Online Workshop: Playwriting for Young Audiences & Young Voices

Philip Dawkins
April 9 - April 30, Tuesdays, 5:45pm - 9:30pm (CST)
Venue: 
Online
Cost: 
$200 for Members, $250 for Non Members (payment plans are available)

Class Type: The Play Class Level: Beginning or Intermediate

Classes will take place Online Only via Zoom on Tuesdays (5:45pm - 9:30pm, CST)


"No matter what age, everyone deserves beauty, complexity, ritual and hope. When we offer those ideas to young people, the people in our communities who have the bulk of their lives ahead of them, we signal boost the ways in which we want to see real change in the world." - Courtney Sale (Artistic Director of Seattle Children's Theatre)

Always thought you had a strong story to tell for young people and families? Do you imagine that story might play well on a stage, in front of a hundred squirming, happy, giggling kiddos? Or, are you a practiced playwright who keeps shying away from including that younger character in your play because you're just not sure if you know how to write them? In this course, with celebrated playwright Philip Dawkins, we will provide you with all the tools you need to craft your perfect story for young audiences as well as writing strong voices for young characters in plays for adult audiences. We will demystify the process of writing TYA (Theatre for Young Audiences), and explore the specific considerations necessary for writing for young people and their families. We will also learn how to deveop strong, fully realized young characters (under 18 years old) with rich internal emotional lives and wants. At the end of this course, you will have written a chunk of a new TYA play as well as a piece for any audience featuring a young character.

This seminar is for you if:

  • You are a writer with a passion for sharing with young people and families.
  • You often shy away from including young characters in your plays.
  • You have a curiosity about writing for young people.

PostScript: Last year Philip's play Burn, was commissioned and produced by Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago. Check out the link to learn more about the play and process. 


Important Things to Note:

  • Sessions will take place on Tuesday, 5:4pm - 9:30pm (CST), April 9 - April 30, 2019
  • Payment plans are available as needed, please contact H. Adam to discuss
  • The class will have some pre-readings and some homework assignment between sessions

Questions? Email Education Coordinator, H. Adam Harris, at hadamh@pwcenter.org

Philip Dawkins
Class type: 
Online