Playwriting Classes with Jack

Classes are back June 1! -

Classes are back June 1! My next seminar of 2024 is on James Ijames’s Fat Ham, winner of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It is a clever and cutting re-envisioning of Hamlet through a q***r Black lens (and even that’s an oversimplification) that also manages to make it a story of resilience.

Let's talk about your goals -

Let's talk about your goals For a long time in my youth I wanted to be a musician. I played woodwinds and guitar and wanted to play jazz and/or be a singer/songwriter. I practiced scales and chords and learned songs and studied music theory. Eventually, though, theater took more space in my life and I recognized that I couldn....

My first class of 2024 starts on Saturday! -

My first class of 2024 starts on Saturday! 1) My first seminar of 2024: Lauren Yee’s Cambodian Rock Band. Saturdays March 16–April 6. STARTS THIS SATURDAY! Register here.

Classes start next week! All online. Designed for beginners and experienced writers alike. Sign up! https://www.jackjacknovak.com/playwriting-classes

I'm back! -

I'm back! After moving across the country, I’m ready to get some classes up and running! This month I’ll be starting my 2024 seminars and introducing a new class. Let’s write!

Free workshop on Sunday! -

Free workshop on Sunday! This free workshop will consist of a brief intro to a dramatic writing concept, followed by an exercise, in which everyone will participate simultaneously during the class. Afterwards, we'll have a short reflection discussion and some closing thoughts from me, and any remaining time will be open for...

Don't forget to sign up for "seven methods"! -

Don't forget to sign up for "seven methods"! Oct 28 - Nov 18: seven methods of killing kylie jenner by Jasmine Lee-Jones - Lee-Jones’s play is revolutionary in form and content, telling a story that layers a complex commentary about race and racism with an intensely personal dialogue, wrapped in a script that employs internet idioms like mem...

New free workshop scheduled! -

New free workshop scheduled! I’m having another free workshop! This free workshop will consist of a brief intro to a dramatic writing concept, followed by an exercise, in which everyone will participate simultaneously during the class. Afterwards, we'll have a short reflection discussion and some closing thoughts from me, and...

UPDATE: Fundamentals class starts next week! -

UPDATE: Fundamentals class starts next week! Many of the books and courses you can find on playwriting draw on classic plays—from the Greeks to Shakespeare to Arthur Miller—as the basis of their dramaturgy. But the Aristotelian unities and the tenets of Realism are ill-equipped to evaluate, let alone produce, many of the works being staged...

Free workshop next Sunday! -

Free workshop next Sunday! Next Sunday, Oct 1, 1pm-2pm. The workshop will consist of a brief intro followed by an exercise and some reflection. Free or pay what you want!

Reminder to sign up for upcoming classes! -

Reminder to sign up for upcoming classes! Just a friendly reminder to sign up for my upcoming classes! My seminar on Middletown by Will Eno starts Sept. 30, and my new class, Fundamentals of Contemporary Playwriting, starts Oct. 3! Refer a friend and you both get $25 off the 3-session seminar bundle or the Fundamentals class, or $15 off a s...

New course: Fundamentals of Contemporary Playwriting -

New course: Fundamentals of Contemporary Playwriting Many of the books and courses you can find on playwriting draw on classic plays—from the Greeks to Shakespeare to Arthur Miller—as the basis of their dramaturgy. But the Aristotelian unities and the tenets of Realism are ill-equipped to evaluate, let alone produce, many of the works being staged...

Check out my Fall seminars! -

Check out my Fall seminars! First-time students and those who haven’t taken a class in over a year get $15 off my monthly seminar, or $25 off a three-session bundle! (bringing the cost down to $142/session!)

Study "John Proctor is the Villain" by Kimberly Belflower -

Study "John Proctor is the Villain" by Kimberly Belflower First-time students and those who haven’t taken a class in over a year get $15 off my monthly seminar, or $25 off a three-session bundle! (bringing the cost down to $142/session!)

Summer Seminar Sessions! -

Summer Seminar Sessions! First-time students and those who haven’t taken a class in over a year get $15 off my monthly seminar, or $25 off a three-session bundle!

Discount for new/returning students! -

Discount for new/returning students! First-time students and those who haven’t taken a class in over a year get $15 off my monthly seminar, or $25 off a three-session bundle!

Sign up for "seven methods of killing kylie jenner" -

Sign up for "seven methods of killing kylie jenner" Our next seminar starts on April 8, and will focus on seven methods of killing kylie jenner by Jasmine Lee-Jones. seven methods of killing kylie jenner is an explosive drama about privilege and prejudice, taking place both “IRL” and on Twitter, complete with memes and emojis in the script. This ...

Last chance to sign up for "The Whale"! -

Last chance to sign up for "The Whale"! Our next seminar starts on March 11, and will focus on The Whale by Samuel D. Hunter (recently adapted into a film starring Brendan Fraser). It’s a powerful and difficult play. As part of our class we will discuss the controversy around the film’s portrayal of fat people, and examine our respons...

A spot has opened up in my workshop class! -

A spot has opened up in my workshop class! Have a draft of a full-length play you’d like to develop? In this class you’ll have your play read out loud in full, followed by a full hour devoted to discussing it. Additionally, I will bring in one professional actor per reading, to give a key role in your play the benefit of a particularly s...

Announcing the next three sessions of my seminar! -

Announcing the next three sessions of my seminar! My play Retcon will receive a staged reading on Monday, March 6, at 7:30pm ET. It will take place in the Source Theater Rehearsal Room (1835 14th St NW) and will be live-streamed so you can watch from home!

FREE WRITING EXERCISE! Plus--last chance to sign up! -

FREE WRITING EXERCISE! Plus--last chance to sign up! This is a simple, three step exercise. Do the steps individually when you have time, or do them back to back! I recommend that you don’t look ahead—do one step, then read what’s next!

The next session of my playwriting seminar starts Feb 11! We'll be studying Heidi Schreck's "What the Constitution Means to Me." Here are the details -

Next session: "What the Constitution Means to Me" I will be starting a new opportunity this year for those students who have been working on full-length plays. You’ll get to have your play read out loud in full, followed by a full hour devoted to discussing it. Additionally, I will bring in one professional actor per reading, to give a key role i...

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2023 Playwriting classes with Jack! -

2023 Playwriting classes with Jack! In my monthly playwriting seminar, we take a look at a different contemporary play each month, discussing its craft and using it as inspiration for a number of writing exercises. At the end of each month, we workshop one scene from each student. We do the seminar virtually (I will provide a zoom lin...