Module 1: The Playwright 

The Playwright class is the first in a four-part series of workshops designed to introduce
teenagers to the fundamentals of the theatre arts. In this module the students will learn the basic
skills of writing a script for the stage including the basic structure of scriptwriting, how to create
believable characters, and how to write authentic dialogue for their characters. The process will
involve numerous writing exercises, rewriting strategy, and workshopping a final draft for a short
play. The final draft of their projects will receive a staged reading at the end of the course by
professional adult actors.

Course Take-Away: A draft script for a short play

Areas of Focus:
● Writing convincing dialogue
● Developing interesting characters
● Constructing the arc of the story
● Planning the action of the play within the confines of the stage

Syllabus:
1. Students will write a collection of character studies
2. Students will write a monologue for a favorite character
3. Students will develop a collection of scenarios
4. Students will learn the proper structure and formatting of a play script
5. Students will write a first draft and receive a professional critique
6. Students will rewrite their scripts and present the revised version
7. Students will rewrite a final draft of their script and hear it read in a staged reading format

Trainer

Warren is a professional director and theatre arts educator. Before moving to Singapore, he was a director for over 23 years in the U.S., working in Chicago, Phoenix, San Diego, and New York City. He has a Master of Fine Arts in Directing from Arizona State University.
Early in his career, Warren had the privilege of working for a few years with a young theatre company in Chicago called Steppenwolf. During that time, Warren worked with Gary Sinise, John Malkovich, Joan Allen, John Mahoney, Glenne Headly, Gary Cole, Terry Kinney, Jeff Perry, Martha Lavey and Laurie Metcalf. Warren began his directing career as Assistant Director to Laurie Metcalf for the play Big Mama, featuring a young John Malkovich in the lead role.

In 1989, Warren received a Joseph Jefferson Citation for Best Directing (Chicago) for his production of Alan Bowne’s Beirut. Warren was also the Artistic Director for Imagination Theater, a touring educational theater company in Chicago, for over 15 years. In New York City, Warren was the Artistic Director for City Lights Youth Theater Company and has directed and produced numerous plays and musicals on Broadway in which all actors were inner city youth.

Warren trained extensively in the Sanford Meisner technique from David Mamet’s St. Nicholas School of Theater Arts and the Lois Hall Studio, both in Chicago. Warren has also trained with the Steppenwolf Theater Co., Victory Gardens Theater Training Centre, Kyle Donnelly’s The Actor’s Centre, and Jane Brody’s Audition Centre.

Currently, Warren is the Creative Director for Swing a Cat Pte Ltd, an arts production, training and consulting company in Singapore. He also does corporate training for creative thinking for The Creative Experience Training Centre, and runs workshops using the guiding principles of improvisation as inspiration for corporate innovation and team building. He also teaches theatre arts to teenagers at the Canadian International School in Singapore.