Psychoanalysis for Dramatic Writers: Play Dramaturgy with Nelson Díaz-Marcano

Your play is alive — and it has something to say.

This six-week dramaturgical intensive is for playwrights who are deep in a draft and ready to do the real work: excavating the heart of the play, sharpening what it's trying to do, and building the confidence to rewrite with clarity and purpose.

Facilitated by Nelson Díaz-Marcano — Literary Director of the Latinx Playwright Circle and developer of over 150 new plays — this seminar-style workshop brings together a small group of writers for focused, personalized dramaturgical feedback in a collaborative setting. Each writer works on their own play. You bring the project. The group helps you crack it open.

WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

Week 1 — What Is the Play?

Identify the heart of your project: its premise, personal connection, central conflict, and theatrical engine.

Week 2 — Character, Want, and Pressure

Dig into who lives inside the play. What do your characters want, what are they hiding, and what forces them to change?

Week 3 — Structure and the Engine

Map the spine of your play — how scenes build, tension accumulates, and the audience is pulled from beginning to end.

Week 4 — Dialogue, Voice, and Theatricality

Examine how the play speaks. Rhythm, silence, subtext, and the difference between information and action.

Week 5 — The Rewrite

Bring in revised pages or key scenes and receive focused feedback from the group. Build a practical revision plan tailored to your play.

Week 6 — Where Does the Play Go Next?

Share revised material, reflect on the process, and leave with a concrete plan for finishing or advancing your draft.

DETAILS

📅 Tuesdays, 6:30–9:30pm ET | 6 weeks | 18 hours total | Starting June 9, 2025

💰 Total Cost: $250 | Per Week: $42