1. Playwriting

2. Purpose: To help you understand and appreciate the art of creating dramatic text and structure To help you see yourself and others more clearly To enhance your creativity To allow you to explore and express your own dramatic voice

3. Playwright: A person who writes plays; dramatist Tells a story, usually of human conflict, by means of dialogue and action Creates a script that is actualized by the director, designers, actors, and technicians

4. Progression of Drama: Pre-historic people were the first storytellers and actors  Their stories were passed down from generation to generation  The Ancient Greeks gave us the first drama in written form  Aristotle, in his “Poetics,” defined the structural elements of a play as theme, plot, action, diction, sound, and spectacle  Over the years, dramatic structure has progressed into various genres: tragedy, comedy, farce, musical, melodrama, to name a few!

5. Where do ideas for plays come from?? Personal experiences History Current events Social issues about which you feel PASSIONATE Dreams Photos Imagination