This introductory playwriting course invites adult learners to explore the fundamentals of writing for the stage in a supportive, creative environment. Participants will examine various dramatic structures, engage with key narrative conventions, and experiment with techniques that bring stories to the stage through dialogue, character, and action. Through guided exercises, discussions, and writing prompts, participants will develop original pieces of dramatic art while gaining a deeper understanding of how plays are often built to function as meaning machines. This class offers a mix of practical application and theoretical discussion.

Instructor: Garret Lee Milton

This class will provide aspiring actors with the tools they need to smoothly go from first read-through to opening night. Participants will learn proven techniques for analyzing a script and understanding a character’s motivations, and practice essential skills for working with scene partners, making bold choices, and being creative in the rehearsal room. This class is open to anyone who is curious about how to get started in acting, with no experience required. Whether you are keen to get on the stage yourself, or even to understand the process of those you enjoy watching on stage, this class is for you. This class will be entirely practical.

Instructor: Rhys McClelland

This class is an opportunity for actors to dig deeper into proven techniques that will strengthen the voice, body, presence, imagination, and instinct. Guided by the work of practitioners such as Sanford Meisner, Cicely Berry, Uta Hagen, and others, participants will work toward developing a reliable toolkit to access deeper connections to their characters, scene partners, objectives, actions, and their own instrument. This class is open to anyone who has some previous experience or training and is interested in deepening their practice, enhancing their skill set, and approaching old acting challenges in new ways. This class will be entirely practical.

Instructor: Sarah Levine McClelland

In this class, participants will explore the full scope of the director’s role: from choosing the right play to giving final notes. They will learn the importance of creative problem solving, text analysis, collaboration, running a successful casting session, working with actors in rehearsal, using space as a storytelling tool, and ultimately bringing the imagination to life on stage. This class is intended for both first-time directors and those looking to expand their technique. If you have a curiosity about how to take a play from the page to the stage and how to keep rehearsals progressing toward clear storytelling, this class is for you. No experience required in directing, acting or writing. This class offers a mix of practical application and theoretical discussion.

Instructor: Rhys McClelland