Writing Series

Workshops and clinics feature a variety of disciplines and unlike our fundamental offerings may include students with a range of experience.

Crafting the Ten Minute Play

 The hottest new theatrical genre is the 10-minute play, with Festivals and even full runs of short pieces springing up all over the country. Playwright John Longenbaugh, multiple veteran of 14/48 and 24 Hour Theater Festival (as well as writer of over two dozen successful 10 minute plays, including the award-winning "Stardust"), gives you the long on the short in a series of classes that include a history of the genre, how a play differs from a sketch, finding inspiration when you're backed into a corner, choosing a subject, and a survey of publishers, contests, and production opportunities.

Emerging Series, Intermediate Series, Advanced Series, Writing Series, Workshops & Clinics
Open
New Play Lab: From Page to Performance

This dynamic class is designed for eight writers who are in the process of writing the first draft of their play and are ready to explore the rewrite and rehearsal process. Working with a produced playwright throughout the month of August, you'll shape, refine, rewrite, and hone the story you're telling. Then, in September, you'll meet with an experienced director and actors for four hours of intensive rehearsal, culminating in two public staged readings of a portion of your play, as a part of Freehold's New Play Lab Showcase in mid September. Auditions and rehearsal will be scheduled in two weeks prior to the showcase. 

Prerequisites: Playwriting I: Exploring the Craft or Playwriting II: The Playwright's Vision or other playwriting training and instructor permission.

Advanced Series, Writing Series, Workshops & Clinics
Open for Registration:

Click on the dates for more information or to register.

Playwriting I: Exploring the Craft

This playwriting workshop examines the characteristics of plays from the writer’s perspective.  The principles of dramatic technique such as conflict, character as action, dialogue, and spectacle will be made clear through class discussion, analyzing scenes from both classic and contemporary plays, and writing exercises that focus on specific elements of craft.  Emphasis will be given on building effective, compelling storylines through the invisible thread of emotion that connects ideas to character, form, and audience.

 

Emerging Series, Intermediate Series, Advanced Series, Writing Series, Workshops & Clinics
In Progress:
Playwriting II: The Playwright's Vision

The playwright’s vision gives drive and shape to his or her art.  This course will explore various theatrical styles – Comedy, Absurdism, Realism, Docudrama and Personal Narrative – that can serve the needs of that vision, and provide you with a broader palette from which to tell your story.  Using both on-the-page and on-your-feet exercises, students will work toward completing two, wildly different one-act plays.

Playwriting I: Exploring the Craft
Intermediate Series, Advanced Series, Writing Series, Workshops & Clinics
Playwriting III: Going the Distance

Is your goal to write a full-length play?  Sometimes the best way to get your work out, is to go from 0-to-60 as quick as you can, shutting down that 'internal editor' and just letting it rip.  Join a select group of writers and take your play from idea to first full draft in 8 short weeks.  Designed for students with previous playwriting experience, Playwriting III gives you focused deadlines, and explores variations in play structure that help you find the unique architecture on which to hang your story and let it sail.

(Limited to 8 students.  Prerequisite:  Playwriting I and/or II, or PlayLab, or previous playwriting experience by Instructor permission)

Playwriting I: Exploring the Craft, Playwriting II: The Playwright's Vision, New Play Lab: From Page to Performance
Advanced Series, Writing Series, Workshops & Clinics
Playwriting Preview Class

 Get a glimpse into a few of the ways playwrights create interesting, truthful characters and dynamic stories using the language of the stage: words, movement, light, sound, and silence. This interactive preview class includes both sit-down writing exercises, and up-on-your-feet work, so please dress comfortably.

Emerging Series, Intermediate Series, Advanced Series, Writing Series, Workshops & Clinics
Solo Performance and Presentation

Learn to find the spine of a story by drawing heavily from your own life.  Students explore the various elements of: performance techniques, music, character work, movement and storytelling.  Through improvisation and writing exercises, you will create an outline and begin looking at the staging of your show.  We culminate in an invited performance of our works-in-progress, and you leave the class with a repeatable technique of how to conceive, develop, and produce a solo performance.

Emerging Series, Intermediate Series, Advanced Series, Writing Series, Workshops & Clinics
Spoken Word and Performance Poetry

Explore the art of performance poetry, engage in critique/analysis of past and present performers and poetic styles through text, video and audio samplings, find/develop/refine our own voices through writing exercises, and take written poems on the journey to become spoken word pieces/performance poems. Taught by Daemond Arrindell, Slam Master of Seattle.

You can check out the video of Freehold's Spoken Word students performing in our Winter 2008 Showcase. 

Emerging Series, Intermediate Series, Advanced Series, Writing Series, Workshops & Clinics
In Progress: