September 12, 19, 26, October 3, 24, 31, November 7, 14, 21, December 5

Thursdays from 6:30pm – 9:30pm

In-Person at ART/NY Studios at 520 8th Ave.

NEW STUDENT RATE: $580

RETURNING STUDENT RATE: $560

For playwrights who are in process with a first draft or ready to embark on a rewrite, this 10-week class with playwright, director, and dramaturg Mêlisa Annis will encourage you to focus not on an end product, but on what your play needs to deepen in this moment. Run like a professional playwriting group, this class will give you the community and support you need to move your play forward.

This class might be for you if you:

• Are a playwright who has a complete or almost complete draft of a new play, or a writer who may be embarking on a rewrite.
• If you are coming in with a new idea that you want to start writing, we would encourage you to take The First Draft.

In this class you will:

• Share pages every other week (apart from the first week where all writers will share the beginnings of their plays). This will allow the group more time to be in conversation with their plays and in turn have a more rigorous workshopping session. 
• Engage in in-depth discussions around the work, with comments and conversation shepherded by Mêlisa.
• Have a 3-week break in the middle of the semester to apply what you have learned in class to your work and rewrite without interruption. 
• Participate and attend class even when you are not sharing pages. Conversation about and around the text can be both illuminating and clarifying for the playwright; it can also be terrifying, and Mêlisa prides herself on creating a warm environment where playwrights can stretch their creative muscles while feeling supported and energized.

By the end of this class you will:

• Have made significant forward motion on your play, with a clear understanding of how to keep your work moving forward.

More on taking class with Mêlisa: Mêlisa believes that playwriting is very rewarding and can also be deeply personal – we all need to be good community members and support each other. This class will be a safe space to share, while also challenging each playwright to explore their subconscious, their subtext, and hopefully ultimately help them reach their goals. She will often send you essays on playwriting and theater, and suggest plays to read, all of which are optional but chosen to help you in your process. Mêlisa is always encouraging and supportive to any playwright who is brave enough to put words on a page, and hopes that anyone who joins this class is willing to support their colleagues in the room.

Learn more about Mêlisa here.

This class will be fully digital for sharing and reading pages. All pages will be shared via a class Google Drive folder, and we will use devices in class to read each other’s pages. Please come to class with a device (laptop, tablet, etc) and a charger/power cord for your device. If you are unable to bring your own device, please contact ESPA Administration.

September 16, 23, 30, October 7, 21, 28, November 4, 18, 25, December 2

Mondays from 7:30pm – 10:30pm ET

via Zoom

NEW STUDENT RATE: $540

RETURNING STUDENT RATE: $520

The application process and personalized artistic statement are deeply dreaded, but required, aspects of most playwright development opportunities. This 10-week class will help you conquer the overwhelming task of writing about yourself and your work.

This class might be for you if:

• You are applying or planning to apply to play development labs, summer conferences, MFA programs, grants, or fellowships that require an artistic statement.
• Your current artistic statement isn’t highlighting your unique voice and vital perspective.
• You feel overwhelmed and defeated when applying for playwriting programs…or avoid applying for them altogether. 

In this class you will:

• Complete a mock application essay prior to the start of the workshop as a jumping-off point.
• Through a series of in-class and at-home exercises and discussions, develop ways to make your applications both personal and professional – and more competitive.
• Utilize the time between class sessions to rework your artistic statement so you can make strong revisions.
• Led by Stefanie, engage in discussions articulating how your work is both relevant and unique.
• Use all that you’ve learned over the semester to bring in and present a full application that you would like to submit in the future.

By the end of this class you will have:

• A solid working draft of a compelling artistic statement.
• A completed application of your choosing that put into practice the skills you have learned.
• The know-how to mold and reshape your artistic statement and application to best fit any opportunity.

Learn more about Stefanie here.

September 23, 30, October 7, 21, 28, November 11, 18, 25, December 2, 9
*Please hold December 16 as a potential make up date

Mondays from 6:00pm – 9:00pm ET

In-Person at ART/NY Studios at 520 8th Ave.

*Please note that class on November 11 will be held at Page 73's offices, located at 80 Hanson Place in Brooklyn, as ARTNY is closed for Veteran's Day.

NEW STUDENT RATE: $580

RETURNING STUDENT RATE: $560

Whether you're writing your first play or your hundredth, it's not always easy to set the creative wheels in motion. This 10-week class will guide you through the development of your first draft.

More about class with Michael: This class is run in the spirit of a dramaturg running a workshop for playwrights. The class relies on students generating pages outside of class and attending each class. You will read each other's pages out loud and follow that with structured feedback led by Michael. Peer-to-peer conversation is central, along with hearing from Michael each week about your writing. Playwrights will be encouraged to write as many pages each week as they feel inspired to, and you'll commit to actively reading and discussing around 12 minutes of writing per student per week (typically 10-15 pages). The feedback Michael leads aims to illuminate what the pages have already accomplished, and not predict what you should do next. Weekly participation will keep you on the path toward a complete first draft. Michael will help you articulate the style and structure that your particular play wants to be told in by meeting you on your own turf and reflecting back to you what he sees in your writing—where it may want to push ahead, where it may be losing steam or clarity, and where certain playwriting tools (such as character, reversals, language, song, and physical action) may push a scene to the next level.

Learn more about Michael here.

Learn more about First Draft here.

This class will be fully digital for sharing and reading pages. All pages will be shared via a class Google Drive folder, and we will use devices in class to read each other’s pages. Please come to class with a device (laptop, tablet, etc) and a charger/power cord for your device. If you are unable to bring your own device, please contact ESPA Administration

September 23, 30, October 7, 21, 28, November 4, 11, 18, December 2, 16

Mondays from 6:30pm – 9:30pm ET

via Zoom

NEW STUDENT RATE: $580

RETURNING STUDENT RATE: $560

Whether you're writing your first play or your hundredth, it's not always easy to set the creative wheels in motion. This 10-week class will guide you through the development of your first draft. Open to new and returning students located anywhere in the world, this class will be run just like a real-life writing room, interacting with your instructor and classmates live either in person or via Zoom.

More about class with Matthew: Matthew believes in putting the playwright in charge of their own process, with each writer asking questions regarding what they were working on specifically or are needing support with, as opposed to giving prescriptive notes. In the beginning, students will bring in 8-10 pages to share each week, and depending on the needs and wants of the group, this may evolve into students alternating weeks to bring in larger sections of work. As a class, you’ll read the work, give space for the playwright to ask questions, then share your experience with the pages and (if useful to the playwright) offer neutral questions/opinions. Though the class is primarily focused on bringing in pages, you might be encouraged to write for sake of discovery – such as writing exploratory scenes that would never be in the final play, trying exercises on your scene to see what it unearths.

Matthew most often writes in a theatricality where the rules of naturalism don’t necessarily function in the way we are used to. He does a lot of research for his work, so some of his historically-driven plays use realism, but the world of the play is still often very theatricalized.

Learn more about Matthew here.

Learn more about First Draft here.

September 24, October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, November 12, 19, December 3, 10

Tuesdays from 6:00pm – 9:00pm ET

In-Person at ART/NY Studios South Oxford Space, located at 138 S. Oxford St. in BROOKLYN

NEW STUDENT RATE: $580

RETURNING STUDENT RATE: $560

Whether you're writing your first play or your hundredth, it's not always easy to set the creative wheels in motion. This 10-week class will guide you through the development of your first draft.

More about class with Gina: Gina believes that the classroom is a place to get to know yourself, your process, and your creative language as a writer. Class sessions will include a combination of writing exercises and sharing sessions, where you read each other’s pages out loud and respond to that work. Writers will bring in sections of their play (around 20 pages) that they have questions about in alternating weeks as a way to delve into larger sections of storytelling. Participate and learn how to effectively give feedback and take ownership over your processes by crafting specific questions you have for the pages you bring in. Gina will encourage you to think outside of chronological order when writing, embracing the energy of what is most exciting to you instead of creating a set course for yourself. As a way to set up strong habits as a writer outside the classroom, Gina will give writing assignments every week to help develop a creative routine between sessions. This class is an opportunity for writers to continue expanding both your creative practice and practical practice in the exploration of your work. 

Gina often writes in poetic realism, and their work includes themes of queerness, sexuality, and gender exploration. Writers of all levels and styles are encouraged and welcome.

Learn more about Gina here.

Read more about First Draft here.

This class will be fully digital for sharing and reading pages. All pages will be shared via a class Google Drive folder, and we will use devices in class to read each other’s pages. Please come to class with a device (laptop, tablet, etc) and a charger/power cord for your device. If you are unable to bring your own device, please contact ESPA Administration.

October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, November 12, 19, December 3, 10, 17

Tuesdays from 6:30pm – 9:30pm ET

via Zoom

NEW STUDENT RATE: $580

RETURNING STUDENT RATE: $560

If you’re curious about stepping into the world of playwriting - welcome! In this 10-week class, playwright and performer Iraisa Ann Reilly will help you build a toolbox of the fundamentals, so your first play (and each play you write after that!) can be built on a strong foundation.

This class might be for you if you are:

• A budding playwright who wants to explore an idea that you've been trying to write forever.
• A theater artist boldly crossing the line from one discipline to another and ready to start writing!
• A novelist or poet searching for a new form.

In this class you will:

• Build a toolbox of the fundamentals, including discussions on character, Western dramatic structure, and dialogue.
• For the first half of the semester, generate new work through in-class writing exercises, using these to connect with your subconscious and tap into the characters that are in your heart. 
• In the second half of the semester, focus on workshopping and revising your own short play, bringing in 10 pages each week to share with the class. 
• Share your pages and exercises aloud as a class and have feedback sessions led by Iraisa, learning how to share and receive creative feedback with your peers.
• Read a full length and short play at the beginning of the semester to understand fundamental concepts and have a shared vocabulary. Throughout the semester, Iraisa will give non-mandatory reading and viewing suggestions tailored to each playwright to help you on your writing journey.
• Find community and motivation through and with your fellow artists.

By the end of this class you will:

• Have an understanding of playwriting fundamentals and the workshop process.
• Have written (and re-written) your own ten-minute piece and feel empowered to take your writing into the world, whether through expanding your characters into a full-length play or submitting your short work to festivals.
• Feel inspired and ready to create!

Learn more about Iraisa Ann here.

October 9, 16, 23, 30, November 6, 13, 20, December 4, 11, 18

Wednesdays from 6:30pm – 9:30pm ET

via Zoom

NEW STUDENT RATE: $580

RETURNING STUDENT RATE: $540

Lyrics are the foundation of musical theater storytelling and, for many playwrights, the final frontier. This 10-week class will teach you to apply your existing storytelling impulses to a lyric format.

This class might be for you if you are:

• An early-career lyricist looking for a comprehensive introduction to this exciting and collaborative form.
• A playwright looking to delve into the world of musicals.
• A musical theater artist who wants to be a better collaborator.

In this class you will:

• Learn to write with music, a musical collaborator, and a librettist in mind.
• Cover song structure, scansion, and rhyme, and apply these to lyric writing exercises and assignments.
• Examine the classic musical theater song forms and examples of great lyrics, defining what makes them so successful.

By the end of this class you will:

• Have a solid foundation of lyrical storytelling.
• Be able to add more songs to your lyric writing repertoire, adding to those you have already written in class.

Learn more about Adam here.

October 10, 17, 24, 31, November 7, 14, 21, December 12

Thursdays from 3:00pm – 6:00pm ET

In-Person at ART/NY Studios at 520 8th. Ave

NEW STUDENT RATE: $520

RETURNING STUDENT RATE: $480

“Hot scenes” are the building blocks of good plays: scenes where characters are pushed beyond their comfort zones and compelled to make revealing choices. This 8-week class will focus on dreaming up, drafting, and developing these exciting scenes. 

Adam will offer intuitive approaches and strategic tools to help you fulfill your intentions for your script. Rewriting scenes—to make them as “hot” as possible, propelling the audience to the next scene in your play—will be a major component of this course.

Writers of any level are welcome as long as you have some playwriting experience. This class is not for first-time playwrights – if you are new to the craft or looking to better understand the art of playwriting, please check out our Fundamentals of Playwriting class.

This class might be for you if you:

• Have started a new play, and are seeking feedback about advancing it.
• Have an idea for a new play, but are not sure where to start.
• Want to be challenged in a classroom environment that’s run like a professional playwriting workshop.

In this class you will:

• Present pages that are read aloud in class, receiving feedback from your fellow writers and the instructor.
• Learn techniques to help you organize and heighten your scenes, so that they’ll have the strongest possible impact on an audience.

By the end of this class you will:

• Know how to make the tools of dramatic writing your own, so that your scenes have both a structure and your unique voice.
• Complete a group of scenes that you can develop into a full-length play.

Learn more about Adam here.

This class will be fully digital for sharing and reading pages. All pages will be shared via a class Google Drive folder, and we will use devices in class to read each other’s pages. Please come to class with a device (laptop, tablet, etc) and a charger/power cord for your device. If you are unable to bring your own device, please contact ESPA Administration.