Class Description

Semester: Winter 2026 Instructor: Che'Rae Adams (PlayPenn Artistic Director) PlayPenn Foundry or Cohort Members: $100 Returning PlayPenn or DGI Students: $100 New Students: $125 After multiple sold-out intensives, PlayPenn's Artistic Director, Che'Rae Adams, returns with an in-person six-hour workshop in New York City, an experience designed for playwrights struggling to find the true heart of their plays, or who need inspiration to dig deeper and fully understand what their story is really about. Drawing on decades of experience in new play development, Che'Rae brings the same clarity and intention she discovered while working in the room with Tony Kushner on "Angels in America: Perestroika", Peter Parnell on "The Cider House Rules", and the late Jon Bastian on "Strange Fruit" These large scale, emotionally rich works were master classes in getting to the root of the story that the author intended. When a playwright understands the purpose behind their story, the writing becomes more focused, more alive, and more resonant. In this workshop, Che'Rae guides participants through a series of targeted exercises designed to uncover the true heart of the play. Writers learn how to clarify their protagonist's action and objective, how to structure a story with intention, and how to articulate why their play matters, both to them and to the world they are writing into. These tools have proven again and again to help playwrights strengthen their work from the inside out. Past students often say the exercises help them see their play in an entirely new way. Breakthroughs tend to center around clarity, purpose, and intent, the foundational elements that transform a draft into a meaningful dramatic journey. Open to writers of all levels, this workshop will include a PDF of Che'Rae's workbook, "Writing is Hard", so participants can continue to develop their plays long after the session ends. Che’Rae has been the Producing Artistic Director of the LA Writers Center since 2006 where she develops new work with local writers. She was the Director of Operations and Programming for the Moss Theater in Santa Monica for seven years and has been the Development Executive for Playhouse Pictures Studios, Co-Artistic Director of the Road Theatre Company, and Managing Producer for the LA Women’s Theatre Festival. Che'Rae joined PlayPenn's staff as its second Artistic Director in 2023.