Writing Plays with Music 

Cost: $400 early bird | $450 regular

Saturdays

Starts March 11

Maximum students:  10

Ten-Week Online Course

Specialty Workshop; four credits

Time

Atlantic Time: 4pm – 7pm

Eastern Time: 3pm – 6pm

Central Time: 2pm – 5pm

Mountain Daylight Time: 1pm – 4pm

Mountain Standard Time/Pacific Time: 12pm – 3pm

Alaska Time: 11am – 2pm

Hawaii Time: 8am – 12pm

Summary

Music is one of the most powerful tools available to dramatic writers. As Tom Stoppard said, “It raises the ante emotionally to have music of any kind worked into a play deliberately. I always feel as if I’m getting a free ride.” Playwrights can leverage the power of music by using songs and other musical elements to heighten key moments and create direct emotional communication with the audience in their dramatic works. 

In this course, we’ll examine how music within dramatic works (not musicals) facilitates transformations within characters and relationships and raises the dramatic and emotional stakes of scenes. We’ll also explore some dramatic works that are best described as Plays with Music: music-infused dramas, distinct from musical theatre works. 

We’ll look at examples from plays by Isaac Gomez, Idris Goodwin, Quiara Alegría Hudes, Moises Kaufman, Tony Kushner, Young Jean Lee, Warren Leight, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Ntozake Shange, Suzan-Lori Parks, August Wilson, and Lauren Yee. 

Jessica Lit, the Dramatists Guild’s Director of Business Affairs office, will also share information about the licensing of music for use in non-musical plays. 

Participants will share their own work in class in the way that is most valuable for them, either by presenting excerpts from their works-in-progress or by completing experiments with exercises and prompts based on the course materials.

Requirements  for this Class

There are no official requirements for this class, but you should bring a willingness to learn and participate in class discussions.

Expectations for this Class

Class participants will read four key Plays with Music and be prepared to discuss these works in class.

• Class participants will share brief excerpts from their original works-in-progress or their written responses to exercises and prompts.

After Completion of Class

Playwrights will be inspired to use the tool of music to enhance their dramatic works.

• Playwrights will understand the basics of licensing existing music for use in their work.

• Playwrights will understand the differences between works described as Plays with Music and musical theatre works.