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24 Hour Playwriting Competition 2012 This competition takes place at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon May 25 and 26, 2012 with an awards brunch on May 27th. Besides awarding the winning playwright in each category $500, we will award one of the winning plays a slot in the Saskatoon Fringe Festival as a GRAND PRIZE. The performance slot will be in NEXT year's Fringe, the 2013 Festival. This will give the playwright time to develop the play, gather finances, and ensure his cast is ready and available in plenty of time. We want to create the best possible opportunity for the play, the playwright, the SPC, the Fringe, and potential sponsors. We feel that giving the playwright more lead time will help to ensure this will happen. GO TO Programming to download the registration form.
2012 Spring Festival of New Plays A Celebration of 30 Years of Great Saskatchewan Plays April 30 to May 5, 2011 Public Readings & Full Workshops of the following: God, Todd and the Last Song by WENDY LOCKMAN The Frenzy of Queen Maeve by ANTHONY McMAHON National Exchange Play and Playwright TBA One-Day Workshops of the following: The Ergonomics of the Future by MIKE THOMPSON More detail about the Festival will be posted in the near future
Saskatchwan Playwrights Centre
Welcomes Dramaturge,
Gordon Portman New SPC Dramaturge Prairie playwright Gordon has over twenty five years of professional, award winning experience in film and theatre. A multi-disciplinary theatre artist and practitioner, he is an acclaimed playwright, teacher, stage director, screenwriter, and dramaturge/story editor. Born and raised in Saskatchewan, trained in Alberta and currently based in Manitoba, he was exposed to theatre at an early age, thanks to the elementary school tours and Christmas pantos of Regina’s Globe Theatre. Drawn first to performance, he studied at the prestigious Bachelor of Fine Arts program at the University of Alberta, from which he graduated with distinction in 1986. Over the last twenty five years, he has worked in coast-to-coast venues from Vancouver to Halifax. Mr. Portman settled in Brandon, Manitoba in 2006, where he became a sessional instructor in the departments of music, creative writing and theatre at Brandon University. A primary focus since that time has been his collaboration with vocologist David Playfair as they develop a training program for the singing actor, integrating both acting and musical techniques. In the fall of 2010, Portman and co-presented a paper on their evolving technique to the inaugural Lyric Canada Conference (October 2010), said paper being considered for publication in the peer-reviewed journal The Brock Review. Mr. Portman is also the founder and creative director of Your Voice Writing Services, which specializes in freelance dramatic writing (plays, screenplays) and script development, and is a Senior Writer with bookrags.com, an online reference company providing the electronic equivalent of Coles / Cliff Notes to students and teachers the world over.
Check out Gordon’s website to learn more http://gordonportman.com/
SPC Dramaturge GORDON PORTMAN will be presenting a Playwrights Master Class in Regina on Monday, January 16,2012 in Room 0-77 of the Riddell Centre on the University of Regina Campus. Start time is 7:30 PM.
The Regina Master Class follows up on the success of Gordon's first master class in Saskatoon. A quote from one of the presenters:
"Gordon's Playwrights Master Class at the AGM was excellent ... Gordon's questions were creative and perceptive--and no, they weren't intimidating. Taking part in the Master Class was useful, and far less scary than I thought it might be." - Betty Ternier-Daniels, presenter.
A reminder of what the Master Class is all about: Anything goes - the rawest, most unformed idea... a play that is well into its process and needs a fresh set of ears... text based, movement based, image based... developed elsewhere, developed at home... comedy, drama, Fringe play... whatever a writer wants to bring in and put before the crowd. SPC Dramaturge, Gordon Portman works one-on-one with playwright participants in front of an audience of like-minded artists. Up to four playwrights of varying degrees of experience present brief outlines (250-500 words) of their work. Through a series of questions and answers, commentary and discussion between the dramaturge and playwright, the playwright learns more about his/her story, learns ways of strengthening weaknesses and building on strengths, and takes away both new ideas and new enthusiasm.
If you want to attend and observe the master class but not present, show up at 7:30 PM. Everyone of all experience levels is welcome to attend.
Here's a comment from a member who did just that: "Here are 5 reasons I found this format helpful: 1. It was a good chance to watch our new dramaturge at work. Now that I’ve seen Gordon working in action, I have a better idea what I can expect when I finally submit something for dramaturgy. 2. It was inspiring. Seeing other people’s drafts gave me ideas for my own writing and motivated me to get to work. 3. It was educational. Gordon brought his discussion to the ‘general’ level as well as the ‘specific’. 4. It’s schadenfreude-ish-ly relieving to see other writers sweat. I generally imagine that other SPC members ... just type out perfect plays, problem-free. It’s nice to see we’re all in similar boats. 5. The audience isn’t supposed to talk. With a different format, the students working on new plays would be overwhelmed with audience “assistance” …And really, it’s more helpful when I keep quiet." - Leann Minogue, audience member.
Once again, SPC Dramaturge Gordon Portman presents his Playwrights' Master Class on Monday, January 16th, at 7:30 PM, in Room 0-77 of the Riddell Centre at the University of Regina. Hope to see you there!
On November 13, 2011 preceding the Annual General Meeting, Dramaturg Gordon Portman held a Playwrights Master Class with playwright participants, Dave Ouellette and Betty Ternier-Daniels and an audience of SPC members.
Anything goes—the rawest, most unformed idea… a play that is well into its process and needs a fresh set of ears… text based, movement based, image based… developed elsewhere, developed at home… comedy, drama, Fringe play… whatever a writer wants to bring in and put before the crowd.
SPC Dramaturge, Gordon Portman works one-on-one with playwright participants in front of an audience. Up to four (4) playwrights of varying degrees of experience present brief outlines (250 – 500) of their work to the master instructor. Outlines include references to idea, story, plot, character, theme, and theatricality. Through a series of questions and answers, commentary and discussion between the instructor and the playwright (feedback from the audience may be sought, but it is not the primary focus of the exercise), the playwright learns more about his/her story, learns ways of strengthening weaknesses and building on strengths, and takes away both new ideas and new enthusiasm.
IT’S NOT A PITCH! We all know what a pitch session is – a writer outlines an idea to a producer/director in the hopes that s/he will buy it. The difference between a master class and a pitch is that the work is developed in a respectful, supportive way. There is no agenda, no money on the line, no risk, just an opportunity to try out the story and learn ways of making it better.
“I use this technique in my screenwriting classes, and almost without exception students have responded well. The one who didn’t did not, in my opinion, care to have her work questioned and/or inquired into. This is why participation in The Playwrights’ Master Class is voluntary. Only playwrights, of any/all experience levels, who are comfortable with, and/or excited by, the idea of this process (i.e. with having their work discussed in public, not attacked) should submit their ideas.” Gordon Portman
Reactions of Participants:
Dave W. Ouellette You were once enamored with someone. This person seemed to own every inch of your imaginative real estate. They walked along side of you during the day, lay awake with you – just you – on those long heavy nights. They became a part of you, and you were theirs by lawful, holy rights. Together you paced and ran and jogged and flipped and toppled and skipped and jumped and slumped and none of it mattered because they were yours.
One day, a wise man approached and told you that your someone was not who you thought. You were surprised, you were saddened, you did not at all agree. How dare they speak that way, after all you, YOU know your love better than they! You cannot recall if it was the glint in his eye, or the scars on his hands, or the silver in his words but something made you pause, breathe, heed. Something made you leave.
And some years later, after you had found another, you saw what once was your love. Seventy-five pounds fatter, screeching at sticky-faced kids in diapers, full load.
“Gordon” you exclaim “I’m sure glad I didn’t continue down that road!”
Betty Ternier Daniels Gordon's Playwrights Master Class at the AGM was excellent. We started with me outlining the setting, characters and plot of my play (which is in the early planning stage). Gordon then asked questions which helped me flesh out my script and make some changes--all before I have written even a word of dialogue. I received good suggestions on structure (need a scene between George and his wife before the prostitute enters), characters (yes, the pimp from Toronto is important), motivation, and plot (what happens if the wife--or the son--finds the pimp attractive?). Obviously this early "intervention" won't prevent me from taking roads that go nowhere, but it gives me something helpful to start with. Gordon's questions were creative and perceptive--and no, they weren't intimidating. Taking part in the Master Class was useful, and far less scary than I thought it might be. ...................................
Reaction from audience member, Leeann Minogue I’ve always thought a “Master Class” was a class for master professionals. So I was just happy to be allowed into the room where Gordon Portman (the new SPC dramaturge) was about to lead a Master Class last weekend. (I worried somebody would stop me at the door and ask to see my qualifications.) I suppose a quick visit to Wikipedia would have told me that a Master Class is actually a format where the audience watches a professional work with a student. Here are 5 reasons I found this format helpful: 1. It was a good chance to watch our new dramaturge at work. Now that I’ve seen Gordon working in action, I have a better idea what I can expect when I finally submit something for dramaturgy. 2. It was inspiring. Seeing other people’s drafts gave me ideas for my own writing and motivated me to get to work. 3. It was educational. Gordon brought his discussion to the ‘general’ level as well as the ‘specific’. I took a few notes to apply to my work (although my usual M.O. is to lose the notes.) 4. It’s schadenfreude-ish-ly relieving to see other writers sweat. I generally imagine that other SPC members (like you, Wendy Lockman) just type out perfect plays, problem-free. It’s nice to see we’re all in similar boats. 5. The audience isn’t supposed to talk. With a different format, the students working on new plays would be overwhelmed with audience “assistance”. I had to bite my cheek to keep from yelling out brilliant ideas like “The farmer’s wife should fall in love with the pimp!” Or “Reveal the gift-wrapped dead dog earlier in the play!” And really, it’s more helpful when I keep quiet. I enjoyed the Master Class, and hope we have a chance to do it again. ...............................
Gordon is planning `to do it again`. Watch for further announcements. ************ 2011 National Exchange Program “It’s good to be…Alberta bound.”
This year the SPC is doing its annual national exchange with the Alberta Playwrights’ Network. Betty Ternier Daniels is the lucky Saskatchewan playwright chosen to take part in PlayWorks Ink in Calgary from November 3rd to 6th, 2011 with her play The Art of Homecoming. Betty will receive a three day workshop which culminates in a staged public reading. In turn, Alberta playwright Leif Oleson-Cormack was chosen to take part in this year’s Spring Festival of New Plays in Saskatoon from May 23-28, 2011 with his play Dead Peasants. Leif received three full days of workshopping and a staged public reading. NATIONAL EXCHANGE November 2011 SPC MEMBER BETTY TERNIER-DANIELS was chosen to participate in PlayWorks Inc. Here is Betty's Account of the experience First, thank-you to the wonderful people at Saskatchewan Playwrights Centre and Alberta Playwrights Network who selected my play The Art of Homecoming for inclusion in PlayWorks Ink, Alberta's biennial playwriting and theatre conference held in Calgary November 3-6. 2011 Spring Festival of New PlaysThe Spring Festival of New Plays:May 23 - 28, 2011University of Saskatchewan, John Mitchell BuildingAll Staged readings will begin at 8 pm and are open to the public.See the special SPOTLIGHT SERIES 1 PM READINGSAdmission is free Monday, May 23 The Great Debate A hot & hilarious festival kick-off!
Tuesday, May 24 Mercy by Daniel Macdonald Directed by Ron Jenkins David, the spider, has all eight of his tiny legs stuck to a piece of masking tape. Martha, the human, who hears a cello as the sound track of her painful life, wants to save him. Darkness ensues. Dan really likes to write plays. He doesn’t know why. It seems to make him happy except when his plays make him a bit sad. Generally he writes plays that are funny without really meaning to be because pretty often they get kind of dark. But dark and funny aren’t mutually exclusive, are they? He’s written plays called Pageant and MacGregor’s Hard Ice Cream and Gas and Velocity (at Persephone this season) and A History of Breathing. He’s also written and done other stuff. He’s taught high school and university and now is just finishing an MFA in directing. It just seemed like a good idea. He lives and writes in Regina with his slightly dark and funny wife Heather and their more funny than dark cat, Eddie.
Thursday, May 26 (National Exchange Play) Dead Peasants by Leif Oleson-Cormack Directed by Pamela Haig Bartley A worker dies in a suspicious accident while cleaning augers in an animal food pellet factory on the outskirts of a small rural community. Moving back and forth in time, we see how his death came to pass and the bloody aftermath that occurs when things don't go exactly according to plan. Leif is a playwright, director and actor from Edmonton, Alberta. His first full length play, Meat Puppet, was recently co-produced by Northern Light Theatre and Shadow Theatre. He received his MFA in Playwriting from the University of Calgary in 2008. Previous works include Odds of Losing, Bad Timing, Jumping the Shark, The Power of Sedak(a)Sean and Fast Food. Leif is delighted to be a part of the 2011 Spring Festival of New Plays and would like to thank everyone involved. Friday, May 27 Muskeg and Money by Mansel Robinson Directed by Linda Moore In recovery from a marriage gone awry, Sarah hauls her teen-aged daughter, Thea – urban, lippy and whip-smart – back home to Northern Saskatchewan. What awaits them is a crashing economy and Syd, the bootlegger’s daughter from Lower-town. Muskeg and Money is Mansel’s tenth play to be presented at Spring Festival, eight of which have gone on to professional production. Recent work includes Two Rooms, which won the 2010 John V. Hicks Award and the 2010 Uprising National Playwriting Award, and will premiere in April at Persephone Theatre. He is currently collaborating on Hometown, a group commission for Blyth Theatre in Ontario. Mansel has been writer-in-residence at the Berton House in Dawson City, the University of Windsor, the Regina Pubic Library and the Surrey Public Library. He lives in Saskatoon. Saturday, May 28 The Chosen by Wendy Lockman Directed by Elsa Bolam A clever young girl who wants to reunite with her secret love struggles to escape a government program and its sinister leader, putting her very life in danger. Wendy started writing plays in 2009 and nine plays later she may have personally put Heather Inglis into retirement. She has had five full-length plays produced by community theatre groups and two ten-minute plays selected for the King’s Shorts Festival (one ultimately won the Second Place Writer’s Award). The Chosen was a finalist in the San Francisco Aurora Theatre's Global Age Project competition. It most recently won 1st place in the Ottawa Little Theatre’s 70th National One-Act Playwriting Competition, Plays for Children or Young People Category. She is thrilled to have it now be part of the Spring Festival of New Plays.
1PM READINGS
Thursday, May 26 Dead End Drift by Christopher Harrow Directed by Ron Jenkins Dead End Drift is the story of a group of men trapped underground in a mine after a collapse. The men's relationships are tenuous and strained and the stress they are under pits one man against the other. Christopher Harrow grew up in a small town in Saskatchewan before moving to Saskatoon. He studied at The University of Saskatchewan and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting in the spring of 1999. After convocation he traveled with the Fringe circuit and spent three summers touring across Canada with two different plays, both of which were written as a collective. Harrow attended the University of Western Ontario completing a Masters of Library and Information Science in 2009. He lives in Weyburn, Saskatchewan. Saturday, May 28 Self Defence by Lee Boyes Directed by Alison Darcy The lives of three friends explode and fall apart when secrets are uncovered and they are left to decide what’s more important, their relationships or themselves. Sometimes the ties that bind will cut off your circulation... Lee Boyes is a graduate of the University of Regina, with a B.F.A. in Theatre Performance. In the past he has performed and directed for Hectik Theatre.(Zastrozzi, Pillowman & My Name is Racheal Corrie ). Most recently he was Valdez in the Unseen, directed by Dan Macdonald. He is also an improvisor who performs regularly with his one man form ‘Leegion’ as well as recently completing DeadLee a one man show written and workshopped as part of the Shumiatcher Sandbox series for Globe Theatre, Regina. Self Defence is his first full length effort and he is ecstatic to be involved in the Festival this year.
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Stephen Heatley 2011 Spring Festival Dramaturg and Outside Reader
Stephen has been involved with new play development across Western Canada for thirty years, and with the SPC since 2000. He lives in Vancouver and 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. Most recently he directed Jean Giraudoux’ The Madwoman of Chaillot at the Frederic Wood Theatre in Vancouver. ***********************************************************************************************
*********************************************************************** MEMBERSHIP DUES FOR AUGUST 1, 2011 TO JULY 31, 2012 ARE DUE PLEASE ARRANGE FOR IMMEDIATE PAYMENT Effective August 1, 2011, SPC dues are increased to $45. The overall fiscal climate for arts organizations and not-for-profits should concern us all. The Saskatchewan Arts Board, one of two major funders, has asked us to take a hard look at the balance between government support and our own fund-raising. Therefore, an increase in dues is part of an evolving strategy to make sure we have the money to support our playwrights effectively and to demonstrate to the Arts Board and the Canada Council that we recognize our responsibility to raise operating funds. The board recognizes that money is tight for most of our members, and many of us pay dues to a number of organizations. To make the change as painless as possible, the board proposes to raise the fee in three stages: a $10.00 increase effective Nov. 28, 2010; August 1, 2011 dues will be $45.00; August 1, 2112 dues will be $50.00. Again, we understand the financial situation of many of our members. But we believe that even with this increase the SPC will still provide excellent service for the price. Please note that with this increase our organization will be more in line with the membership fees charged by our sister play development centers across the country. Please note, too, that many development centres charge for services in addition to yearly dues.
Playwright Development Centre of Canada National Exchange Reports 2010. Reports back from Catherine Banks - Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre (PARC) - who took part in an exchange with the Saskatchewan Playwrights Centre in May, at the Spring Festival of New Plays and Jennifer Wynne Webber – from the SPC Saskatoon – who travelled to the PARC Playwrights Colony in Sackville, in May. Catherine Banks’ Report: The workshop team was so respectful. The actors were exactly what was needed for a workshop-strong, strong text based actors with a fine intelligence that really helped me hear the lines accurately. They showed commitment to the process that only contributed to me wanting to bring better material for them to work on. I must say that I found working with Tom an absolutely solid experience. Although we had some disagreement on a couple of things I never felt pushed or pulled – his image of the figure eight – the past meeting in the present to move through the future – lead to the wonderful break through in scene 7 that I had struggled to make. I found the other playwrights to be very engaged in their process but interested and open to what other people were feeling and when the conversation went to bigger questions about process etc., really interesting too. I feel very lucky to have been at Spring Festival with such a positive, supportive and respectful group of Theatre practitioners. I have a much stronger play for having taken part. Jennifer Wynne Webber’s Report: This was a truly wonderful and memorable experience for me. I fully plan to keep up with the people I met here and would love to explore ways to continue and strengthen the exchange experience. I think there’s huge sympatico between Saskatchewan and Atlantic Canadian playwrights. Most valuable thing about the Colony: The fact this is it entirely designed to support the playwrights needs, wherever they may be in the process. The expert dramaturgical support, the friendly support of all involved – fellow writers and PARC staff. The retreat atmosphere that still opened lots of opportunity to meet and visit with others if that’s what you wanted to do. SPC National Exchange Program 2010SPC member JENNIFER WYNNE WEBBER has been chosen to attend the SPC National Exchange Program (PARC) Playwrights Colony in Sackville, New Brunswick. As part of Saskatchewan Playwrights Centre's National Exchange initiative, one SPC member will have the opportunity to attend the Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre’s (PARC) annual Playwrights Colony in Sackville,New Brunswick from May 16-30, 2010.
Aboriginal Playwrights Circle Reading 2011 The Saskatchewan Playwrights Centre's ABORIGINAL PLAYWRIGHTS CIRCLE . Aboriginal Playwrights Circle 2010 The 2010 2nd Aboriginal Playwrights Circle featured excerpts from the newest works of participants. Readings took place at the Refinery on Sunday, March 21, 2010. Aboriginal playwrights from Saskatoon and Regina that premiered portions of their new works: Fragile by Jennifer Bishop The Beaten Path by Simantha Whitecalf Prairie Song by Pauline Whitehead.
Playwrights Colony Participants 2009Madeleine Dahlem Nathan Howe Rodney McLean Janice Salkeld Playwrights Colony Participants 2008Betty Ternier Daniels Cheryl Jack Mansel Robinson
PlayWorks Newsletters
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