One of Young Playwrights Inc.’s core philosophies is that every person, regardless of age, has something important to say and the inherent right to be heard. This has motivated our approach to teaching playwriting to young people for over 30 years, and has led us to some useful tools that can help you inspire your students to be the writers we know they can be.
Our Write A Play! Curriculum uses plain language and a tiered-learning approach to exploring playwriting concepts. Teachers find the basics necessary to guide their young writers through the process of writing a play, make them aware of the importance of artistic choices, and assist them in getting things down on the blank page. The notes alongside each exercise will give tips in leading the exercise with your writers.
Please enjoy an excerpt of our curriculum:
There are other shifts in perception that will make an introduction to playwriting more rewarding, including changing the space in which you are working. You might want to have your writers arrange their desks and chairs in a semicircle with a performance space in the middle of the room, or if this is not possible, designate the front of the room as your ‘stage’. Create an environment where your writers can feel comfortable taking risks, being honest, and expressing their imaginations. Cultivate the right atmosphere for a discussion of a writer’s work by modeling the tone of the comments and setting a standard for the useful and respectful exchange of ideas. Playwrights will be more willing to share their work if they know that it results in praise and acceptance, and they will gain a greater appreciation of listening, evaluating, and rewriting. Establish boundaries for discussion so that all of your writers can feel supported; try setting ground rules as a brainstorming exercise so that everyone in the room has ownership of the rules.
Encourage your playwrights keep a folder of the monologues, dialogues, and scenes they create. This material may become the basis of a play and is a tool for assessment. Also, feel free to use exercises that work well with your writers a second or third time as they develop proficiency. Many of the exercises contain an “Expand the Activity” section that can help you facilitate the growth of your writers’ craft.
If you have any questions about how to use our curriculum, or if you’d like to share how the Write A Play! Curriculum is working with your writers, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
For a complete version of our curriculum attend our Teacher Training Institute.
