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Writing for Stage: From Idea to Performance

Whether you want to write a comedy sketch, a short scene, or a one-act play, this three-week class will help you take your idea from the page to the stage. Participants will learn the basics of stage writing, including character, dialogue, structure, and how to write for live performance. Over the course of three sessions, you will develop your own short script and receive guidance on how to strengthen it. In the final session, we will bring selected scripts to life through a staged reading or workshop-style performance.

DatesSep 23 โ€“ Oct 21, 2026Wednesdays 7:00โ€“9:30 pm
LocationMcCarthy Recreation Bldg - Tinley Park, Illinois
DetailsAges 18+Activity 309093-A
$89Resident
$115Non-Resident
Enrollment open
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Whether you want to write a comedy sketch, a short scene, or a one-act play, this three-week class will help you take your idea from the page to the stage. Participants will learn the basics of stage writing, including character, dialogue, structure, and how to write for live performance. Over the course of three sessions, you will develop your own short script and receive guidance on how to strengthen it. In the final session, we will bring selected scripts to life through a staged reading or workshop-style performance.

Instructor

Adam Woodworth

Adam Woodworth

Adam Woodworth is a writer, director, actor, and improviser whose creative work spans sketch comedy, improv, scripted stage work, books, and commercial performance. He has directed multiple improv and sketch productions with Main Stage Improv, including a sold-out performance at the Roxy Theatre in Lockport, and performs regularly as part of the Chicago-area improv community. As a playwright, Adam has written and directed two one-act plays for Limestone Stage: In a Fortnite and The Bridge. His writing experience also ranges from short-form comedy and sketch to longer-form storytelling, including his published book Twilight: A Reindeer Story. His approach to writing is strongly influenced by his experience as both a performer and director, looking not only at what works on the page, but what actors can actually bring to life onstage. Adam is also a represented actor and professional character performer, with experience in commercial auditions, live entertainment, improv, and interactive performance. He brings that combination of writing, directing, and performing experience to his Writing for the Stage course at Main Stage Improv.