Primary Stages - Education

Education

Dorothy Strelsin New American Writers Group

Primary Stages is host to the Dorothy Strelsin New American Writers Group, which brings together six to eight emerging playwrights each season to create new plays for the American theater. Under the direction of Primary Stages Associate Artistic Director Michelle Bossy, these playwrights attend weekly meetings in the fall and spring, where they bring new pages to each session and receive feedback on their works in progress. At the end of the season, Primary Stages presents the first public reading of these plays in The Dorothy Strelsin Fresh Ink Readings Series.

Since its inception, over 45 full-length plays have been written in the Group, many of which have been produced by prominent local and national theaters including Long Wharf Theatre, Blue Light, South Coast Repertory, The New Group, New York Stage and Film, Cherry Lane Theatre, and of course, Primary Stages.

Current members: Bekah Brunstetter, David Caudle, Cheri Magid, Rogelio Martínez, Janine Nabers, Tommy Smith, and Adam Szymkowicz

Past members: David Lindsay Abaire, Tanya Barfield, Courtney Baron, Neena Beber, Alex Beech, Brooke Berman, Darren Canady, Andrew Case, Cusi Cram, Janis Astor del Valle, Bruce Faulk, Josh Fox, Jessica Goldberg, Daniel Goldfarb, Rinne Groff, Stephen Adly Guirgis, Katori Hall, Jerome Hairston, Rolin Jones, Julia Jordan, Dan O’Brien, Edwin Sanchez, Julian Sheppard, Lucy Thurber, Sheri Wilner

Primary Stages Einhorn School of Performing Arts (ESPA)

The Primary Stages Marvin and Anne Einhorn School of Performing Arts (ESPA)], formerly the Primary Stages School of Theater, is an interdisciplinary institution where students may hone their skills and develop their careers in a nurturing and collaborative environment. Having house over one-thousand students, the School provides extensive opportunities for emerging artists, professionals, and lifelong learners to collaborate with working professional artists while building strong relationships within the New York theater community.

ESPA offers a series of intensive classes in acting, playwriting, and directing taught by industry professionals that include PS Staff members Casey Childs (Founder and Executive Producer of Primary Stages), Andrew Leynse (Artistic Director), Michelle Bossy (Associate Artistic Director), along with David Laundra and Linda Laundra, Judy Gold, Tanya Barfield, Cusi Cram, Stephanie Klapper, Blair Singer, Rogelio Martínez, Edwin Sanchez, Lucy Thurber and Morgan Jenness. Previous faculty members include Julia Jordan, Brooke Berman, Sarah Ruhl, Constance Congdon, BH Barry, and Kim Wield. The school is run by Tessa LaNeve.

Acting students work closely with playwriting students to help create and foster new American plays. Learning how to work on a play in development is a key component to becoming a successful actor. A balance of studying pieces by emerging writers and collaborating on works-in-progress allows actors to hone their skills while keeping them on their toes. Acting classes have included: Television Acting, Advanced Scene Study, Auditioning Techniques, The Monologue, On-Camera Auditioning and Solo Performance.

Core playwriting classes provide students with the tools necessary to complete a first draft through writing exercises, workshopped readings and insight from working playwrights. Small classes of 6-8 offer an intimate setting and the opportunity to have new work read aloud each week. Classes are for all skill levels, from first time writers to those who have hit a road block with their current piece. Playwriting classes have included: Face the Blank Page and Write, The Rewrite, Comedy Writing, Adaptation, Experimental Theater and Television Writing.

With classes designed for directors and non-directors alike, the directing department offers a series of programs throughout the year to build your confidence behind the table and expand your way of thinking about performance. Classes include Collaborations, Workshops, as well as concentrations in Film and Stage directing.

ESPA is now providing an artistic home to over four-hundred emerging artists.