Learn the basic elements of dramatic story telling Maya Angelou once said, "There is no agony like bearing an untold story inside of you. This fall, those with stories trapped within will have the chance to share them during the Introduction to Play-writing class at College of the Canyons.

It is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn the basic elements of dramatic story telling and showcase some of their work, said COC professor David Stears, who has produced and directed more than 75 plays and 35 original scripts.

Students interested in submitting a play for the New Works Festival, which stages performances of plays selected from student-written submissions, are highly encouraged to take this class, as are those interested in learning the fundamentals of dramatic storytelling for stage, film, television and computer games.

Our hope is that this class, combined with the New Works Festival, will eventually give birth to a full-length original play that becomes part of our season in the Performing Arts Center, said Stears.

Introduction to Playwriting focuses on the fundamentals of dramatic story telling, discussion and analysis of structure, development of character, writing dialogue and the composition of a two-act play. The class, which can be taken as either a Theater or English class, will be
conducted in a workshop setting with a combination of lectures, exercises and weekly readings.

The three-unit class will meet from 12:40 to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the first day of instruction is August 29.

For more information about this class or registration, please visit the college¹s website at www.canyons.edu or contact David Stears at (661) 252-3955.