Mercy! Mercy! That Dang Nabed PERCY!

Warts on Example One Act Play

Warts on Example One Act Play

When I started my class at NHA Diane pointed out that I was using a lot of technical terms that everyone might not be familiar with. So I wrote a Dictionary of Common Playwriting Terms that will go on some of the Course pages with links to “Rules of Thumb,” Introduction, Example of Comprehensive Outline, Sample Play and some of the other aids I have created to help with understanding of the process. Like I mentioned earlier this requirement really ballooned beyond all expectation.

My latest student actually took the survey. This was encouraging, not that I should be complaining, because the start of the course is still two weeks off. She also made some humorous comments on my assistant instructors, Cornelia Cobb and Matty Rosen….

When I decided to include them I was thinking about two possibilities. First that if I had to be firm I would write the feedback from Matty’s desk….If I had to be encouraging from Cornelia’s’ and if I was providing technical comment from Percy’s. I am still mulling that one over. Second was the outside chance that some day the class might become over booked and I could assign the role of Matty and Cornelia to the assistant instructors….I know, I know….I am such a dreamer…..Like WDC is a Mecca for Playwriting.

There are four (4) students that have signed up so far and if that is the extent of it I will consider this start-up and shake down run successful, from an attendance standpoint. I have gotten a great cross section of students from a high schooler, to a part time writer, to a retiree to a very sophisticate lady that goes to the theater in New York on a monthly basis. Imagine, if you will, who the student is really going to be?

What I need to do now is zero back in on the lesson plans….The first four are essentially complete, and I have place holders written for the rest. I’m not sure that I want to lock myself down on phase two of the course because I envision that each of the students will need to be working on different aspects of their play….For example one might have some structural issues, others, timing and I might want to use these last classes to zero in on the most glaring deficiencies.

When I wrote my Example One Act Play for Illustrative purposes, I wanted to show an example of the growth that took place from the Comprehensive Outline to the first draft. I wanted to make sure I included everything and when I read it again after a couple of weeks I shook my head and noted that this play has some serious warts. I hope my students don’t think this is an example of my best work. Still it is a first draft and in the intent of the course could develop it into something better. It’s the sort of thing I’m expecting/hoping/anticipating the student will come up with. It occurred to me, that as a final exam I could ask them to list the ten (10) worst things about it.