Playwrights’ Circles with Stephen Heatley – February 14, 15 & 17, 2016 in Edmonton

APPROPRIATE PLAYWRIGHTS: This circle is for playwrights (emerging or established) who are interested in developing work suitable for young audiences and/or families. The play can be at any stage of development – a full draft, a few scenes or even just an idea.

PLAYWRIGHT CIRCLE ELEMENTS: Over the course of the full circle, playwrights can expect to develop their plays under the guidance of renowned educator, director and dramaturge, Stephen Heatley, as well as through feedback from other participants, readings by professional actors and reaction and feedback from your intended audience. Acceptance & participation in the Playwright’s Workshop will include:

• Introductory Session: Sunday, February 14 – 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Playwright Circle Sessions: (Choose Daytime OR Evening)
  • Daytime: Session 2: Monday, February 15 – 11:00 to 2:00 p.m.
  • Session 3: Wednesday February 17 – 11:00 to 2:00 p.m.
  • Sessions 4, 5 & 6: TBD
  • Evening: Session 2: Monday, February 15 – 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
  • Session 3: Wednesday February 17 – 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
  • Sessions 4, 5 & 6: TBD
• Workshop Readings: of your play (or scenes) in development by professional actors for a school and/or family audience. You will be given an honorarium for the use of your piece in this part of the process.
  • Workshop Reading: TBD, Early May Public/School
  • Workshop Readings: TBD, Early May
• Consideration for future development and/or production by Kompany Family Theatre.

APPLICATION PROCESS & INQUIRIES: Interested playwrights are invited to respond to Jan Taylor, Artistic Director of Kompany Family Theatre (kompany@telus.net) by February 11, 2016 with a short description of your play/idea, what you would like to accomplish over the course of the workshop as well as relevant background information about yourself.

APPLICATION FEE, APN MEMBERSHIP & STUDENT DISCOUNTS:

• Workshop fee: $175.00 (Note: Playwrights will be eligible for an honorarium for use of their work during the target audience workshops.)
• APN members discount: $25.00
• Student discount: $25.00
• Fee Waiver/Reduction: Please contact us if the fee is prohibitive to your participation.

Deadline to apply: Register by February 11, 2016

Contact: kompanyfamilytheatre.com

STEPHEN HEATLEY: Stephen Heatley has worked in professional theatre for 40 years. As Artistic Director of Edmonton’s Theatre Network, he directed over 30 world premieres. His other credits in Alberta include the Citadel where he was Associate Artistic Director and the head of the Theatre School for 5 years, Stage Polaris, Free Will Players, Chinook Theatre, and Alberta Theatre Projects. Stephen has been involved with the Saskatchewan Playwrights’ Centre’s Spring Festival since 2000 as director and dramaturge. Most recently he directed Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle at UBC and Stewart Lemoine’s Cocktails at Pam’s for Staircase Collective. He is a faculty member in the Department of Theatre and Film at the University of British Columbia where he works with actors, directors and playwrights.

Kompany Family Theatre (of Kompany Theatre Artist’s Society) is an Edmonton-based professional theatre company dedicated to producing quality theatre for young audiences and families, as well as to the creation and development of new works. Past productions, under the Artistic Direction of Jan Taylor, have included: Alberto the Dancing Alligator, In True Pirate Fashion, Zachary and the Storytelling Stones, The Missadventurous Perils of Pauline, Fairly Scary Fairy Tales, The Harvest Pumpkin Patch Mystery, The Wizard that Was… or Was Not, From Zero to Hero, Woof and Other Tales of Abigail, Monsters Under the Bed, The Wild Beastie Adventure, A Squealy-Moo Christmas and The Camp Squealy-Moo Dinosaur Party.

Plays developed through the New Works for Young Audiences Programme and produced by Kompany Family Theatre include: The Wizard that Was, or Was Not… (Jan Taylor/Richard Link), Woof and Other Tales of Abigail (Andrea Ritter), Zachary and the Storytelling Stones (Kristen Finlay) and The Missadventurous Perils of Pauline (Charlene Van Buekenhout) , Bones in the Stones, (Jan Taylor/Richard Link).