Teaching Playwriting: Creativity in Practice

✍ Scribed by Paul Gardiner

• Publisher: Methuen Drama
• Year: 2019
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 261
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Playwriting is a skill under-explored in the classroom, despite the strong evidence that it’s an engaging and rewarding activity for young people. Teaching Playwriting addresses this gap and is an essential resource for teachers wanting to gain the skills and confidence necessary to introduce playwriting to their students.
Based on rich research and clearly explained theoretical concepts, the book explores the lessons from creativity theory that will provide the teacher with the skills and knowledge necessary to empower students’ writing and creativity. It also includes extensive practical activities and writing exercises to develop students' playwriting proficiency and creative capacity.
Discussing key concepts in playwriting such as idea, dialogue, character, action and structure, the book enables teachers to respond to the unique learning needs of their students and help them tell their stories and reach their potential as young playwrights.

✦ Table of Contents

Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
Acknowledgements
Part 1: Playwriting and young writers
Chapter 1: Introduction
What theatre does
What a playwright does
What is a play?
My research
What this book does
References
Chapter 2: Why playwriting?
Introduction
What is agency?
Why teach playwriting?
Conclusion
Summary
References
Chapter 3: Creativity and engagement
Introduction
The systems view of creativity
Conclusion
Summary
References
Chapter 4: Spectrum of playwriting approaches
Introduction
The spectrum
Key lessons from dramaturgy
The alternative to a closed approach
Teaching the spectrum
Conclusion
Summary
References
Part 2: How to teach playwriting: the approach
Chapter 5: How to use this book
The student playwright
Approaching playwriting in the classroom or workshop: Teacher as dramaturg
Writing and rewriting: Finding the gold
Conclusion
Summary
References
Chapter 6: Teaching the idea
Introduction
First thoughts: What kind of play?
Idea and opinions
Getting started
Discussion and idea generation
Writing exercise: Idea creation
Voice
Finding the vehicle: Turning an idea into a theatrical vision for a play
Writing exercise: From big idea to situation
Creativity and imagination: Writing to find the idea
Writing exercise: Free writing
Writing exercise: Structured writing
Writing exercise: Guided writing
Writing exercise: Guided imagery
Writing exercise: Guess my play
Writing exercise: Character A and Character B
Writing exercise
How good is the idea? Evaluating creativity
Summary
References
Chapter 7: Creating character
Introduction
Ideas and characters
Writing exercise: Visualize your characters
Writing exercise: The monologue
Writing exercise: Character background 1
Creating your characters
Writing exercise: Realist approach to your character’s backstory
Writing exercise: Symbols of character – the backpack
Physical approaches to character
Writing exercise: Characters from elements
Writing exercise: ‘Leading with … ’ – character from body positions
Writing exercise: Status
Writing exercise: Meeting new people
Summary
References
Chapter 8: Generating action
Introduction
Part 1: Character action
Writing exercise: Verbing the line
Part 2: Dramatic action
Writing exercise: Action and the elements of drama
Writing exercise: Action and environment
Writing exercise: Chain of actions
Writing exercise: Moments
Improvisation and writing
Writing exercise: Improvised action
Summary
References
Chapter 9: Crafting dialogue
Introduction
What is dialogue?
What can dialogue do?
Focus on listening
Writing exercise: Training the ear
Writing exercise: Theatricalize the everyday
Dialogue creates character
Writing exercise: Dialogue accent and dialect
Writing exercise: Stressful monologue
Writing exercises: Character voice
Exposition and levels of familiarity
Writing exercise: Familiarity
Writing exercise: Subtext
Writing exercise: The music of dialogue
Writing exercises: Dialogue riffing
Stage directions
Writing exercise: Stage directions
When to begin writing the dialogue
Embodied writing – improvisation and the drama workshop
Writing exercise: Dialogue writing workshops
Summary
References
Chapter 10: Building structures
Introduction
Understanding the scene
Writing exercise: The scene
Writing exercise: The class play
Writing exercise: Ideas into situations
Writing exercise: Creating situations
Writing exercise: Event structure
Writing exercise: Card the play
Writing exercise: Minimalist structure
Writing exercises: Time and shape
Writing exercise: Generating ideas with structure – climax card
Writing exercise: Tableaux
Summary
References
Chapter 11: Embedding symbol
Introduction
Everything is significant … 
Symbols and the poetic
Symbols as a contract with the audience: The paradox of collective meaning
Three types of symbol
Writing exercise: Who am I?
Verbal symbols
Writing exercise: Poetic monologue
Writing exercise: Unimportant objects, serious fights
Writing exercise: Backpack revisited
Writing exercise: Symbolic stage business
Writing exercise: Stage directions as symbols
Writing exercise: Symbols chart
Summary
References
Chapter 12: Page to stage
Introduction
Creativity and collaboration
Creativity workshop
Writing exercise: Workshop for idea generation
Summary
References
Chapter 13: Conclusion
References
Index