Write for the Stage with David Butler
Info
Date: October 22, 2026
Time: 6.30 - 8:30 pm
Duration: 8 weeks
Level: Intermediate | Beginner |
Cost: €250 (€225 Members)
Location: Online
This course will take place online on Thursdays for 8 weeks beginning 22 October (8 sessions total)
Course Summary
In this eight week course, through a close reading of six landmark plays together with class discussions and written exercises, we’ll broach the questions: What is drama, and how does a playwright best dramatize their story?
Course Outline
Each week, we’ll explore one of the following plays:
William Shakespeare Macbeth
Henrik Ibsen Hedda Gabler
Anton Chekhov Uncle Vanya
Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire
Terence Rattigan The Deep Blue Sea
David Mamet American Buffalo
Topics for discussion include: What is ‘three act structure’, and how is it used? What is meant by ‘agon’ or conflict? What constitutes a hero / protagonist? How does the playwright deal with exposition or backstory? What is meant by ‘the problem’ of the play? What is meant by ‘the hero’s journey’?
Participants will be invited to write short dramatic pieces exploring how dramatic dialogue works.
Course Outcomes
Participants will gain a clearer insight into: how drama differs from fiction; how plays are structured; how dramatic character is presented.
David Butler is a novelist, short story writer, poet and dramatist. His award-winning one-act plays, which have been staged throughout Ireland and in the UK, include ‘Twas the Night Before Xmas; Blue Love; Census; and He Said / She Said. His radio play Vigil, broadcast by RTE Drama on One, was short-listed for a ZeBBie award.
If this course is booked out below please contact bookings@irishwriterscentre.ie to be added to the waiting list
