Course Details

Teaching Playwriting to Middle School Students gives teachers the tools to introduce their students to the powerful world of live theater, including an overall understanding of the collaborative nature of theater-making, with a special focus on playwriting. The course goals include an intensive and interactive study of an adaptable eight- to twelve-session playwriting curriculum for middle school students.

During this study, teachers will:
-write their own short plays;
-act in cold readings of each other's plays;
-learn/participate in a variety of on-your-feet drama games and warm-ups that are age-appropriate for their students;
-discuss/analyze published short plays that are appropriate for middle school students;
-offer/receive critical feedback on each other's playwriting (play workshops);
-go on a theater-going outing to a Broadway or off-Broadway play;
-discuss/analyze how to use professional theater-going experiences (of full-length works) to inspire and model playwriting for their students' short plays;
-and practice/discuss grading and commenting on example student plays.

Each teacher will experience the course as both a playwright and a teacher of playwriting. Playwriting and on-your-feet theater-making exercises will help improve teachers' creative skills as playwrights and actors, as well as deepening their understanding of dramatic structure and how to discuss/analyze a theatrical text. In addition to writing their own short plays, teachers will work in small groups to create an eight- to twelve-session playwriting curriculum and be asked to 'practice teach' at least three of the following elements of the curriculum:
-an original playwriting exercise
-an on-your-feet theater exercise
-reading and discussion of a published short play
-reading and discussion of a student example play
-creation and facilitation of pre- and post-lessons connected to our professional theater-going experiences.

Through both peer and full-group assessment, using rubrics designed to evaluate each specific aspect of using and facilitating the curriculum, teachers will be given feedback on their own playwriting, their playwriting pedagogy, and their facilitation skills.

Teachers will register through ASDPA, on the first day of class TDF will collect payments made directly to TDF in check, cash, or money order in the amount of $350. A receipt will be provided.