The New Jersey Play Lab thinks it's time for you to write the movie you've been wanting to see and they believe they can help. They're presenting a hands-on weekly workshop on Zoom to help you generate a structurally sound screenplay targeted for producing and festival success. The workshops take place Sundays from 9:30am to 12:30pm from April 19 through May 17, 2026. The workshop fee is $250.
Prerequisite: Participating screenwriters must have prior screenwriting education/experience or have completed NJPL’s Film Fundamentals Workshop.
NJPL Collective Dramaturgs with expertise in writing and producing for the screen will lead a small group of screenwriters through the process of devising, adapting, and generating a feature-length screenplay. Each participating screenwriter is encouraged to bring a strong, developed idea or draft of a screenplay that they’d like to work on throughout the course.
Through a structure of accountability, encouragement, and guidance, screenwriters in this cohort will learn how to map out a strong narrative while infusing every page with their personal voice and style. With the support of our NJPL team, the writer will acquire dramaturgical techniques to vitalize the creative process and reinforce industry-recognized structure to amplify their storytelling.
Click here to register for the workshops.
The program is recommended for:
* Writers who are considering a story that’s larger than a short film
* Writers who have a literary/theatrical reference they’d like to see on film
* Writers who are curious about the process of transferring their brainstorming to tangible pages
* Writers who have had some formal training, and desire more of a dramaturgical lens from which to work
* Writers who have written a feature length screenplay and are looking to start their next
* Writers who have not yet written a feature length screenplay but need a helping hand to begin
Upon completion of this course, participants will have one dramaturgically-guided “feature film” script; a list of distribution options; festival strategies and intel; and the insight to offer value to a filmmaking community and give actionable feedback on their work. You will be the most cherished member of your cohort!
The workshops will be led by NJPL Collective Dramaturgs/Screenplay Gardeners: Darin F. Earl II and James Kenna.
The New Jersey Play Lab is a collective of dramaturgs who are committed to collaboration, methodology, and excellence in their work.
