Stop waiting.
Stop “developing.”
Write the damn script—and finish it.

Writing for the Screen & Stage

An 8‑Week Intensive with Dennis Leroy Kangalee

Stop waiting. Stop polishing ideas in your head. Write the damn script—and finish it.

This is not a motivational seminar.
This is not a pitch‑deck factory.
And it is definitely not about chasing trends.

Led by independent maverick Dennis Leroy Kangalee— the first American playwright ever commissioned to adapt the work of Henry Miller to the stage! - a Juilliard alumnus, Actors Studio member, artistic director of the Kangalee Arts Ensemble, collaborator of Ed Bullins (screenplay for Goin’ a Buffalo), noted filmmaker (As an Act of Protest), and acclaimed stage director (My Dying City Vol. II)—this workshop is for writers who are done asking for permission.

Kangalee has spent over 25 years writing, directing, self‑producing, and selling original work outside the gatekeeping machinery. He brings rigor, blunt honesty, and a deep respect for artists who take responsibility for their own voices.

What This Workshop Actually Does

Writing for the Screen/Stage begins April 2, 2026 and runs for eight intense weeks. You will:

• Build a writing practice that survives distraction and self‑doubt

• Produce pages every week—not someday, now

• Learn discipline without sanding down your voice

• Generate real material, not endless notes

• Leave with a complete draft of a screenplay or stage play

This workshop is for writers who don’t need hand‑holding—but do need pressure, accountability, and a room where the work actually matters.

If you’re suspicious of “teachers” but starving for a serious artistic environment, this room was built for you.

Mystory Over Industry Bullshit

Forget formulas. Forget rules written for executives.
This workshop centers Mystory—your lived experience, contradictions, politics, obsessions, and imagination.

Writers of all levels, genres, and backgrounds are welcome. No credentials required. No pedigree needed. No need to prove you belong.

Through hard writing assignments, close reading, group readings, and direct feedback, you’ll reconnect to the reason you started writing in the first place—before the noise, before the fear, before the advice.

Kangalee pulls from everywhere: theater and film, high art and trash, history and the present moment. The goal isn’t to write like him. The goal is to help you write like no one else can.

How the 8 Weeks Break Down

• Week 1: Orientation; different ways writers attack the page

• Week 2: Bring the idea you’ve been avoiding

• Week 3: Group readings and ruthless questions—Is it necessary?

• Week 4: First ten pages, instructor feedback—no hiding

• Weeks 5–7: Writing, rewriting, cutting, sharpening

• Week 8: A finished working draft

Final Session:
Practical talk on making your own film, producing your own script, releasing finished work—and for those interested, a meeting with film producer Mara McCann.

Details (Because Reality Matters)

• Instructor: Dennis Leroy Kangalee

• When: Thursdays, 7:00–9:00 PM

• Where: Studio 353, 353 West 48th Street

• Cost: $600

A writing sample is optional. Commitment is not.

How to Get In

Apply with your contact information. Space is limited—on purpose. This only works if the room stays focused.

If you’re tired of talking about what you’re going to write—and ready to finish something real—this workshop is waiting.