WRITING FOR THE THEATER: Approaching Short-Form or One-Act Plays
Wednesdays at 7:00 PM (September 9, 16 & 23, 2020)
In this three-part program, participants will learn the basics of play writing with the emphasis on the short-form or one-act play.
Lesson One
- Why the One-Act Play?
- Basic Types of Plays (comedy, drama, farce, etc.)
- Leading Element of Your Play (plot, character, language, etc.)
- Creating the World of the Play
- Basic Plot Structure
- Identify your Characters
- How to Write the Good Stuff
- Homework: Choose your situation, plot and characters. Be ready to present.
Lesson Two
- Review homework, problem-solve together
- Deeper Dive on Characters
- Characters Start Talking
- Plot, Subplot, and Relationships
- Stage Directions
- Thematic Elements
- Homework: Write 3 - 5 pages of your play. Be ready to present.
Lesson Three
- Share-aloud: We "perform" each other's plays, discuss, feedback
- Your Goal for the Audience
- Opportunities to Engage
- Further Enhancements to your Script
- Takeaways
INSTRUCTOR: Lisa Parker
LISA PARKER is is a writer, playwright, director and actor, well known in our local theater community. Six of her short plays have been produced either onstage or online, with more to come. As an actor, Lisa most recently appeared as Sara Jane Moore in KETG's sold-out production of Assassins by Stephen Sondheim. With The Suffield Players, she recently played Masha in Durang’s Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike as well as Charlotte in the comic farce Moon Over Buffalo. Favorite roles include Faye in Neil Simon's Chapter Two, for which she was awarded Best Actress in a Featured Role by the MCC, Being of Sound Mind (Elizabeth) an original play by local playwright Konrad Rogowski for which she won the ActCONN Best Actress award, and Danny Eaton's original play The Winds of Fashioning Time (Ethel Rosenberg) for which she won the CTA Best Actress award. Lisa believes her stage experience has enabled her to write for the stage with greater impact and clarity. Outside of the theater, Lisa is the author of the book Managing the Moment: A Leader’s Guide to Building Executive Presence One Interaction at a Time published in 2013. She is the founder of Heads Up Coaching and Consulting, and is a professional executive coach and seminar leader.