Our Education Mission
Bramble Education seeks to provide theatremakers with the tools to find and develop their own artistic voice. By offering a wide variety of classes and instructors, we empower students to direct their energy toward the skills and experiences that most inspire them. Our educators promote collaboration between diverse artists, exploration of new ideas and techniques, accessibility, and ensemble building. We strive for all of our students to continuously hone their skills, thrive in ensemble environments, and enrich the larger theatre community.
Bramble Education Program
UPCOMING CLASSES
All classes take place at the Bramble Arts Loft (located at 5545 N. Clark Street, 2nd Floor in Andersonville) unless noted otherwise.
Introduction to Playwriting with Alex Lubischer
Wednesdays from April 30 to June 25, 2025 @ 7:00 to 10:00pm (no class June 18)
$399
Deadline to apply: April 18, 2025
Through a series of weekly writing exercises inspired by the freshest, most inventive plays of the 21st Century, aspiring playwrights will add skills to their storytelling tool belt while writing the first act of a full-length play. Students in the workshop will study plays by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins, Annie Baker, Rajiv Joseph, and Alistair McDowall—to name a few—paired with storytelling theory from Sarah Ruhl, Zadie Smith, Simon Stephens, and more. The course asks writers to read like thieves, not like academics: does the play move you? Could you use this structure/technique in your own plays? What is your play doing to its audience? How?
This class is ideal for brand new playwrights: folks who have never written a play but want to try and who have a love of writing. It's also great for beginning-to-emerging playwrights who have written a play or two but have yet to receive a rigorous education in the craft of playwriting. Theatre artists in other disciplines (directors, actors) who want to try their hand at playwriting have also loved this class.
Alex Lubischer is a queer Midwestern writer, born and raised on a farm in Nebraska. He holds an MFA in Playwriting from Yale. He lives by the lake in Chicago with his dog. His plays include BOBBIE CLEARLY (Roundabout Theatre Company, Steep Theatre, Jeff Award Winner: Outstanding New Play), PIVOT (Yale School of Drama, GPTC New Play Conference 2024), YOU DESERVE TO BE HERE (Goodman Playwrights Unit commission; Roundabout Theatre Laura Pels commission, The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting - Longlist), DO WASPS HAVE DESIRES? (Milwaukee Repertory Theater), WEIRD KIDS (Haven Chicago), THE QUONSETS (Yale Cabaret, co-written with Majkin Holmquist), and SURVEY NO. 5 (House of International Theatre, Copenhagen). Lubischer was the 2017/18 Tow Foundation Playwright-in-Residence at Roundabout Theatre Company. He has developed new work at Playwrights Horizons, Atlantic Theater Company, Page 73, The Orchard Project, SPACE on Ryder Farm, Victory Gardens Theater, First Floor Theater, The Understudy, and Actors Theatre of Louisville. He has been a semifinalist for the P73 Playwriting Fellowship and a three-time finalist for the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference. He teaches playwriting at DePaul University and the Goodman Theatre in Chicago.
What students are saying about Alex’s Intro to Playwriting Class!
“Alex’s class solidified my grasp of the essentials of how to write a play while simultaneously introducing me to new ideas of what a play can be. Through the course’s combination of collaborative in person feedback from my fellow learners and personalized asynchronous feedback from Alex, I became not only a more confident and more competent writer, but learned to be a better member of my writing community. I recommend this course to writers of any skill level — it truly has something for everyone.”
“Alex is one of the best writing teachers I’ve ever had. His reading list taught me about so many ways to tell a story, and his exercises gave me new tools to write my own. He also knows how to create an atmosphere among his students that encourages supportive, insightful feedback.”
“I’m so glad you’re teaching this class again! It was such a thoughtful and engaging introduction to playwriting - it really helped me think about structure while keeping things open for exploration. You create a great space for curiosity and discovery, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking to dive into writing for the stage.”
“Alex is a supurb teacher who has crafted a precise curriculum for artists who are ready to sharpen their playwriting skills as well as engage in thoughtful discourse about plays in the modern canon. He is skillful about creating a true workshop environment where folks are able to experiment with many ideas and learn a framework to productively give and receive feedback. I feel lucky to have taken this class and am a more confident writer and well-read artist. I also really value that Alex and Bramble are actively inviting creators who practice other mediums into their classes, it was great to build community with folks I may never have met or learned from otherwise. 10/10!”
Monologue Masterclass with Alex Weisman
Tuesday, May 6, 2025 @ 6:30pm to 9:30pm
$75
Deadline to register: May 5, 2025
This masterclass will focus on crafting an audition-ready monologue, while also providing insights into process and building tools to help keep your work immediate and alive. Each student will receive individual coaching on a prepared monologue and will also have the opportunity to glean insights from observing fellow students.
This class is ideal for actors who want to take their monologues to the next level, try out some new material, or examine a familiar piece with some new perspectives.
Taught by award-winning actor Alex Weisman, whom you may have seen on Sesame Street, at Hogwarts (on Broadway), or at a number of theatres in Chicago and around the country.
Alex Weisman is an actor and bibliophile based in New York. He made his Broadway debut in the original cast of the Tony Award-winning HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD, understudying the role of Scorpius Malfoy. He is a two-time Joseph Jefferson Award winner for his roles in THE HISTORY BOYS at TimeLine Theatre and HAND TO GOD at Victory Gardens, and worked extensively in Chicago at The Goodman, Chicago Shakespeare, Lookingglass, About Face and Court Theater among many others. Most recently seen in ACT OF GOD at Paramount and currently PRAYER FOR THE FRENCH REPUBLIC at Northlight/Theater Wit. Regional credits include work at Milwaukee Rep, Chautauqua, and Zoetic Stage (Carbonell Award Nomination). Currently he appears as "Frank" on Sesame Street (GLAAD NEW MEDIA AWARD). For five years, he was seen as Chout on NBC’s Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, and Chicago Med. Other television credits include: New Amsterdam, Empire, Living with Yourself, Inventing Anna, Everything’s Trash, White House Plumbers. Film credits include: A Complete Unknown (8 Academy Award Nominations), Another Happy Day, Your Monster, Black Box and An Acceptable Loss. He is a founding stakeholder with the BackRoom Shakespeare Project and a proud Northwestern University graduate.