Writing from the Body

An online, 5-session,

PAGE-GENERATING WORKSHOP

with Elena Zucker

for playwrights, screenwriters and actor-creators.

I wrote reams! -Bill Bowers 

Registration now open for the upcoming Valentine’s Edition:

Sat, Feb 14, 11am-1pm EST

Sun Feb 15, 11am-1pm EST

Wed, Feb 18, 7pm-9pm EST

Sat, Feb 21, 11am-1pm EST

Sun, Feb 22, 11am-1pm EST

Plus 2 one-on-ones (one during the second week, one 2 months after the workshop).

Detailed workshop description and registration information below.

Artwork: Boris Pramatarov

Do you approach new projects filled with enthusiasm, only to become overwhelmed by how to proceed?

Do you come to a standstill after Act I, assailed by self-doubt? Do you tell yourself you don’t have the tools, technique, or knowledge to see your work through to the finish? 

Above all, are you looking for deep, new pathways to creativity and productivity? 

Writing from the Body, an online, Lecoq-inspired writer’s workshop, was designed to address these concerns by galvanizing the relationship between body and imagination for the creation of new work.

The class I took with Elena was spectacular…It literally changed the lives of those in the class. -Hope S.

Within this workshop, we will: 

  • Liberate new ideas

  • Inspire creative flow 

  • Deepen dramatic inquiry

  • Unearth new story points

  • Summon our characters

  • Generate those pages!

How will we do this? Each class employs a full-bodied movement prompt to ignite the dramatic imagination (no movement training is presumed for participants). Our explorations vary widely, covering an array of dramatic territory, from world-building to character psychology to narrative arc. An immediate, on-the-spot writing prompt then channels these discoveries towards the creation of new material.

…Elena’s imaginative physical exercises translated to the page in a clear and dynamic way. It was really eye opening. -Rachel E.

Scenes begun during the session are completed before the next meeting, creating momentum within the work.

I’ve never written something as passionately or as quickly as I did when working through this class.  -Robert S.

Additionally, writers meet twice with me individually for one-on-one discussions of their projects and processes.

Elena’s thoughtful and precise feedback helped to focus and guide me toward a finished product. -Kimberly C.L.

Writing from the Body was originally conceived in collaboration with Movement Theater Studio, NYC, in the height of lockdown. Could a movement-based writer’s workshop function meaningfully through Zoom? The answer: Yes. 

Nearly six years on and many workshops later, WFTB-writers have generated material for plays, screenplays, dance-theater, performance art, memoir, solo shows and clown. Their projects have received professional development, grant funding and full production. Participants have been working professionals and new writers alike, Zooming in from around the world. The workshops have created lasting artistic relationships.

Members of my 2021 class formed a writing group that still meets and works together in 2024. -Logan S.

Space is limited to 12 participants for an intimate group rapport.

FEE: $350, inclusive of 5 sessions and 2 one-on-ones.

REGISTRATION: Please contact writingftbody@gmail.com with subject “WFTB Registration.” I will reply to any questions, provide payment information and reserve your spot.

Testimonials:

Elena Zucker's class was one of the best experiences I've had as a professional actor who makes her own work. And I await the chance to take the class again. Elena's unique and effective construct of using our instrument, the body, to be the foundation and resource for the creative writing process was more than effective for the end goal of HOW and WHAT to write; it was also cathartic and connecting to understand the reasons WHY we write, the purpose and intention of creating, and the importance of listening to the body, trusting the self, and opening up to a group of artists to use them as supports as we move through, what is always, a vulnerable process. The organization, professionalism, product, and care you will receive from taking this class is second to none. I wrote my show DOT, which I ultimately produced in 2022, because of Elena's workshop. What I wrote in that class became the striking show I did not believe was possible…I await the chance to create like that again!  -Hope S. 

Writing from the Body is a wonderful class. The physical provocations, coupled with the writing prompts, helped me access subtle and mysterious places. Elena is like a live wire, alight with the excitement of writing. Her feedback is both precise and generous. The group atmosphere is full of curiosity and support. Altogether, this class channeled the scope of my bodily perceptions into a lucid current on the page. I would recommend this class to anyone who enjoys letting their body think, their mind move, and their words take flight. -Cynthia C.

Elena's WFTB workshop was a powerful catalyst for me in beginning a very important creative project. I will always cherish the heartfelt support from Elena and the group in creating the space for me to take such great risks. WFTB was a workshop in which I felt very safe to be vulnerable. Creating within such a space was a rare and precious gift. -Mita G

Playing with Elena was a wake-up for my body, spirit and pen. I felt supported, my creativity was re-awakened, and she helped me find THE point of all of my random thoughts, tying them together in a way I have been able to use in several other workshops and creative pursuits. Highly recommend! -Yvette M.

Elena Zucker’s class was so integral to my writing. I started a piece in her class with just the nugget of an idea. With Elena’s imaginative physical exercises, I was able to literally “get out of my head” for a little, to incorporate the characters' needs into my physical life- which then translated to the page in a clearer and more dynamic way. It was really eye opening. I continued to work on that piece after the class and now have a full-length play! I highly highly recommend Elena’s classes! -Rachel E

…Elena skillfully scaffolded instruction so that each lesson grew organically into the next. Her genuine encouragement and playful manner made me feel comfortable participating in the physical activities and sharing ideas with other participants. The writing exercises were rigorous and stretched me in creative directions, whilst Elena’s thoughtful and precise feedback helped to focus and guide me toward a finished product. -Kim C.L.

…I went in with a handful of ideas for solo performances and walked out with a set of tools that I have been able to utilize for a few different projects, as well as an almost complete rough draft of a solo performance. When I am writing, I get stuck in my head often, but using the exercises from this workshop I’ve been able to stand up and genuinely write from my body. This class translates very well for the virtual platform, probably better than any other workshop I’ve taken. The exercises really let me experience the world of my pieces through my own body and gave me new and diverse perspectives. I also loved the feedback from Elena and the rest of my class.... I enjoyed hearing everyone else’s pieces too! I’ve never written something as passionately or as quickly as I did when working through this class. -Robert S.

I took Elena’s Writing from the Body workshop specifically hoping to jumpstart an old play I’d started in 2004 that had been in the proverbial drawer for nearly two decades… The words on this play were finally flowing again, and I’ve since finished a first draft…I got exactly what I wanted when I signed on… -Carolynne W. 

Elena's course offers essential and thought-provoking work for writers and theatre-makers. I've taken classes from her across the last decade and nobody in this business has made me a better storyteller. Writing From the Body is a community-builder as much as a writing course; members of my 2021 class formed a writing group that still meets and works together in 2024. -Logan S.

Writing from the Body is a great course for getting the creative energy flowing. Elena offers a safe and supportive environment to explore your characters and artistic voice while gently pushing you to dig deeper. I was really able to get into the headspace of my creations with this course. It's also a great opportunity to network and develop lifelong connections with other artists. -Matthew B

Elena is a clear, supportive guide, and having a group to meet with regularly made all the difference. I wrote reams!! -Bill Bowers