PlayWorks Ink 2008
WEEKEND SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

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Thursday, October 23, 2008

6:30 PM REGISTRATION
Glenbow Museum Lobby
Registration will run throughout the weekend
Glenbow Ground Plan >

7 PM SHOWCASE READING #1
Conoco-Phillips Theatre, Glenbow Museum

MY NAME IS
by Michele Vance Hehir

Winner of the 2008 Alberta Playwriting Competition, Discovery Prize

“There is a stillness about our house, not a waiting kind of stillness exactly, but a stillness born of . . . reluctance.”

It is the summer of 1958. The Everly Brothers are singing "All I Have to do is Dream". A young teenage boy commits suicide by drowning himself and his dog in the Burrard Inlet.

My Name Is asks the questions, “How do we escape the ordinary? Are the lives we lead, the people we love, the choices we make to carry us through, enough?” A young woman named Lovely guides us along a journey of one family affected by their choices.

9 PM SOCIAL at THE AUBURN
In the base of the Calgary Tower
101 - 9 Avenue SE
Calgary, AB
Hosted by Alberta Playwrights’ Network

Join us at the Auburn Saloon following the reading for hors d’oeuvres and cocktails while meeting other PlayWorks Ink participants, Alberta playwrights, and play development professionals from across the country.

Friday, October 24, 2008

9:30 AM REGISTRATION
Glenbow Museum Lobby
Join us for coffee and morning snacks

10 AM – 5 PM TWO-DAY MASTER CLASS

ADAPTING YOUR VOICE
with David Ley
Continued on Saturday

How do you deal with the vocal challenge of rehearsing a contemporary Canadian play during the day, performing Shakespeare on a large stage at night, and auditioning for an American TV movie in between?

In this workshop we will explore adapting your vocal skills to meet these challenges. You will leave the workshop with a solid and flexible voice warm-up that you can alter to suit the text and the performance medium. You will also learn how to adopt a convincing American dialect for film auditions.

A master class for the professional working actor

Participants must memorize one Shakespeare and one contemporary monologue

1:30 PM REGISTRATION
Glenbow Museum Lobby

2 – 5 PM: AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS

CHANNELING VOICE
with Judith Thompson

Voice is like an underground stream; if we find a way to dig down, we will discover it. In this workshop we will find the stream with personal stories and free associative on-the-spot monologues, and then move on to seemingly unfamiliar voices that we can find within ourselves. We will work on developing the monologic arc to reveal the maximum concentrated expression of a human being behind the voice.

An advanced workshop for professional playwrights and performer-creators

KEEP IT SIMPLE: GUIDE TO INSTANT CHOREOGRAPHY
with Mark Bellamy

Discover simple and effective tools to create actor-friendly choreography that you can use with movers and dancers of all levels—Mark Bellamy’s secrets revealed! Join one of Calgary’s most celebrated theatre practitioners to learn some of the basic skills involved in creating character-based movement pieces centered on theme and plot.

Suitable for novice to intermediate choreographers and directors. Come prepared to roll around.

REHEARSAL FOR REALITY
with Mariette Sluyter

When your sense of injustice and personal responsibility overwhelms you, where can you turn to activate a community and create a conversation for change? Why theatre, of course. Mariette Sluyter will introduce you to the world-recognized techniques of Theatre of the Oppressed, with a focus on Forum Theatre. Use games and collective creation to evoke dialogue, cultivate the voice of others, and engage hearts and minds. Learn the value of creating theatre with a beginning and middle, but no end.

Suitable for anyone brave enough to speak the truth

WRITING FOR RADIO
with Gordon Pengilly

It’s hard to make a living as a playwright, so why not branch out? Writing plays for radio is fun and intriguing! When people think of radio drama many stop short at the traditional atmosphere-soaked mystery play. But did you know that Beckett, Pinter and Dylan Thomas wrote many challenging and experimental radio plays? Join Gordon Pengilly for a three-hour crash course on the craft, structure, and marketplace of writing radio drama.

Suitable for playwrights of all levels

7 PM SHOWCASE READING #2
Conoco-Phillips Theatre, Glenbow Museum

THE WALL
by R. Jonathan Chapman
Winner of the 2008 Alberta Playwriting Competition, Grand Prize

The Wall explores the story of Chris Gueffroy, the last person killed while attempting to cross the Berlin Wall, and Ingo Heinrich, the border guard who shot him. Moving backwards and forwards in time, we follow Chris’ final days as he decides to cross, and the struggle to determine Heinrich’s guilt at his subsequent trial. Unable to find the truth through legal means, mother and killer return to the wall to reconstruct what happened on the fatal night of February 5, 1989 and to answer the question, “Where does personal moral responsibility begin or end?”

9 PM OPENING RECEPTION AND THEATRE GALA
Juilliard Restaurant & Lounge
Accessible through the EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts
237 – 8 Avenue SE
Calgary, AB

With a reading by JUDITH THOMPSON

Sponsored by

Indulge in scrumptious hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar within the elegant atmosphere of the Juilliard Restaurant & Lounge. Mingle with PlayWorks Ink participants, instructors, and members of Alberta’s theatre community at what promises to be one of Calgary’s most memorable theatre parties of the season! The pièce de résistance: a reading by Judith Thompson from one of her latest works.

Saturday, October 25, 2008

8:30 AM REGISTRATION
Glenbow Museum Lobby
Join us for coffee and morning snacks

9 AM – 4 PM FULL-DAY WORKSHOPS

ADAPTING YOUR VOICE
with David Ley

A two-day master class

Continued from Friday

TURN YOUR FETISH INTO GOLD: CREATING YOUR OWN ONE-PERSON SHOW
with Lindsay Burns

You can find a stage at fringe festivals around the world—now all you need is a fetish. Does Star Trek turn your crank? Are you an expert on bellybutton lint? Whatever it is, bring it out of the closet and onto the stage. This workshop will help you narrow in on your subject matter, begin shaping your first monologue, and set you on the path to your first one-person show. From the creator of Dough: The Politics of Martha Stewart and The Vajayjay Monologues comes the workshop that double-dog dares you to expose yourself and gives you the tools to make it a reality.

Suitable for writers and performers new to creating one-person shows

THE PHYSICAL ART OF STORYTELLING
with Peter Balkwill

This workshop will address the foundations of a physical approach to the art of animating the silent object. Participants will explore basic exercises that draw balance and focus to the performer, as well as techniques that bring clarity to the silent narrative. Join Old Trout Puppet Workshop’s Peter Balkwill in discovering alternative methods of storytelling within an ensemble. The tools of mask and puppet will be used in striving to create an honest and unhindered form of expression.

Suitable for storytellers and creators of all types

PIECES THAT POP!
with Glenda Stirling and Ian Prinsloo

Why do some auditions “pop” while others fail to hold a director’s attention? Ian Prinsloo and Glenda Stirling will workshop your audition pieces and provide tips and feedback that will take you from “fine” to “fantastic.” No two directors see a monologue or character the same way—take this opportunity to hear from two directors at once and improve your audition!

Suitable for emerging professional actors. Participants must prepare one classical and one contemporary monologue.

WRITING HISTORY
with Mieko Ouchi

Ever wanted to write a play based on a historical event? Even scarier ... ever wanted to write a play about an event in your own life or family background? This practical writing workshop examines how to use history and personal family events as a jumping off point for dramatic writing. Methods for researching historical events, exercises for using personal stories and objects as tools to spark writing, and the ethics and responsibilities around these forms of storytelling will be discussed.

Suitable for playwrights of all levels. Come with pen and paper, ready to write!

4:30 – 6:15 PM: KEYNOTE ADDRESS AND RECEPTION
Martha Cohen Theatre, Alberta Theatre Projects
EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts
215 – 8 Avenue SE
Calgary, AB

Sunday, October 26, 2008

8:30 AM REGISTRATION
Glenbow Museum Lobby
Join us for coffee and morning snacks

9 AM – 12 PM MORNING WORKSHOPS

SCARED OF SLAPPING? AN INTRODUCTION TO STAGE COMBAT
with Laryssa Yanchak and Adrian Young

Whether you want to learn some new skills or update your old ones, this unarmed stage combat class will bring you up to speed on simple, safe, and effective techniques for performing violence on stage. Using small pieces of choreography, we will focus on how to “sell” the fight as a character while still remaining safe as an actor. Come learn to be as comfortable with your physical storytelling as you are with your verbal.

Suitable for performers, directors, and choreographers of all levels

ENGAGING YOUNG AUDIENCES
with Mieko Ouchi

Anyone who spends time in a school knows how diverse our classrooms are. Anyone with young people in their lives also knows they have a tough journey to negotiate as they grow and mature. How do we write entertaining plays that are relevant and challenging to young people, that also respect and celebrate their diversity? Mieko Ouchi, Artistic Co-Director of Edmonton’s Concrete Theatre, will discuss ways to engage young people in theatrical experiences that can encourage empathy, change opinions, model new behaviours, and ultimately help them rehearse for change in their lives.

Suitable for playwrights, directors, dramaturgs, and actors interested in work for young audiences

CHARACTER-DRIVEN IMPROV
with Karen Johnson-Diamond

So. You’ve tried Theatresports and Improv Games and are interested in more “seat of your pants” acting. Perhaps you’re a drama teacher looking to help students find a way in to improv. Maybe you're a stage veteran but have never tried improv. Anyone with theatre experience is invited to this safe, easy, all-levels improv workshop. Touching on character-building exercises and moving straight into the improvised play, you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to improvise when your character is doing the thinking and responding! No need to bring a character—we'll discover that as we go.

Suitable for performers and educators of all levels

TOURING: A PRODUCER'S TOOL KIT
with Eva Cairns

There’s no “right” way to tour, but every successful tour is the result of thoughtful strategy, knowing your market, and understanding the broad range of considerations that are common to the largest and smallest touring productions. If you are interested in touring your work or simply curious about what is involved in developing tours, this introductory workshop will guide you through the basics of planning, budgeting and financing a tour.

Suitable for artists and producers new to touring

PlayWRIGHT like WheelWRIGHT: CONSTRUCTING PLAYS IN THE POST-NARRATIVE ERA
with Hannah Moscovitch

This workshop offers an introduction to the basic elements of narrative structure. Find out how to build your play using age-old principles. Discover how structure can inform even the most non-narrative work. Dare to learn the rules you’re breaking. Join Toronto-based playwright Hannah Moscovitch for a workshop that challenges playwrights to consider how story helps us to communicate with the audience and how knowledge of structure allows us to unlock the very meaning of our plays.

Suitable for novice to intermediate playwrights

12 – 2 PM LUNCHEON AND PANEL DISCUSSION
Conoco-Phillips Theatre, Glenbow Museum

ENGAGING OR ENRAGING: STRATEGIES AND LIMITATIONS FOR PROVOKING AN AUDIENCE

In a world where catastrophe and injustice cause people to seek celeb-gossip and reality-escapism for their entertainment experiences, how can theatre-makers draw an audience and engage them with what’s happening in the world? What kind of force can be used to engage, enrage, and move audiences to action, and how much is too much?

Join us for lunch and a panel discussion on strategies for social engagement in Canadian theatre. Moderated by Downstage Artistic Producer Simon Mallett, with distinguished panellists Judith Thompson, Blake Brooker and Hannah Moscovitch.

2 PM SHOWCASE READING #4
Conoco-Phillips Theatre, Glenbow Museum

HARM'S WAY
by Gordon Pengilly
Originally developed as an Alberta Playwrights’ Network/Alberta Foundation for the Arts Commissioning Project

An introverted college professor moves his family to the country where he takes up astronomy as a hobby. When his troubled 16-year-old daughter runs away with a volatile local boy, events spin out of control. As the professor’s fragile marriage reaches a breaking point and his unsettled past returns to haunt him, the man goes looking for his daughter in the dead of night with shocking results.

Harm’s Way is a disturbing story that lays bare the moral and emotional turmoil people experience when assaulted by circumstances beyond their control; a story about being lost and the attempt to find one’s way through the darkness.