decisions with more confidence, stay the course, and tolerate the discomfort of creating something new.

In this cozy eight-week workshop, capped at 8 participants, we’ll read your new pages out loud every week and share thoughtful, tailored feedback on your work in progress. You’ll be sharing about ten pages per session. I’ll also share readings to stoke inspiration.

You can also make use of one optional 30-minute 1-on-1 meeting with me during our time together.

You’re welcome to work on a play in any stage. If you’ve already written a feral Draft Zero, this would be a great place to rework your pages with a more fine-toothed comb.

You don’t have to write chronologically through the draft if that’s not your style. I do suggest committing to one play for the duration of the workshop.

WHAT TO EXPECT
-Clear, honest feedback to keep you organized and galvanized.
-The life-changing magic of regular deadlines.
-A supportive crew for commiseration and elation, making the writing process less lonely, less torturous, and more fun.
-Guidance from an open-minded, supportive, and playful facilitator with a decade of experience teaching everyone from beginning writers to MFA students to seasoned professionals.
-Encouragement towards finding the shape that is uniquely right for your play, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach to structure and form.
-Recommendations for plays to read that are in conversation with your work.

WHAT YOU’LL COME AWAY WITH
You’ll set your own specific goals in the first week, and we’ll check in with them at the end.

As a general guideline: If you’re doing the work and showing up consistently, you can emerge from this experience with a new draft ranging from 60 to 90 pages.

But more importantly, you’ll come away with the satisfaction of having honored your creativity and listened to the quiet, inner voice that has things to say.

WHO THIS CLASS IS FOR
This is an inclusive, down-to-earth writing workshop, run to professional standards, and open to playwrights of all levels. It thrives on and depends on community spirit and everyone’s willingness to learn by doing. You’ll need to bring generosity and curiosity towards each other’s work alongside a serious commitment to making progress on your play.

Please feel free to email me with any questions about your experience level and whether this would be a good fit for you, personally.

CLASS STRUCTURE
-Every week, we will read 10 new pages out loud from each participant and provide supportive, constructive feedback using Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process. (I’ll explain this simple format on our first day together.)
-There will be a ten-minute break about halfway through.
-One optional, 30-minute 1-on-1 meeting is included during our time together.

HOW TO PREPARE
You’ll need to write ten pages to bring in to our first session.

These pages are just a starting point. They can be messy! Embrace the fun of making a mess! You sincerely don’t need to know everything about your play to start. Just get some characters talking.

Once you sign up, I’ll let you know where to share your pages.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS
-The class is intentionally small and capped at 8 participants so everyone gets lots of individualized attention.
-Sessions are held over Zoom and make use of Google Classroom.
-There will be no recordings of class sessions. Be there or be square!
-To maintain the in-person feel, we will generally keep cameras on, but you’re welcome to turn off “self view,” and we’ll build in micro breaks for our eyes and bodies to ward off Zoom fatigue.
-Before we start, everyone will need to agree to and sign a community code of conduct. This is in the interest of keeping the space welcoming, generative, and emotionally healthy for all. Violating the code of conduct can lead to losing your spot in the workshop.
-Reach out if you need a payment plan.

IF YOU CRAVE MORE SUPPORT AND FEEDBACK…
You can pair this class with booking one-on-one draft feedback and/or consulting sessions according to your specific project and writer development needs. You can also pair it with Draft Zero for more bubbly community energy and writing prompts.

CANCELLATION POLICY
If you cancel your registration up to a week before the first session, you will receive a full refund. If you cancel one week to 36 hours before our first session, you’ll receive a 50% refund. There are no refunds or partial refunds starting 36 hours prior to class time.

ABOUT ME
I’m a working playwright with past productions in NYC, Chicago, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Germany. The press have called my plays “screamingly funny” (NYTimes), “staggeringly original” (SF Chronicle), “exuberant” (The New Yorker), and “highbrow + brilliant” (NY Magazine).

I studied under Paula Vogel at the Yale School of Drama, where I received my MFA in 2014. Her teaching has informed my own. I’ve taught at MIT, NYU Tisch, Yale, Connecticut College, Wesleyan, Brown, PlayPenn, University of the Arts, Salve Regina, and Macalester College. I consider my teaching, mentoring, and coaching an essential and joyful part of my creative practice.

As a writer, I'm driven by a relentless and rebellious curiosity about what the medium of live theater can do. I write countercultural plays for smart, curious audiences, and trust in the powers of radical truth-telling, community gathering, and collective effervescence to overhaul our most delusional and damaging cultural scripts.

If you have any additional questions, email me!