***This class has both summer and fall components.  You do not have to participate in the summer component to participate in the fall but you must take whichever roles are left over because the writers get to choose their parts.  

Please reach out to the instructor regarding your interest in playwriting over the summer.  We will meet up to 5 times at my (the instructor's) centrally located home, to write the play together, the focuses being on: practicality, group work, and learning to be creative while identifying and staying within the restrictions of the framework.  Scheduling will be determined by everyone's availability.

Playwriting- Summer

Students will be given a loose structure and allowed to be creative within that structure.  They will choose their favorite musical theatre songs and as a class, string them together into one completely original work, writing their own scenes, and putting on their own play-- the culminating class project.  

Musical Theatre- Fall

All students will be expected to write, act, sing, dance, choreograph, and work on the set, and the amount of time they spend on each of those may vary based on student ability, desire, and practicality.  The last day, we will perform our play at the co-op.  

Homework Expectations: 

It is safe to assume that there will be some homework assignment each week-- either writing something or practicing the musical numbers, maybe a little of both.  Since it is a creative class, I will create a framework and allow the class to be student-driven within that framework, so they may create work for themselves if they choose to choreograph etc.-- but I will temper my homework load for those students who create work for themselves-- to account for that.

-Performing: All students will have music to learn & lines to memorize.  

-Preparing for Performing: All students will use time outside of class to procure costume & set pieces etc. which can be as involved or simple as they & their families desire.  

Play writing-

Dramaturgy: Some or all students (depending on class size and how ambitious they are in the play they write) will have the job of being dramaturgs (studying the history of whatever era(s) they use as the setting for their play etc.).  

They will have to research and present their research to the class for a minute or more in the form of a poster, a short lecture, or a pamphlet, and this research will be used to inform the students when planning their costume & set choices, and to ensure historical authenticity in their play.  (Yes, they're making up the play, but if it's going to take place in a real place and time, it may as well be as authentic as possible for believability unless a deliberate choice is made to deviate from that, and so forth)

Scene work: All students will likely have some scene, playbill, lyrics parody, or something to write or type outside of class at least some weeks of the semester.  We will discuss in class and divide jobs fairly and logically, and I will take into account student desires, talents, ages, & parent goals and wishes for their children in terms of homework when making these assignments so as to grow each student but not overwhelm them with daunting tasks.

Goals of Class:
-to give students a holistic experience of play creation from start to finish

-to give students practice with writing in a fun, creative way

-to give students an opportunity to use and discover their gifts in various artistic areas

-to facilitate the experience of working together & creating together & being accountable & responsible

Teacher: Marybeth Poole

Minimum/maximum number of students: 5/15

Age range: 7-15

Price: $46.50

About Marybeth Poole:

-Musical Theatre Performing Major (vocal performance focus) from ISU

-Creative Writing Minor

-Master's in Elementary Ed. from NLU

-ran the theatre dept. for Starland, a children's enrichment center, for several years (ages 3-13) and has been teaching private voice & drama to children and adults for even more years

-wrote and directed several musicals at Starland

-has been teaching at LOGYC  co-op for 3 semesters 

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Family must register for LOGYC Coop in order to sign up for classes.