Caveat Academy course · Grades 9 to 12

Playwriting

How to write a play that works on a stage: script format and the elements of drama, characters who want something, dialogue that says one thing and means another, scenes that turn, objects and devices only theater has, and the revisions, readings and feedback that carry a draft to a finished ten-minute play. You write as you go, at your own pace, with a certificate at the end.

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$19one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $19

Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the High school electives library, $119 for 66 items.

6 modules · 18 lessonsabout 13 hours$19

Six modules, eighteen lessons

Each module ends with a practice set that tracks mastery, an explain-it-back prompt, a short written response and a module exam. The final opens when every module is proficient; passing it earns a certificate with a verification code.

  1. Module 1: What makes a play

    Explain how writing for a live stage differs from prose and film, format a script correctly, and use Aristotle's elements to analyze a play.

    • Writing for a live stage
    • Script format
    • The elements of drama
    about 2.1 h

  2. Module 2: Characters who want something

    Create characters with specific wants, obstacles and stakes, distinct voices and shifting status.

    • Objectives, obstacles and stakes
    • Building a character
    • Status and relationships
    about 2.1 h

  3. Module 3: Dialogue

    Write dialogue with subtext, purposeful rhythm and silence, and exposition delivered through conflict.

    • Subtext
    • Voice, rhythm and silence
    • Exposition without the info dump
    about 2.1 h

  4. Module 4: Scenes and structure

    Analyze scenes by beats and turning points, build plots on causality, and plan a ten-minute play.

    • The scene and its beats
    • Plot structure
    • The ten-minute play
    about 2.1 h

  5. Module 5: Writing for the stage

    Use the stage picture, objects, monologue, soliloquy and direct address, and distinguish genres and control tone.

    • The stage picture and the power of objects
    • Theatrical devices: monologue, soliloquy and direct address
    • Genre and tone
    about 2.1 h

  6. Module 6: Revision, readings and sharing your work

    Revise a draft in structured passes, give and use feedback with the Critical Response Process, and prepare a script for a reading or festival.

    • Revising a draft
    • Table readings and feedback
    • Sharing your play
    about 2.1 h

Try it before you start

This is how every lesson works: step through a worked example at your own pace, then answer a check and get the reason right away. Nothing here is saved; the course keeps your progress.

Module 4 · The scene and its beats

Worked example: dividing a scene into beats

  1. Want: Lina wants her father to let her take the summer job in another city.

A lesson check from each module

The checks need JavaScript turned on. The course itself works the same way.

What you get

Academics · High School$19 · included with the Academy pass and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A finished course in playwriting and the plan for a ten-minute play of your own: you can format a script, turn narration into playable action, give characters specific wants, obstacles and stakes, write dialogue with subtext and exposition through conflict, divide a scene into beats and find its turning point, plant and pay off an object, choose between monologue, soliloquy and direct address, revise in structured passes and prepare a script for a reading or festival. Passing the final earns a Caveat certificate of completion.
Who it is for
Students in grades 9 to 12 in theater, drama or creative writing classes, young writers preparing scripts for school showcases and young playwrights' festivals, and homeschool families who want a complete course in writing for the stage. The quizzes check understanding of craft; a teacher, theater director or writing group can respond to the plays themselves.
Format
An online self-paced course: 6 modules and 18 lessons with worked examples you reveal step by step, 144 practice and exam items (multiple choice, numeric, fill-in and ordering), an explain-it-back prompt and a rubric-checked short response in every module, module exams with one retake, a 24-question final and a certificate with a verification code. About 13 hours in all; works on a phone or a computer.
Access
$19 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the course opens once you are signed in with it. Included with the Caveat Academy pass and Whole-school licenses. Also in the High school electives library ($119) and the Academics Suite pass ($149), and 1 more bundle. Progress is saved in this browser on this device, and the certificate page lets you download your record.
Where it lives
The High School space in Caveat Academics.
Support
Access, a receipt, a refund or a correction to the course: team@caveatacademic.com.

How it works

  1. Open the course and start Module 1. Each lesson takes about 25 to 35 minutes; two or three a week finishes the course in about a semester.
  2. Answer the checks as you read. Every answer shows the reason, and a miss links you back to the lesson that covers it.
  3. Finish each module with its practice set and exam. Proficient on every module opens the final; 70 percent passes it.
  4. Print or download your certificate and record from the certificate page.

Start the course

Sources and accuracy

The lessons are original writing by Caveat Academic Services. Facts were checked against these free, open references, which are also good places to read further.

  1. Aristotle, Poetics, in the public-domain translation by S. H. Butcher: gutenberg.org
  2. Susan Glaspell, Trifles (1916), and Henrik Ibsen, A Doll's House (1879), public-domain texts: gutenberg.org
  3. Liz Lerman and John Borstel, Critical Response Process: lizlerman.com
  4. U.S. Copyright Office, copyright basics for creators: copyright.gov
  5. Gustav Freytag, Technique of the Drama (1863); Keith Johnstone, Impro (1979)

Playwriting is a self-paced course from Caveat Academic Services. All sample scenes are original; public-domain plays are described briefly rather than quoted at length. The course teaches craft; it does not review or produce students' plays, does not replace a school course and awards no credit. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.