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TV/Streaming Writing for Playwrights
Learn how to adapt your craft to write compelling TV and streaming shows.
Class Description
Instructor: John Yearley Semester: Spring 2026 Sessions: 10 Sessions/10 Weeks New Students: $600 Returning PlayPenn or DGI Students: $525 Foundry or Entrepreneur Members: $480 DGI Certificate Students: $480 Are you a playwright wondering how far your skills can take you in television and what tools you’ll need once they reach their limits? The class begins by exploring the fundamental differences between plays and television including how each form works, how stories are structured, and how audiences experience them. From there, students will move into writing short scenes, focusing on visual storytelling, and applying those skills toward the development of a television pilot and an accompanying season concept. By the end of our 10-week class, each student will have created a detailed, specific outline for an original pilot of their own. Week 1: How TV Works/How Plays Work Week 2: Presentations: Plays as TV Shows Week 3: Play Scenes/TV Scenes Week 4: Nuts and Bolts of Screenwriting Week 5: Pitches for TV Shows Week 6: Protagonists Week 7: World and Genre Week 8: Story/Stories Week 9: Save the Cat! Beats for Your Pilot - Part I Week 10: Save the Cat! Beats for Your Pilot - Part II John Yearley wrote “The Unrepeatable Moment” (“Yearley is a master” – Huffington Post). His latest play, “Triptych,” had an extended run at The Barrow Group in New York City in fall 2024. “8 Minutes, 20 Seconds” was workshopped by LABryinth Theatre Company and is published by TRW Plays. He is also the author of “Leap” (Mickey Kaplan New American Play Prize, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park), “Ephemera” (John Gassner Award), and “Another Girl” (PlayPenn). His works for young audiences include “The Last Wish” (Macy’s New Play Prize for Young Audiences). Short plays “All in Little Pieces” and “A Low-Lying Fog” are available through Samuel French. He has written for PBS Kids’ “Arthur.” He teaches playwriting, television writing, and screenwriting at Temple University, Drexel University, and the Barrow Group.
Enrollment Policies (Time Zones, Payment Plans, and Refunds)
ONLINE SCHEDULES & TIME ZONES: Most of our classes are offered online and open to participants worldwide. Our website automatically displays class start times based on your device’s current location, so you will always see the correct time no matter where you are. If you are traveling for work or personal reasons, please verify the local time shown on your device on this registration page before joining the class. For example, if a class begins at 7:00 PM U.S. Eastern Time (ET), it will appear as 4:00 PM PT when viewed from the U.S. West Coast, or 11:00 AM the next day if you are in Sydney, Australia. Many of our instructors are based in the U.S. Eastern Time (ET) zone, but not all. Once again, please double-check the local time shown on your device on this registration page before joining the class if you are traveling. IN-PERSON SCHEDULES & TIME ZONES: If the class is held in person, please note that the start time is based on the time zone of the city where the class takes place. If you book the class while traveling, be sure to use the class’s local time zone rather than the time zone of your current location. CLASS LINK: The hyperlink to join your respective online class(es) will be emailed to you separately from your class registration confirmation, closer to the first session. PAYMENT PLANS: PlayPenn believes that cost should never be a barrier to learning. Flexible payment plans are available, and we’re happy to work with students to find a solution that fits your needs. To inquire about setting up a payment plan, please email using the form on the Upcoming Class main page. REFUND POLICY: At PlayPenn, we are proud to collaborate with exceptional artists who generously make time in their busy schedules to teach our classes. In addition, to ensure a high-quality, personalized experience, we keep class sizes intentionally small. In order to offer a small-group class experience and pay our professional instructors consistently, please note all sales are final and tuition is not refundable. PlayPenn is not able to offer a voucher/credits towards a future purchase. Please consider this before making your purchase. Please visit our Refund Policy webpage to learn more about our other policies.
Class Schedule
Learn More About Your Instructor
Our teaching artists are all working professional writers—award-winning playwrights and musical theatre creators—who bring real-world experience, insight, and passion to every session.
Get to know our artists by clicking a name below to read their full bio.
