Writing Series

Theatre tells stories using actors, with powerful objectives, living at specific moments in time. Explore the many ways playwrights create interesting, truthful characters and dynamic stories using the language of the stage: words: movement, light, sound, and silence. This interactive class includes both sit-down writing exercises, and up-on-your-feet work, so please dress comfortably.

While story structure may get a character part way up the mountain, it does not guarantee his (or a play’s) success. In this workshop, writers examine characters from their emotional power base, analyzing and implementing the desires that motivate them through learning how to arc, map, and choose one of “nine emotional engines”(nine emotional engines ©all rights reserved lhutzler@ucla.edu) that motivate character. Writers may wish to deepen the behaviors and personalities of their own characters-in-progress and/or write short plays, scenes or monologues that identify each character type discussed in the workshop. The “Nine Emotional Engines” model, conceived by UCLA professor and story editor Laurie H. Hutzler will help the writer to kick-start character action (wants versus need), create conflict (external and internal) and generate proper, concurring responses (flee, fight or surrender).

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.