Welcome to Wicked Stagewriting: From Plays to Musicals!
This one-cycle Wicked Stagewriting Journey is designed to help develop the skills and understanding needed to work as a writer in today’s theatre industry. This Journey provides insight into the work of a playwright – a deep understanding of live storytelling and professional scripts, plays vs musicals, professional working practices, and employment strategies. We will look to popular musicals such as Wicked for inspiration in creating original pieces.
You are currently viewing the course for this Journey. In this course, topics range from story structure to librettos to actually staging the play.
Learning Objectives
Wicked Stagewriting Course Learning Objectives:
At the end of this course, participants will have:
- Recognize Playwriting Conventions — Learn how plays and musicals are commonly structured, the roles that characters typically play, and the genres seen in the industry.
- Construct a Compelling Stageplay — Practice writing a script using industry-standard stageplay formatting and layout conventions.
- Identify Playwriting Resources — Explore tools, communities, and strategies for revising and workshopping a play-in-progress.
- Understand Play Production — Gain insight into the steps involved in bringing a play from page to stage, including casting, rehearsals, and performance.
Requirements
- Complete at least 2 pair sessions per month and log these in your Portal
- Attend the monthly Journey Meetings (see Engagement Dates )
- Complete all lessons and assignments in this course
- Submit a ten-minute play/musical through the Submissions section in the Portal
Engagement Dates
Participants will attend one Journey Live Meeting each month as part of the course for the cycle. Additionally, you can schedule 1:1 office hours with the Journey Instructor for individual assistance as needed.
Fall Cycle Journey Meetings:
Monday, November 10, 2025 7-8 pm ET
Monday, December 1, 2025 7-8 pm ET
Monday, January 12, 2026 7-8 pm ET
Showcase:
Saturday, January 31, 2026 12-1:30 pm ET
Asynchronous Coursework
Complete each lesson in the the following course. As you progress through each lesson, make sure to press “complete” before moving on to the next.
Wicked Stagewriting: From Plays to Musicals (Fall 2025)
This course is designed to help develop the skills needed to work as a writer in today’s theatre industry. Specific topics range from character motivations to libretto to revision.
Submissions
You are required to submit a scene and song from your musical through your portal by the end of the cycle in order to successfully complete the Wicked Stagewriting Journey. To meet the submission requirement for the Wicked Stagewriting, go to your Portal and select “Submissions”.
