A.J. Demers
INTRODUCTION TO PLAYWRITING WITH A.J. DEMERS
DATES – November 3, 2014 – December 8, 2014 (Monday evenings only)
CLASSES – 6 classes; 3 hours long each
HOURS – 6:00pm – 9:00pm
ENROLLMENT – 10 – 12 students
LOCATION – TBA
COURSE FACILITATOR – A.J. Demers
FEE – $270 (Discounts for APN & Equity members; tax receipts issued upon fee submission)
COURSE OVERVIEW
Sage Theatre’s newest workshop is for anyone with an genuine interest in writing for the stage. Each class will examine character creation, dynamic scene construction and the art of storytelling, through exploration of the writer’s personal voice. While we are not focusing on writing for screen, many of the techniques will be relevant as the class examines differences between writing for theatre, film and television. Participants will be assigned weekly exercises for submission, followed by review and opportunities for growth through personal and established playwright excerpt readings.
(This course is open to anyone over the age of 18)
COURSE DETAILS
The course will cover:
• Practical exercises and discussion of theory
• Narrative and scenes – the building blocks of story
• Characters – real, three dimensional characters
• Ideas and theatrical development – ways in to the story
• Relationships, tension and character progression
• Structure and style – different types of plays
ABOUT A.J. DEMERS
A.J. Demers is a Calgary-based writer, performer and director. He completed his MFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia. A.J. is the writer in residence at Sage theatre. He has written and performed 100 episodes of the award-winning segment The Spin for City T.V Calgary. A.J.’s play Whimsy State or The Principality of Outer Baldonia was part of the 2011/ 2012 Lunchbox Theatre season. He is currently working on a love play, The Year We Fell and 14 Rounds, a play about Canada’s only heavy weight Boxing champ, Tommy Burns. A.J. was the writer for the 2014 CCMA Awards and the 2014 CCMA Holiday Special. He is also in development for two features that he has been commissioned to write. His feature THE WEEKEND was short listed for the 2014 Telefilm Microbudget program. When not writing, A.J. can be found at the Loose Moose Theatre where he has performed for 24 years.
For more information on enrollment opportunies, please contact Jessica at 403-264-7243 or email jessica@sagetheatre.com
