TOOLS: A Workshop Series for Playwrights Exploring Theatricality – Stage Directions

Tools is a workshop series by our visiting resident playwright Sean Dunnington for playwrights curious about theatricality—the unique magic of theatre that invites audiences to “believe” what they see on stage is true-to-life, even while knowing it’s not real (to an extent). Each session dives into a specific element of this conceptual spell, blending discussion, hands-on activities, performance, and experimentation.

Join us for the first workshop this January which will look at Stage Directions. In this workshop, we’ll explore what stage directions can do beyond blocking and lighting cues. How can they become indispensable to the play? Can they describe things that never appear? Should they be interpreted as literal, tonal, or something else entirely? Can they dare be ignored? Through examples and practice, we’ll test how much stage directions can shape a play.

This workshop is suitable for playwrights/writers who are engaged with/thinking about craft at a serious level.