Playwriting Classes
Jack's writing workshop gave me the confidence to complete the first draft of my play. I felt comfortable and safe sharing my work in the atmosphere he created, and I got a ton of insightful feedback from him and the other students
– Hannah
My online playwriting classes are open to adult writers of all experience levels and geographies. If you are interested in dramatic writing and you can get online (and if you’re reading this, I’m guessing that’s you) then I’d love to work with you.
There are as many ways to write a play as there are plays.
I strive to help you unlock a voice that is authentic to you, serves the work you’re creating, and is effective for an audience.
My classes all include a combination of reading, discussion, writing, reflecting, and workshopping. These are all essential practices for your growth as an artist. I also offer direct feedback on all work submitted in my classes. Since we hold the classes online, via Zoom, I am able to record workshop sessions and share them with students. In some of my classes, I hire professional actors to participate in workshops, so you can have the benefit of their skilled voice applied to an important role.
My recurring Seminar is a chance for beginning and experienced playwrights to learn from the important and diverse voices of contemporary theater. I offer additional classes occasionally, which focus on specific topics or on workshopping. I also work with playwrights one-on-one to offer feedback and guidance in their revision process. All of my classes are designed to be welcoming to new and returning students alike. Below you’ll find information on all these offerings. You can also join my mailing list for updates when I add new classes.
I look forward to reading your work!
The seminars are an efficient and effective productivity tool for me. Jack provides the right combination of guidance, inspiration, and focused writing time to help writers hone their craft. The participants are well-rounded and respectful, creating an open and constructive environment to help me explore my creative potential.
– Former student
Note: All classes are held online via Zoom. A link will be provided to all registered students.
I am currently on a hiatus from my online playwriting classes. All remaining classes and workshops I had planned for 2024 are now canceled. I am still available for one-on-one script review.
When more classes are scheduled, I will announce them on my mailing list, so please join!
Keep writing, friends.
– Jack
The Workshop
Welcome to The Workshop! This class is designed to help playwrights of all levels write & revise an original script. Whether you're just starting with an idea for a play or you've completed a full draft, we'll read what you've got and help you nudge it towards its next stage of development.
In this class we will:
Read selections of students' work out loud.
Engage in guided verbal feedback following a structure based on Liz Lerner's Critical Response Process.
Offer additional offline feedback via comments on your document.
Participate in guided writing exercises geared towards exploring your work.
Workshop & feedback sessions will be recorded for students' use.
Saturdays, July 20–Sep 21 (no class 8/3 or 8/31) 1-3:30pm Pacific/3-5:30pm Eastern Time.
Maximum enrollment is 8 students.
Tuition is $500.
One-on-one Script Review
There are as many ways to write a play as there are plays. For every play, there are equally as many ways to revise it. The revision process can be overwhelming, murky, and frustrating, and there are very few resources out there to help you with it.
If you have a complete draft of a play, and you’d like guidance in your revision process, I can work with you one-on-one to help you get to the next draft.
With this service, I’ll review your work, send you notes, and hold a meeting with you to discus them in-depth. You can then send me your revised work and we’ll repeat the process at a discount.
Here’s a full breakdown of the process:
Phase One - $250
You send me your most current draft on or by an agreed-upon date.
Within two weeks, I send you your draft with some comments from me, as well as a page of notes.
You review the notes, then we schedule a 1 hour meeting.
If you want to continue working with me, we go on to...
Jack provides excellent, incisive, and supportive feedback. He's very open to different styles and writers. I enjoyed working with him.
– Former student
Phase Two - $125
You take my notes and do a revision of the script, marking revised sections by coloring the text red. (so I have a rough idea of what’s new, though I’ll still read the whole play)
Send me the revision within 6 months of our meeting so I can ensure that I will remember your script.
From there, it’s the same deal—I read and offer you comments, notes, and a 1 hr meeting.
If you want to do another revision together, we move on to…
Phase Three - $75
Same deal as Phase Two. This time, color the revised stuff in blue.
Obviously it’s up to you at each stage if you want to continue. If it’s been more than 6 months since our last meeting, we start back at Phase One, just because by that point I’ll need to do another close read to make sure I’m up to speed on the play.
If interested, email me at jack@jackjacknovak.com