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Thursday, May 10, 2018

Expand Your Short Play Portfolio at Primary Stages ESPA

Developing a strong portfolio of short plays is one of the fastest ways to become a produced or published playwright. In this 8-week class at Primary Stages ESPA, you’ll learn how to distill a compelling story into the shortest possible dramatic form, think outside of the box of structure, and have some fun.


Instructor: Adam Kraar (Writer, New World Rhapsody at MTC, Wild Terrain at EST)
Thursdays from 6:30pm – 9:30pm
June 21, 28, July 12, 19, 26, August 2, 9, 16


This class might be for you if you:
  • Are a playwright of any level who wants to explore the unique storytelling principles of the short form. 
  • Want to present your work-in-progress to a supportive community of writers.
In this class you will:
  • Bring a short play to each class and receive feedback from your fellow writers and Adam, working as if you are a part of one of the many coveted writers groups in NYC (think Ars Nova Playgroup, EST’s Youngblood, Primary Stages Dorothy Strelsin New American Writers Group, The Public’s EWG). 
  • Use that feedback to tackle rewrites, and bring back a second draft in the class to follow. 
  • Read and discuss assigned 10-minute plays (from Rachel Bonds to Beckett and David Ives to David Henry Hwang) to learn strategies for building a short play.
By the end of this class you will:
  • Be well on your way to compiling a portfolio of 3-4 submission-ready short plays. 
  • Have comprehensive research on different avenues of submitting these short plays. 
  • Take away the skills to craft surprising pieces of theater, regardless of length, that reflect something deeper about the world at large.


Our award-winning faculty, comprised of working professionals in the field, provides practical skills and expert guidance in a collaborative community atmosphere.


Primary Stages ESPA provides students easy and convenient payment plans to break up tuition. For more information, call 212.840.9705 x215 or email espa@primarystages.org.

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