Playwriting and Screenwriting

An introduction to the basic techniques of writing for the stage, beginning with the story. Multiple short writing assignments emphasize character, plot, diction, subtext, and meaning. They include writing from personal experience, adapting a short story and a classical play, and using a current news story as inspiration. Students discuss Aristotle’s elements as they pertain to the scene, apply basic elements of the craft, read several short plays, and attend performances on campus and in New York City.

Credits: 4

Introduces the student to writing a dramatic story for the screen, placing an emphasis on discovery, good work habits, critical assessment, and rewriting as essential to the professional writer. Through numerous assignments, students learn the basics of dramatic story structure, revealing character, writing dialogue, genre, and use of story suspense. All techniques are applied in a final short screenplay.

Credits: 4

Study the art of improvisation and apply its rules to dramatic writing. Look at artists across mediums who have used improvisatory methods to develop their work. Through written and performed games and exercises learn to create “in the moment;” imagining characters, settings, and worlds for plays and screenplays on our feet.

Credits: 3

Learn the fundamentals of television (episodic/serial) writing. All aspects of dramatic storytelling in the episodic/serial form will be covered - from proper formatting to television's various dramatic structures and genres. Students will complete exercises that reinforce the concepts and present these for in-class workshops.

Credits: 4

What makes a play alive, provocative, and vital? Using classics of dramatic literature as well as plays that are new to the stage, students read and study the ideas and mechanics of the play. An examination of some key texts and theories, including Aristotle’s Poetics, Brecht’s Epic Theatre, Artaud’s Theatre of Cruelty, and Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed lead to a fresh look at the old and the new. Students attend plays on campus and in New York City, and meet some of today’s leading theatre artists.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: PSW1010

Using an existing short piece of fiction, students delineate the elements of the story, experiencing their importance and power; translate the short story into a screenplay for a narrative film; and complete two drafts of a 25-page screenplay. In the process, they learn the techniques of adaptation for the screen and a deeper level of dramatic story structure. Emphasis is on discovering the dramatic character when evaluating the merits of a particular adaptation, which extends to evaluating one’s own ideas for a screenplay; introducing genre and story types; and research as a dramatist’s fundamental tool.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: PSW1010

Building on PSW 1000, students read and attend new plays, develop in-class writing exercises, and then write and revise a 30-page play.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: PSW1000 Or THP3590

An introduction to full-length narrative and the three-act structure. The art and craft of screenwriting are explored through analysis and developing, writing, and rewriting a longer screenplay (60 pages), with an emphasis on what Hollywood looks for in a screenplay. Techniques covered include voice-over, establishing shots, montages, and creating tension and payoff. The business of the screenwriter, how to pitch, and finding work/selling a screenplay are also covered.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: PSW2000

In recent years, opportunities in nonfiction work have grown significantly. In this course, students screen and analyze documentary films, and produce their own short nonfiction film on digital video. Field assignments include researching and conducting interviews; written assignments include narration exercises, documentary summaries, and scripts. Students also learn the basics of Final Cut Pro editing software.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: PSW1010 And CIN1500

Explores techniques for developing narrative and dramatic structures in specific spaces/sites. Students read, view, and discuss sample works and theoretical investigation as a means to contextualize our inquiry, while also doing a series of ‘building block’ exercises both in and out of the classroom. Small modular writing assignments build to a final full-length piece.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: PSW1010

An exploration of revision techniques and strategies in a workshop environment. Students revise existing material through examinations of character, dialogue, and structure; text analysis; and other tools. First drafts and production drafts of contemporary American plays are also studied and discussed.

Credits: 4

Students research, gather, and incorporate ideas from a variety of sources to write a new full-length play. Weekly readings of plays are paired with focused writing exercises. The course culminates in a public reading of excerpts from students’ completed plays. Students also explore the business of playwriting, touring a theatre in New York City and meeting with artistic staff.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: PSW2010 Or THP3591

Students bring their screenwriting to a professional level by learning the deep anatomy of the scene. Students look at their writing from the perspective of the director and learn to craft scenes that have what these collaborators look for in a text. Whether writing for film or television (or theater), well-crafted scenes are essential for a script directors will want to direct and actors will want to act. Students practice the director’s craft by realizing their own original scene on digital video, giving them new insight in to the writing process. The aspects of directing, producing, casting, editing and other areas are also essential for writers interested in one day becoming showrunners or making their own work.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: PSW2000

Screenings and discussion of various forms of the medium, including the sitcom, television movies, and documentary and experimental forms. Students write a script that is critiqued in class and rewritten, with concentration on the world of the story, tone, character, style, dramatic tension, pacing, and evolving narrative.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: PSW1010 Or PSW1050

Examines the history and craft of storytelling in musical theatre. Students consider song topic and placement to structure a short original musical. The ability to read and write music is not required.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: PSW1000 And PSW1010

Students experience the real-world model of collaboratively writing a television series in a “writer’s room.” With the instructor as “show runner,” the class creates a half-hour series and together writes a pilot episode. Each student then writes an episode for the series. Episodic story structure, weaving multiple story lines, the tradition television series, and newly emerging variations are covered.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: PSW1010 Or PSW1050

The landscape of short-form, online, episodic storytelling is surveyed, and each student is required to conceive a short-form episodic series, create the show “bible,” and write and produce a pilot “webisode” for that series. Emphasis is on story structure and telling a story in a nontraditional form.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: PSW1010

Students will gain an understanding of the craft of writing and combining lyrics and music. Focus is placed on the process of artistic collaboration as librettists and composers are paired to create original songs. Students will also survey musical writing teams and repertoire. Composers must have the ability to create scores and regularly perform their work.

Credits: 4

Students develop ideas for their senior project—a play or screenplay. They research, develop, and present their scenarios to the class for response and critique.

Credits: 4

PREREQ: PSW2000 And PSW2010 And (CIN1500 Or CIN1510 Or CIN1030 ) And (THP2885 Or THP2890 )

Writers and actors learn tools for working together on new plays. Taught by a playwright and a director, the class studies different collaborative models, including devised theatre, and explores communication strategies for working through creative friction. The course culminates in a final showcase on campus.

Credits: 3

During the solitary pursuit of writing their first full-length play or screenplay, students come together regularly to share in-process work for feedback and critique. A completion schedule is created, and assignments are given to aid in the scriptwriting discovery process. Classes are also devoted to visiting professionals who relate their experiences in the business of being a playwright or screenwriter.

Credits: 2

PREREQ: THP3890 Or PSW3880