Voice & Vision’s

Playwriting Workshop for Women Playwrights

Tuesdays, Feb 19th-April 9th,

Fee: $475

Taught by Lisa D’Amour

FOCUS:  CHARACTER AND PLACE

This Workshop is designed to help all women playwrights, from the experienced to the very novice, begin a full-length play OR make significant headway on a full-length script that is already in rough draft form.

The focus of the workshop will be the dynamic relationship between character and place.  How does geography and location become a major player in the dramatic action of a play?  How does place sculpt character and vice versa?  In the early weeks of the class, we will read plays of a variety of styles that use place in adventurous, efficient and innovative ways.  As the workshop proceeds, writers will be given short take-home exercises designed to help explore the physical landscape of your play and the vibrant characters that can emerge from it.  Later weeks will include time to read portions of your play out loud, and to receive feedback from the teacher and fellow students.  This workshop will include guests such as literary managers, directors and other playwrights who will talk about making one’s way as a playwright in the industry.  Additionally, workshop participants will be given the opportunity to present excerpts of their works-in-progress at a final evening open to the public!

If you are a playwright who finds it difficult to finish a play or start a play, at this workshop you will find the support you need to take risks, explore new theatrical languages, and write through to the end of your play.

Contact Amanda @ acooper@vandv.org or 212 268 3717 to register or for more info

Playwright Mentor Lisa D’Amour is an OBIE award-winning playwright, solo performer and multidisciplinary artist. Lisa has taught playwriting and site-specific theater at many academic institutions, including the Iowa Playwrights’ Workshop, the University of Texas at Austin, Brown University, UC Santa Barbara and Smith College.  Recent and upcoming projects include Bird Eye Blue Print (a site-specific performance at the World Financial Center), Tale of a West Texas Marsupial Girl (Children’s Theater Company), STANLEY (2006), a solo performance she created for her brother Todd to perform (HERE Arts Center, November 2006),  The Cataract, a play directed by Katie Pearl at the Women’s Project, and Nita & Zita, which received a 2003 OBIE Award and toured in 2005 to the Contemporary Arts Center (New Orleans) the Walker Arts Center (Minnneapolis) and HERE Arts Center (NYC).  She received 2005/6 Playwrights’ Residency from Theater Communications Group to write Hide Town for Infernal Bridegroom Productions (Houston).  She received her M.F.A. in playwriting from UT Austin.  She is a core member of the Playwrights’ Center and a recent alumna of New Dramatists.