PlayPenn Offers Playwriting Classes in Spring

PlayPenn expands its activities beyond the annual summer conference to offer three playwriting classes this spring taught by Lee Blessing, Bruce Graham and Michael Hollinger. Each class will be limited to ten people. For complete information and to enroll in the classes, visit www.playpenn.org.

Major American playwright Lee Blessing will lead a day-long master class on Saturday, April 3 from 10:00 AM-5:00 PM at the Theatre Alliance (1616 Walnut Street). The cost of this class, including lunch is $295.

Lee Blessing is the author of the Tony and Pulitzer nominated A WALK IN THE WOODS, ELEEMOSYNARY, NICE PEOPLE DANCING TO GOOD COUNTRY MUSIC, TWO ROOMS, DOWN THE ROAD, GOING TO ST. IVES, WHORES and many others. His plays have been produced on Broadway, Off Broadway, extensively in the regions and around the world. A graduate of the Iowa Playwrights Workshop and the Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa he currently heads the graduate playwriting program at Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University.

Bruce Graham will teach Playwriting Fundamentals Or Facing The Blank Page, a six-week class on Mondays from 7:00-9:30 PM beginning April 5. Designed as a basic, craft-focused seminar for beginning playwrights and also for more experienced writers looking to hone their basic skills, the class will examine a play by breaking it down into its components. The cost for this class is $265.

Bruce Graham is the author of ANY GIVEN MONDAY, BURKIE, EARLY ONE EVENING AT THE RAINBOW BAR & GRILLE, MOON OVER THE BREWERY, MINOR DEMONS, BELMONT AVENUE SOCIAL CLUB, DESPERATE AFFECTION, COYOTE ON A FENCE (Winner of The Rosenthal Prize, Two Drama Desk Nominations) and many more. His one man show, THE PHILLY FAN, plays semi-continuously throughout the Philadelphia area and the recent production of SOMETHING INTANGIBLE won the Barrymore Award for Best New Play and has been nominated for the Steinberg New Play Award. Film credits include DUNSTON CHECKS IN and STEAL THIS MOVIE. His TV movies include HUNT FOR THE UNICORN KILLER, THE CHRISTMAS SECRET, RING OF ENDLESS LIGHT (Humanitas Award Winner - Best Children's Screenplay), THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR and he has written for television (Roseanne, Leg Work) and soap operas. With Michele Volansky he is co-author of the book, THE COLLABORATIVE PLAYWRIGHT. He teaches film and theatre courses at Drexel University.

Michael Hollinger will lead Comedy Tonight on Tuesday evenings from 7:00-10:00 PM beginning April 27 through May 18 at the Theatre Alliance (1616 Walnut Street). This class will focus on developing comedic gifts through writing, studying and seeing plays that inspire audiences to chuckle, chortle and guffaw. The cost for this class is $245.
Michael Hollinger's award-winning plays (including OPUS, RED HERRING, INCORRUPTIBLE, and AN EMPTY PLATE IN THE CAFÉ DU GRAND BOEUF) have been produced around the country, off Broadway, in London, Paris, Athens, and elsewhere in Europe. He teaches playwriting, solo performance, and songwriting at Villanova University, and is Associate Artistic Director of Villanova Theatre.

"These classes will allow PlayPenn to deepen our commitment to more fully serving Philadelphia's growing playwright community throughout the year," said PlayPenn's Artistic Director Paul Meshejian.

PlayPenn is an artist-driven organization dedicated to improving the way in which new plays are developed. Employing an ever-evolving process, PlayPenn creates a relaxed tension within which playwrights can engage in risk taking, boundary-pushing work free from the pressures of commercial consideration. For further information, please call 215.242.2813.

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