PlayPenn Offers Classes At Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia

PlayPenn, Philadelphia's professional new play development organization, is offering two classes this spring at the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia (1616 Walnut St., Suite 1800). Teachers Michael Hollinger and Thomas Gibbons are both nationally known playwrights and two-time winners of the Barrymore Award for Outstanding New Play.

Registration is now open and space in each class is limited to allow for a seminar experience. To register, visit the website at playpenn.org.

A two-part class with Michael Hollinger, THE PLOT and THE PLOT THICKENS, will run Tuesdays, March 15th and 22nd, 7-10pm. Tuition is $265. Plot-making is physics on a human scale: forces at work, cause and effect, action, energy, heat and velocity. In this class, students learn the principles-through individual and group exercises, discussion, and examining well-known storylines-then start having fun with the dominoes. Hollinger's most recent work Ghost Writer was part of the PlayPenn's 2009 New Play Development Conference and subsequently launched the Arden Theatre Company's 2010/11 Season.

Thomas Gibbons will teach WRITING PLAYS FROM HISTORY, Tuesdays, April 5th to May 17th (no class the week of April 19th), 7-9pm. Tuition is $295. This course will explore the unique challenges of writing plays based on, depicting, or responding to historical events and characters. How does the playwright decide on the language of the play? Should it be historically "accurate," and how can that language be found? How can historical resources be identified, located, and utilized? What kind of research is necessary-and how much is too much? Ultimately, what obligation (if any) does the playwright owe to historical fact? Discussions will be combined with in-class and out-of-class writing exercises and readings from history plays. The world premiere of Gibbons's most recent play, Silverhill, launched the 2010/11Season at InterAct Theatre Company.

"As PlayPenn continues to nurture playwrights across the country through our annual conference, we are committed to supporting Philadelphia's growing playwriting community. We invite the most exciting and successful theatrical voices to share their talent and craft directly with students in an intimate class setting," said Paul Meshejian, PlayPenn's Artistic Director.
This is PlayPenn's second year offering  classes. Guest teachers last year included Lee Blessing, Jeffrey Hatcher, JT Rogers, and Bruce Graham.

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