THTR 3362 Playwriting I
This writing-intensive course offers a practical introduction to the art and craft of writing for performance. Students will engage in numerous writing exercises that highlight the special demands and opportunities of writing for the stage. Emphasis is placed on finding ways to contact and release the theatrical imagination and on mastering the basics of writing a solid dramatic scene. Exemplary plays by established playwrights will be studied as appropriate, but the overwhelming emphasis is on student writing.
Course overview
- Department
- Theatre
- School
- MCAS
- Credits
- 3
- Level
- Undergraduate
- Offered
- Every Fall
Requirements fulfilled
- Theatre: Theatre elective, THTR2000 and above (one course; three 1-credit mini-courses may be bundled) (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)
- Theatre: Upper-level Performance/Production courses (two courses, numbered THTR3300–THTR3369 or THTR4400–THTR4469) (Current University Catalog; students should confirm their catalog year)
Course evaluations
- Course rating
- 4.40 / 5 · Very Good
- Instructor rating
- 4.55 / 5 · Excellent
- Terms evaluated
- 4
| Term | Instructor | Course overall | Instructor overall | Well organized | Clear learning objectives | Intellectually challenging | Helpful assignments | Applicable beyond course | Attendance necessary | Weekly effort | Responses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 | Scott Cummings | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 4–6 hrs/week | 3 of 11 |
| Fall 2023 | Scott Cummings | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3 of 5 |
| Fall 2022 | Scott Cummings | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 4–6 hrs/week | 11 of 12 |
| Spring 2022 | Scott Cummings | 5.0 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 4.0 | 3.7 | 4–6 hrs/week | 3 of 9 |