Practical Playwriting Intensives

Writing a play? Writing a movie? Would you like to become part of a small, supportive group of writers, and get imaginative, non-directive feedback on your writing from an experienced and inspiring professional mentor? Then a Practical Playwriting Intensive may be right for you.

What is Practical Playwriting?
Practical Playwriting offers Intensives for up to 8 stage and/or screen writers who want to write, grow artistically and professionally, and have a good time doing so. Each Intensive meets once a week for three hours.

“What’s in it for me?”

Practical Playwriting alumni have created several recent productions, such as Douglas Campbell’s Little Crickets and Yes or No!, Dianne Lococo’s Georgian Bay Triangle and The Perfect Manhattan, Hannah Moscovitch’s The Russian Play and East of Berlin, Stephanie Nickerson’s Stealing Freedom, Ben Nind’s A Taste of the Wildcat and The Hudson Bay Boy, Erin Shields’s If We Were Birds, Laurel Smith's The Crush of Beauty and Gary Wheeler’s Gemini-nominated TV episodes of Jacob Two-Two. Yours could be next ...

Who leads the Intensives?

I do. Please see the About Me page on this website.

What do writers who have taken my Practical Playwriting Intensives have to say about the experience? Here are three of many:

"I want to thank you for the Intensive. It has been very helpful for me to be able to expose my work to others and to learn how to listen to their comments and to respond to others' work. Your own detailed and constructive insights into my writing were the most helpful because of the way you expressed them. Because of that, I could see how to revise and improve the script without changing its core. The Intensive also gave me more discipline in my writing." (Andrea C.)

"I have been in a number of Playwriting Intensives led by David Copelin. I have the highest praise for David as a teacher in these situations. His abilities to listen to a person, sense the needs of that person, provide the most appropriate feedback, and ultimately challenge that person, are most commendable. I have benefitted greatly from being in David's Intensives." (Frank T.)

"I thought the Intensive was fantastic. It is the best playwriting course I have taken in years. Using the rules you established at the first meeting, you created a positive, supportive environment in which to share new, even oddball ideas. You nurtured each of us along, giving us thoughtful direction and comments to help us write our pieces. I particularly appreciated having a deadline, and a goal to work toward."  (Stephanie N.)

When is the Intensive offered?

I offer Intensives in the fall and winter; sometimes in the spring, depending on writer interest and my availability. They have usually been held on Sunday evenings, but a few have been held on other nights during the week.
 

Where is it held?

Depending on the number of writers registered, Practical Playwriting Intensives have been held at various venues. I choose them for suitability, proximity to the TTC, and the availability of street parking.

How much does it cost?

The current price is $325 for an eight-week Intensive. Three hours per week.

How can I find out more?
Contact me at copelin@sympatico.ca