Philadelphia, PA – PlayPenn is an artist-driven organization dedicated to the development of new plays and playwrights. PlayPenn fully supports the needs of the writer and the demands of the play in an ever-evolving process within which playwrights can engage in risk-taking, boundary-pushing work. Now offering classes year-round, PlayPenn aims to facilitate the development of craft and encourage the artist to take back ownership of their artistry. Teaching artists include PlayPenn leadership, beloved Philadelphia favorites, and renowned working professionals from across the country. All classes classes are offered online via Zoom.
* denotes Dramatists Guild member
Theatricality: Writing for the Stage with Mathilde Dratwa*
Fridays 8-10 pm EST (On Zoom)
February 23 - March 15
What makes a play different from a short story, a movie, or a TV show? Join Pulitzer Centre Grant Recipient, Mathilde Dratwa, in exploring Theatricality, Stage Magic, grand gestures, stripped-down intimacy, and the role of the audience in lending their imagination.
Reality Theft: Writing Reality-Based Theatre with Danny Tejera*
Thursdays 6-8 pm EST (On Zoom)
March 7 - March 28
How do you put the strangeness and rawness of real-life on stage? The playwright behind the New York Times Critic’s Pick, Toros, Danny Tejeda walks you through exercises that ask you to borrow from life. In this four-week class, Reality Theft, you will explore questions of craft and ethics.
Performance Poetry 101 with Dr. Kimmika Williams-Witherspoon
Tuesdays 6-8 pm EST (On Zoom)
March 12 - April 2
A pillar in Philadelphia, Dr. Williams-Witherspoon has had over 28 plays produced, 8 one-woman shows, and is the author of 11 books of Poetry. Paying attention to dramatic action, structure of ideas, and character development this class will introduce you to how poetry as a specific type of written work functions as a representative example of live theatre when performed.
Writing Intimacy & Violence with Cristina Ramos
Wednesday, March 13
8-10 pm EST (On Zoom)
Fight and Intimacy Director on Broadway, Cristina Ramos returns to PlayPenn this spring with her 3-hour exploration on Writing Intimacy and Violence for the Stage. She highlights how the words used to describe intimacy and violence on the page have a profound and complex on how they are choreographed in a rehearsal room and how they are experienced by the Audience.
Jazz Playwriting: Exploratory Collaboration with Roger Q. Mason* & Gaven Trinidad
Monday, March 18, 2024
7-10 pm EST (On Zoom)
The team behind The Duat— recently workshopped by PlayPenn and Philadelphia Theatre Company, and premiering at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre later this year— Roger Q. Mason and Gaven Trinidad take you behind their process. In this three-hour intensive, learn about the innovative model for collaboration between playwright and dramaturg—Jazz Playwriting!
New Play Development with Che’Rae Adams*
Saturday, March 23, 2024
2-4:30 pm EST (IN PERSON)
After a sold-out intensive this past December, PlayPenn Artistic Director Che’Rae Adams will once again offer this in-person class at The Wilma Studio! Through a series of exercises, she helps the playwright find the true subject of their play. She has decades of experience in New Play Development and brings her knowledge, tips, and insights into the process.
For more information and to register for a class, visit playpenn.org/class-registration.