Write a Play: Curriculum Guide - Excerpt

Young Playwrights Inc. WRITE A PLAY! Curriculum Guide

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Note: The Write A Play! Curriculum Guide is for the sole use of:

1. teachers attending Young Playwrights Inc.’s Write A Play! Teacher Training Institute

2. teachers partnering with YPI in a Write A Play! workshop in their classroom

3. Workshop Leaders employed by YPI in Write A Play! workshops and staff development.

This guide is the copyrighted property of Young Playwrights Inc. and no photocopying or other reproduction of said Guide is permitted without the written consent of Young Playwrights Inc.


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INTRODUCTION TO YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS INC.’S

WRITE A PLAY! CURRICULUM

The craft of playwriting frees students’ instincts and honesty and gives them a

reliable, articulate voice. Craft unlocks a special kind of artist within each of us. The

teacher can offer a way to that craft.

- Gerald Chapman, YPI’s first Artistic Director. These words are the cornerstone on which Write A Play! is built. YPI was founded on the belief that every young person has something important to say − a story to tell − and the inherent right to be heard. The craft of playwriting is so valuable because it frees students’ imagination while building their critical thinking skills, bolstering self-esteem, and validating their personal points of view.

I hear the word “teacher” and I get teary.... the word “teacher” is to me that thing

that to religious people God and saints are.

- Stephen Sondheim, founder of Young Playwrights Inc. Encouraging teachers to use playwriting in the classroom is one of YPI’s primary goals. What better way to insure the future of the American theater than by empowering educators to unleash the artistic voices of America’s youth? While we are aware that only the rare student will pursue playwriting beyond an in-school or after-school series of workshops, we have seen the impact of this work across the curriculum. We have heard from students who continue to reflect on their play years after its creation. We have seen students who, with little previous interest in English and language arts, choose careers in writing and the arts. It takes a dedicated teacher to introduce playwriting into the curriculum, but the rewards are found in every student who finds her/his voice through this unique medium.

I found support not just for the plays I was writing (or hoped to write) but also for

my being, for my identity as a writer. YPI provided me with more than opportunities

to hear my work… they also connected me with writers who were my age and who

shared my passion for plays. There's nothing like finding a group of people who care

about the same things that you do. Whether you end up being best friends or not is

moot - it's the connections that the writing forges that really matter. They gave me a

community that was based on dedication and learning. They took my words

seriously, and took the person who was behind them seriously as well. They know

how to treat their young playwrights as plavwriqhts, and in the process allow the

writing to transcend age. In showing an interest in my writing, YPI made me show

my interest in my writing. In validating my work, they taught me to value it. In

taking education seriously, they encouraged me to take education seriously. In

treating every YPI writer as a playwright, they allowed me to be a playwright."

- Hillary Miller, YPI alumna; playwright.


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HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

An effective way to use YPI’s WRITE A PLAY! Curriculum Guide is to follow this format for each workshop:

1) State the topic of the workshop. 2) Do a five-minute icebreaker related to the topic of the workshop.

3) Lead a hands-on participatory exercise that leads to writing.

4) Devote at least ten minutes to in-class writing.

5) Ask summary questions to review and reinforce lessons learned and bring the workshop

to a close.

6) Assign writing homework that extends the lesson or gets students to work on their plays.

With this format in mind, we have organized this curriculum by topic, including introductory icebreakers and in-depth exercises related to the topic of each workshop. The exercises are illustrative and do not necessarily lead directly to the plays the students are writing, although students may use material created in one of these exercises as a basis for or within scenes of their plays. In YPI’s WRITE A PLAY! workshop, students write scenes and ultimately plays in class and as homework. It is recommended that each student complete at least one draft of her/his play before you start the rewriting exercises. We encourage all students to complete a first draft and rewrite of their plays. Throughout YPI’s WRITE A PLAY! Curriculum Guide are highlighted vocabulary words. You will find definitions for these and many more words related to the art of playwriting in the glossary to this guide. Each section in the WRITE A PLAY! Curriculum Guide features a Key Icebreaker and Key Exercise we feel is central to teaching playwriting. When taught together, an icebreaker and exercise should fill one class period. The additional icebreakers and exercises are included if you have more time and are interested in expanding on the basic elements of playwriting.


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YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS INC.’S

WRITE A PLAY! SAMPLE LESSON PLAN

Session 1 Topic: GETTING STARTED and CHARACTER

Icebreaker: WHAT’S IN A NAME or PAPER AIRPLANE Exercise: THE NEED TO TELL Homework: Expand and complete NEED TO TELL monologue.

Session 2 Topic: DIALOGUE

Icebreaker: THE LETTER EXERCISE (adapted) Exercise: THE ONE-MINUTE PLAY Homework: Write lines of dialogue heard on the street,

subway, etc. Write one new page of dialogue to continue the scene.

Session 3 Topic: CONFLICT

Icebreaker: THE DOLLAR BILL Exercise: WRITING ON YOUR FEET! Homework: Finish WRITING ON YOUR FEET! scene

Session 4 Topic: SETTING

Icebreaker: SUGGESTING THE SPACE Exercise: THE MUSIC EXERCISE Homework: Write the first scene of your play, include setting, characters, dialogue, and conflict.

Session 5 Topic: IMAGINATIVE WRITING

Icebreaker: OBJECT MONOLOGUES (as Icebreaker) Exercise: CREATING A WORLD Homework: Write the next scene of your play.

Session 6 Topic: OBSTACLE AND ACTION

Icebreaker: THE OBJECT OF THE GAME IS... Exercise: THE LEMON SCENES Homework: Continue to write your play making sure that each scene “raises the stakes.”

Session 7 Topic: PUTTING IT TOGETHER

Icebreaker: FIVE STEPS TO THE END Exercise: THE MAJOR DRAMATIC QUESTION Homework: Write third scene of your play.


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Session 8 Topic: REWRITING CHARACTER

Icebreaker: WHAT THEY WORE Exercise: THE WIZARD’S WAITING ROOM Homework: Work on play, strengthening the wants of the central character.

Session 9 Topic: STRENGTHENING STRUCTURE

Icebreaker: ACTION VS. ACTIVITY Exercise: K2 EXERCISE Homework: Fill out creativity worksheet.

Session 10 Topic: PEER REVIEW and ONE-ON-ONE

EVALUATION

Icebreaker: THE PRODUCER CUTS Exercise: REWRITING WORKSHEET and SELF- EVALUATION Homework: Revise play.

Session 11 Topic: STAGING A READING

Icebreaker: Revisit WHAT’S IN A NAME? Exercise: CASTING AND REHEARSAL Homework: Revise play.

Session 12 Topic: SELECTED READINGS

Exercise: AUDIENCE EVALUATION QUESTIONNAIRE Session 13 Topic: SELECTED READINGS and REVIEW

Exercise: Continuation of Workshop 12


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GETTING STARTED

The exercises in this section are intended to introduce your students to the basic idioms of drama: conflict, theatrical space, and writing specifically for the stage (as opposed to television or movies). These exercises are presented at the start of the workshop as a way to spark students’ curiosity about the theater and make a strong transition between your current classroom lessons and this new material. These exercises are also general enough that they can be done repeatedly as warm-ups or with slight variations to introduce new concepts throughout the workshop.

All artists have at the core of their creative process the ability to make strong choices. Students will experience the power of choice in the WHAT’S IN A NAME Key Icebreaker. How they choose their new last name and the stories that the name evokes provide insight into the artistic process and the power of their choices. The Key Exercise THE ONE MINUTE PLAY is designed to help dispel students’ fears about writing in part because the ticking clock distracts them from worrying about rules they have yet to learn. When the exercise is complete each student has completed a piece of dramatic writing and has had a first-hand experience of writing in the basic manuscript format. The CREATING THE SPACE Icebreaker introduces the notion of the stage as a unique and powerful space. By creating the space in which their works will be read students start to gain an understanding of how their action area differs from that in a movie or on television. It is important for students to understand that while a stage is a limited space it also opens up tremendous opportunity to be creative and inventive. THE DOLLAR BILL Icebreaker and WRITING ON YOUR FEET! Key Exercise introduce the notion of conflict and the technique of improvisation. These and other icebreakers and exercises will help to make the students aware of artistic choices and assist them in finding ideas to write about − a challenge for any writer. While these exercises may not lead directly to the students’ finished scenes, we find that they help establish trust, boundaries, and a sense of what it means to be an artist. Encourage your students to keep a folder of the monologues, dialogues, and scenes created throughout their study of playwriting. This material may ultimately become the basis of a student’s full-length play and a tool for assessment of student work.


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GETTING STARTED: ICEBREAKERS

WHAT’S IN A NAME? (KEY)

Objective: To help students see the power in even the most basic choices a playwright makes. Procedure: 1) Tell your students that you will be going around the room asking them to

introduce themselves. They will be asked to substitute their last name with a new one that reflects either an aspect of their personality of which they are particularly proud, or something they’ve recently accomplished. Tell them that this is their new last name. Some names could be: Lisa Outfielder Sheri Vegetarian Juan 4.0 Ahmed Diplomatic Ken Hoop Shot Keisha Math Wiz

2) Ask students how they chose their new last names and why. Note their

reasons and remind them that they will make similar kinds of choices as they write.

� Can names tell us something about a character?

Ask students for examples of character names that seem to tell us something about the character (Willy Loman from Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Lydia Languish, King Headly from August Wilson’s Seven Guitars, etc.). While writing plays, students will discover how their selections will impact on characterization.


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GETTING STARTED: EXERCISES

THE ONE-MINUTE PLAY (KEY) Topic Question: How can we demystify the art of playwriting? Objective: To help students overcome their fear of writing a play. Students Will: Write a play that includes the basic elements of dialogue, character, and action. Procedure: 1) Instruct students to write “#1” at the center of the top of a sheet of lined

paper. Then, ask them to skip a line and at the center of the next line, to write “#2.” They should continue this pattern down the page as follows:

#1

#2

#1

2) Inform students that they will be writing a play in one minute’s time. #1

and #2 are two people talking. Instruct the class to write #1’s line just beneath the number.

#1

Hey! Did you see…?

3) Tell students to imagine how the first line should end. For example, “Hey, did you see that runaway train?” When you say, “start,” they are to finish this line and write what #2 might say in return. Students should fill the page with alternating lines of dialogue between #1 and #2. Tell them not to worry about how interesting it is or if the dialogue makes sense — just keep a conversation going. Suggest they keep the voices of the characters distinctive and the points of view different. Their job is to FILL UP ONE SIDE OF A PAGE IN ONE MINUTE.

4) Start the clock! Call out thirty, twenty, and ten seconds so students know

how much time they have left.


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5) When the minute is up, let students finish their final line. Inform the class

that they have just written a play. Just as there is a Minute Waltz, there can be a ONE-MINUTE PLAY!

6) Ask a few students to read their work aloud. 7) Note that students have just demonstrated basic manuscript format

and have created two characters and dialogue. Summary Questions: Did you notice how quickly you were able to create characters, dialogue, and come up with a play? Did the plays have a beginning, middle, and end? Were you able to imagine the characters your classmates created? Summary Statement: You have just written a short play. Do not be afraid to keep writing, allow your work to be read, and then go back and refine. Variation: Let students replace the word see with another sense (hear, taste, smell, touch).


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CHARACTER

We believe that character is the starting point for teaching young playwrights. A character encounters an obstacle to achieving what they want and so conflict arises. In fact, one way to diagram dramatic action might be:

CHARACTER WANT + OBSTACLES ENCOUNTERED = PLOT The depth and complexity of the character will determine our interest, and emotional response to what is happening on stage. Character also seems to be the concept most accessible to students. Because “characters” are all around them, it is easy to ask students to imagine the lives, thoughts, and feelings of people they pass every day. Our character exercises emphasize various ways to discover and create characters and to literally “question” them about what they want and what they are thinking. You might want to repeat the WHAT’S IN A NAME Icebreaker to begin a discussion of characters’ wants or needs. The Key Exercise in this section, THE NEED TO TELL, is one of YPI’s most provocative and successful exercises. We have used it with students of all ages, teachers, administrators, and intergenerational groups. The critical part of the preparation for the exercise is finding photographs we often use works by Diane Arbus, who sought out unusual and often vulnerable subjects. You may want to choose photos that emphasize a specific theme to encourage multicultural awareness or correspond to a specific historic era. You may wish to use more fanciful images (cartoons, animals, etc.) with younger students or to inspire more imaginative writing. This exercise helps students to create individual characters and establish some basic premises for characterization. Writing monologues is an important skill as well, but monologues do not generate dramatic action in the way that some of our improvisational work does. Monologues are a way to establish a character’s voice and can be paired with other activities like the ONE-MINUTE PLAY or WRITING ON YOUR FEET so the character can interact with others. Other exercises in this section are designed to help deepen a character. We are always working to avoid stereotypes and to push students beyond thinking only in terms of physical attributes − especially appearance. THE WIZARD'S WAITING ROOM is especially effective with younger students and can be used to further define characters’ motivations when exploring conflict.


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CHARACTER: EXERCISES

THE NEED TO TELL (KEY) Topic Question:

How can we begin to construct a character? Objective:

To help students begin to develop distinct characters. Students Will:

Develop a monologue based upon a photograph. Students will begin to explore the basic questions used to develop characters throughout the workshop. Preparation:

Make photocopies of photographs of individuals. The photographs can from books, magazines, etc. They can reflect a period of time or an issue being studied in class. Make sure you have enough photographs for each student to pick her/his own copy when the time comes. Procedure:

1) Hold up a photograph. This will be used for a group brainstorming session. 2) Tell students there are no right or wrong answers, as you’ll all be making this up as you go along. Ask the following questions:

� What is her/his name? (Get a specific answer. You may have to vote between two or three names.)

� Who is this person? (Have students begin to define the age, occupation and general biographical/personal history from what they see in the picture. Make a group decision about who this person is.)

� What is special or unique about her/him? (The way s/he talks, walks, or dresses. Begin to flesh out a personality and some specific character traits.)

� Where is s/he? (Derive what information you can from the photograph. Get students to be as specific as possible. For example: A restaurant. What kind of restaurant? Expensive or cheap? Does s/he eat there all the time or is this the first time? What’s the name of the restaurant?)

� How does s/he feel about being there? Why? Happy? Sad? Angry? Worried? What

does the expression in the picture tell you? (In any


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case, you have given your character an identity grounded in place, time, and emotional tone.)

� What does this character want, need, or dream about? (Whatever you get is fine: a boyfriend, a job, a new Walkman.)

� What’s stopping him/her from getting it? (S/he needs a Walkman, but has no money. S/he needs a job, but no one will hire him/her because s/he has a police record.)

Note: Not all the answers have to be the same. For example, the character can like living in their city because her/his family is there. The character can also dislike living in the city because s/he longs to live abroad. Non-polar choices make the character more realistic. Characters in most plays talk because they have a “NEED TO TELL.” 4) Add three new questions students should answer individually:

� WHAT does s/he need to tell?

� WHO does s/he need to tell?

� WHY is this day different from all other days?

5) Inform the class they will now have the opportunity to choose a

photograph of their own and ask themselves all of these questions.

6) Hold up each photo and allow students to choose one. 7) Instruct students to begin to write a monologue (written in

the first person) bearing in mind what the character NEEDS TO TELL. The character needn’t say it right away. It should be what drives their words. As students are

writing, encourage them to hear the voice of the character and to hear the peculiar

phrases and distinct way this character has to speak to evoke a particular place and

time.

Monologue − One person speaking in a play. Monologues are usually written in the first person and may be delivered to another character or even to the audience. Monologues are similar to the inner thoughts we hear all day long or the running commentary in our heads − “I don’t want to get out of bed.” “I’m late.” “I can’t stand the sound of his voice.” Monologues can be thought of as a letter or journal entry read aloud. Note: You may wish to have students begin by writing a monologue using the first photograph and the details decided upon as a group. If this is the case, let students first individually answer the preceding “What,” Who,” and “Why” questions before they begin writing. It is often fascinating for students to see how many different and distinct stories and characterizations can emerge from the same photo and set of details. Summary Activity and Questions:


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Have a few students read their monologues aloud. Note in each what the individual had to say. What did the character need or want? Consider where the monologue is in the play. What would the next scene be? Who would the other characters be? Where would it take

place? What might happen? Were there any words or phrases that the class found

interesting? Summary Statement:

You have begun to create a character by using a set of key questions and inventing her/his answers. You can use these questions to develop characters from other pictures, drawings, or faces you see or imagine.


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YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS INC. EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Why teach playwriting?

At the core of Young Playwrights Inc.'s (YPI) mission is a profoundly simple notion that changes young people's lives:

We believe that every young person has something valuable to say and an inherent

right to be heard.

YPI's Education Program, which consists of workshops for students and training for their teachers, provides a structured exploration of creative individual self-expression through playwriting and a framework which allows each student to succeed on her/his own terms. Other Young Playwrights Inc. programs, such as the Young Playwrights National Playwriting Competition and the Young Playwrights Festival, offer a forum for the results of this creative exploration. Dramatic writing is not only the center of a great art form that has roots in every culture, it is a discipline that develops and improves a wide range of skills and talents. The overall goal of YPI’s Education Program is improving literacy by empowering self-expression. Playwriting demands an insight into human nature, a sense of organization, and the ability to articulate thoughts and feelings. It is one of the most complex written genres, yet one of the most accessible because it begins with the spoken word. It is this accessibility that affords a unique opportunity for creative self-expression within the constructs of the classroom. Student Workshops:

WRITE A PLAY! Five Session Jump Start

WRITE A PLAY! Thirteen Session Residency

YPI's approach to teaching dramatic writing, whether by a YPI workshop leader in residence at a school or by the YPI trained classroom teacher, begins with improvisation as a catalyst for play development. As the workshop progresses, pen is put to paper and writing skills are developed. YPI's curriculum improves literacy skills, encourages creative self-expression, develops cooperative learning skills, and allows students to see themselves as artists who can make positive choices about their futures. Students acquire a passion for writing when they find out that their ideas matter;. They become intent on getting those ideas heard. WRITE A PLAY! is a flexible program available in various formats, lasting from one day to an entire semester. In a typical Five Day Jump Start students explore the basic elements of playwriting (character, dialogue, setting, conflict, obstacle, and action) through a series of improvisation-based exercises that lead directly to the creation of individual plays. YPI’s WRITE A PLAY! method encourages students to infuse writing with their unique cultural perceptions and life experiences in a manner that acknowledges and celebrates their world view. At present, thousands of students in grades 3 -12 nationwide participate in WRITE A PLAY! each year with the vast majority completing a first draft of a play. A Thirteen Session Residency covers the basics and takes students through the intensive process of first draft and revision.


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Staff Development:

WRITE A PLAY! Teacher Training Institute (TTI)

An important component of YPI's multilevel approach to arts education, the WRITE A PLAY! Teacher Training Institute (TTI) is designed to provide teachers with a blueprint for integrating playwriting into the curriculum. YPI knows that it is the classroom teacher who makes learning happen on a daily basis. By training classroom teachers, YPI can achieve its goal of making playwriting a part of basic curricula while assisting schools and school districts to overcome the lack of resources for outside arts education providers. The TTI emulates YPI's student playwriting workshops. Building on a foundation of improvisational exercises and collaborative writing, the training offers teachers new methods to enhance students' cognitive abilities, including analytical/critical thinking, conflict resolution, comprehension of cause and effect, and cooperative problem solving. Teachers who participate in TTI are required to write a monologue and a scene, and are encouraged to begin their own plays. They come to know the excitement that students experience when they are challenged to explore their own creative potential. They work in small groups with a professional playwright who has extensive experience using the WRITE A PLAY! Curriculum in the schools. Finally, they participate in demanding, high-energy playwriting exercises and practice teaching. Many TTI participants have returned to their classrooms to find that the experience has had a profound effect not only on their ability to get their students to write, but on their teaching in general. By arming teachers with innovative exercises and a sound framework, YPI can further realize its commitment to reaching students in school systems nationwide. Over the past 25 years YPI has developed partnerships with schools and youth arts programs in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Texas, Missouri, Wisconsin, Kansas, Washington, Utah, and Arizona, and continues to cultivate relationships with educators and administrators across the country. Teacher Training Institutes have been held at such diverse settings as the NYC Public Schools, the Diné Drama Festival (Navajo Nation, Tuba City, Arizona), Huntington Theatre Company (Boston), Indiana University, Milwaukee Rep, Seattle Rep/Seattle Children's Theater, Raleigh (NC) Little Theater, ETA and AATE National Conferences, University of Toronto, Utah State Thespian Conference, and York University (Toronto). Staff Development and Student Workshops:

PUTTING IT TOGETHER!

Why not offer teachers and students the best of both programs? It’s a powerful combination that trains teachers in our innovative methods while providing each teacher and their students with two classroom sessions with an experienced YPI workshop leader.


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RECOMMENDED READING

The following books are available by mail order from Young Playwrights Inc. � TEACHING YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS by Gerald Chapman � TEN OUT OF TEN edited by Wendy Lamb, featuring plays from the first ten years of the

Young Playwrights Festival

� SPARKS IN THE PARK and Other prize-winning Plays from the 1987 and 1988

Young Playwrights Festivals, edited by Wendy Lamb

� THE GROUND ZERO CLUB and Other prize-winning Plays from the 1985 and

1986 Young Playwrights Festival, edited by Wendy Lamb

� I’M NOT STUPID by David E. Rodriguez is now available from Young Playwrights Publishing

� SONATA by Elizabeth Hirschhorn is now available from Young Playwrights Publishing

� THE MOST MASSIVE WOMAN WINS by Madeleine George is now available from Young Playwrights Publishing

� THE BASEMENT AT THE BOTTOM AT THE END OF THE WORLD by Nadine Graham is

now available from Young Playwrights Publishing Plays by Young Playwrights Festival writers have been published by Baker’s Plays, Dramatic Publishing Company, Dramatists Play Service, Samuel French, Smith and Kraus, and other publishers.

YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS INC.

PO Box 5134

New York, NY 10185

212-594-5440 (phone)

or email us at [email protected]

Please check out our website at www.youngplaywrights.org

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Write a Play: Curriculum Guide - Excerpt