Scripts for Contemporary Theatre (CWRI20010)

Undergraduate level 2Points: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)

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Overview

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Semester 1
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This subject is an introduction to the principles and techniques of scriptwriting for the theatre. A selection of theatre scripts in various styles will be studied, in conjunction with relevant critical material, to enhance the production of an original script. Students will each view a current Melbourne theatre production and review the scriptwriting concept and techniques through blog-posts on a class forum, as well as participating in workshopping of their classmates’ scripts throughout semester. This subject is compulsory for students planning to take Writing Radical Performance in the 3rd year of their studies.

Intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

  • Design and write scripts for theatre, informed by scholarship on the traditions and innovations of creative writing for performance, with a rigorous approach to creative writing methods, intellectual honesty and ethical values.
  • Deploy a range of vocational and creative writing strategies in the development of performance texts that explore complex social and cultural contexts.
  • Critically analyse theatre scripts in relation to their historical context.
  • Critically reflect on their own work and that of others through the workshop process, taking into account individual and cultural differences.

Generic skills

At the completion of this subject, students should gain the following generic skills:

  • The ability to analyse creative and critical material to develop and enhance their intellectual training and creative practice
  • Acquired interpersonal skills of communication, collaboration and co-operation through attention to active listening, giving and receiving feedback etc. and how to reconceptualise and rewrite from feedback
  • Acquired teamwork and public speaking skills through extensive presentation of work-in-progress during workshops
  • Demonstrated time management, independent organisation and planning.

Last updated: 9 April 2025