Week1
 Introduction
 Expectations
 Theatricality
 

Week 2  Character & Environment   Defining Given Circumstances   Delineating Character   The Character Arc  Linguistic Devices   Exposition   Dialogue   Text And Subtext   Anti-Text   The Ellipse   Symbolic Language & Symbolic Action  The Three Unities   Time   Place   Action  READING ASSIGNMENT: A Doll’s House & Three Sisters

Week 3  Conflict   Contrasting Objectives   Opposing Psychology   Communication & Miscommunication

WRITING ASSIGNMENT:
  A) Describe Physical Environment of a room (one paragraph maximum)
  B) Describe Two Contrasting Characters (one paragraph maximum per)
  C) Dramatic Scenario: One character has an object that the other character wants.
      The character who wants the object is not allowed to say that they
       want it; their action in the scene is to get the object. (maximum 4 pages)

Week 4
 Building A Frame
  The Dream Play & Expressionism
  The Flashback
  The Flash-forward
  The Fantastic
 READING ASSIGNMENT: The Glass Menagerie & Death of a Salesman
 WRITING ASSIGNMENT:
  A) Describe physical environment & 2 contrasting characters (2 para. max)
  B) Similar (not same) dramatic scenario as last exercise.  This time, each
      character is allowed to express inner thoughts to audience-- by whatever
      "theatrical" device you wish (One character freezes, one character crosses
       downstage // one character continues quietly--unaware the other is breaking
       frame, etc. -- be imaginative!!!).
 

Week 5  Building A Frame II   The Epic Structure   Alienation Devices   Political Agendas  READING ASSIGNMENT:  The Caucasian Chalk Circle  WRITING ASSIGNMENT:   A) Describe 2 contrasting characters   B) Describe 3 radically different environments   C) Write 3 short scenes:  Between the first & third scenes,        the characters must trade objectives-- so that what the        one character wanted in the beginning, the  second        character wants in the end.

Week 6
 Dramatic Scenarios I
  Rituals
 WRITING ASSIGNMENT:
  A) Research a ritual-- a wedding, funeral, wake, church service, etc.
  B) Describe the environment
  C) Describe your 2 characters
  D) Create a conflict within the context of the ritual.  Consider violating the
       norms of the ritual as a source of tension.  (Daughter wants to write her
      own vows; son refuses to be a pall bearer; someone refuses to take
      communion--mother is embarrassed, etc., etc.)  Hunt for comedy and
      pathos.

Week 7
 Dramatic Scenarios II
  The Newspaper
 WRITING ASSIGNMENT:
  A) Use either a photograph or a story from the newspaper as the basis for    for your dramatic scenario.
  B) Describe Environment & Characters
  C) Choose whatever frame you wish-- conventional, expressionistic or epic
       to develop and communicate the essence of the story or image.

Week 8
 Monologue vs. Dialogue
 WRITING ASSIGNMENT:
  A) revisit one of your earlier assignments--using the exact same scenario;
      get  rid of all dialogue--now each character has one set speech to describe
      the event from his or her perspective (looking back upon it as it happened in the past).
 

Week 9  YOUR One-Act Play  WRITING ASSIGNMENT:   A) One-page description of environment   B) One page description of Characters   C) One-page description of dramatic scenario/conflict   D) One-page description of your frame   E) First 5 pages of script due Week 10  Workshop:   First 10 pages due Week 11  Workshop:   First Draft due Week 12  Workshop:   Second Draft Due   To Be Read By Actors

Week 13
 Workshop
  Third Draft Due
  To Be Read By Actors

PUBLIC READING OF ONE-ACT PLAY: TO BE DETERMINED