Playwrights@Peridot

PLAYWRIGHTS@PERIDOT WORKSHOPS

Michael Olsen presents a series of workshops for aspiring playwrights
Ever wanted to write a play but don’t know where to start? Have a half-finished manuscript in the drawer? Want to hone your writing skills? Then PLAYWRIGHTS@PERIDOT might just be the opportunity for you!

Overview
Multi-award-winning writer Michael Olsen presents a series of approximately 10 workshops of about 1.5-2 hours, covering topics such as Character, Plot, Dialogue, Editing and getting your work on stage, with a view to writing a one act play.

Each workshop will involve a combination of writing exercises and group feedback, tailored to suit the needs of participants. Participants will get the opportunity to have their work performed at a play reading.

Please note: Places at the workshop may be limited.

Where: Coming soon.

Dates: Coming soon.

Cost: Coming soon.

Review

A review from one of last year’s participants, Andrew McIver:

“I have really enjoyed the Playwrights@Peridot workshop. I came into it expecting to do ‘homework’ tasks. What I didn’t know was that these tasks included writing a one act play! This has been somewhat daunting, as we get to submit and discuss the progress of each other’s plays as a team. We are all getting more honest with each other as part of the process, which is growth in itself. Michael has been open and honest and we talk outside of the workshop too. He gives little ‘pointers’ and ‘ideas’ to get you thinking of other possibilities, and if something doesn’t quite flow or feel natural, he will prompt you to tweak it in a certain way to improve it.

It has been a huge learning curve and thoroughly enjoyable.”

To register your interest
Contact Alison: alisonperidot@gmail.com for enquiries.

Workshop details

1. Introduction

• Outline of the course

• Theatrical tools available to the writer

• Start thinking about your one-act play: an idea, image, character, argument

2. Character

• Essential aspect of characters (and your play): CONFLICT - Internal and External forces

• What do I need to know about my characters? - plus character proformas

• What an actor is looking for in a character - keeping this in mind when writing a character

3. Plot

• The heart of any story: why it started, what's in the character's way, and how things end

• Units of Action: what actually happens in the play - another approach to writing 

• What will keep the audience interested in my play?

4. Dialogue

• Why it's different to how people speak in real life

• Subtext - the iceberg analogy: what the playwright is really writing.

• The connection between dialogue and character

5. Getting started

• Formatting - again!

• Writing the 1st draft: bypassing the Inner Critic

6. Review

• Rewriting: now for the hard part

• Instructions for cold reads and what you can get out of them

7. Cold reads

• Cold reads of peoples' plays/scenes by the group as well as group discussion

8. Actors, Directors & getting your work on

• The playwright's vision: how to control it as best you can

• What actors and directors are seeking in your work.

• Giving up your work - and working with actors and directors

• Getting your work out there: where to go to from here

Opportunities at Peridot

Peridot Theatre actively supports local playwrights. Consequently, we offer participants in Playwrights@Peridot a number of possible opportunities.

• Suitable plays could be included in our regular Play Reading program

• Our One Act Play season often includes plays by local authors. Might yours be one of them?