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Page to Performance: Monologues & Dialogues
Saturday, February 10 event
Space is limited and registration has already begun. Contact Mary Amato to register ASAP.
Join fellow writers and theater-lovers for a day-long exploration of character, voice, and conflict followed by an evening performance of the work we create. During the day-time workshops, we’ll write and revise monologues and dialogues tied (however loosely) to the theme “Making the Call.” This event is for writers, poets, storytellers, songwriters, comedians, and actors who want to learn more about the process of creating and giving voice to characters and who want an opportunity to hear/see work come alive in front of an audience.
If you’re already starting to get nervous, rest assured that the focus will be on exploration and fun. No need to spend time writing something ahead of time. We’ll do some simple exercises to generate a range of material. The pieces we create will vary from a short snippet of voice to a more complex dialogue complete with a beginning, middle, and end.
You don’t have to perform. You might not end up with a piece you love or even want to share, but you’ll definitely stretch your creative muscles by doing the exercises and enjoy contributing to the whole by giving feedback and hearing/reading the work of fellow participants. Some of the audience members who come for the evening enjoy performing, so we can decide which pieces can be done with audience participation.
Throughout the day we’ll explore what makes characters alive, believable, specific, funny, and riveting as well as how to use monologues/dialogues to tell a story. See schedule below.
Only $45 for the full day. The evening reading of our work will be free and open to the public
Bring:
- Check payable to CPAE on arrival.
- Your own brown bag lunc
- Whatever you like to write with—pencil, paper, laptop (charge up!)
- Any snacks, drinks that you need to keep you going. There is a kitchen and we can provide coffee and tea. Bring anything special you enjoy.
- Yoga mat if you need a stretch.
- Layers—to adjust to room temp.
We’ll provide pizza and wine for dinner.
The whole shebang will be at the College Park Arts Exchange at Old Parish House, 4711 Knox Rd, College Park, MD 20740. The house is located within walking distance of the college park metro. Street parking is available for free.
Schedule
- Arrival by 10:30 please.
- 10:30-11:00 Warm-up
- 11:00-12:30 Monologue/Voice Workshop (including writing time)
- 12:30-1:30 Brown bag lunch
- 1:30-3:30 Dialogue/Conflict Workshop (including writing time)
- 3:30-5:00 Individual Writing Time (one-on-one and/or small group feedback as desired—if anyone wants to go home or to a coffeeshop to work, that’s fine, too.)
- 5:00-5:30 Break
- 5:30-7:00 Dinner (pizza and wine provided) during which we’ll give each other feedback, do any last-minute rewrites, decide on the order of the evening show, etc.
- 7:00 Set up performance space
- 7:30 Public Performance (invite your friends and family—we will have at least one piece that will involve readers chosen from the audience)
Space is limited and registration has already begun. Contact Mary Amato to register ASAP.
Please pass it on to writer friends and actor friends.
If you can only attend the evening performance, just show up at 7:30 pm. If you’re on FB, please RSVP through event for the show: https://www.facebook.com/events/169063820520359/
Leaders: Mary Amato and John Feffer
Mary Amato is a playwright, novelist, poet, and songwriter who also writes fiction for young adults and children. She co-founded Firefly Shadow Theater (www.fireflyshadowtheater.com) and has written and produced plays for adults as well as kids. Her next project is a hybrid play/novel and is coming out in Fall 2018. www.maryamato.com.
John Feffer has written and produced ten plays, including four one-man shows, and is the author of several non-fiction books and numerous articles on foreign policy. He is also the author of the recent dystopian novel, Splinterlands. He serves as the director of Foreign Policy in Focus at the Institute for Policy Studies. www.johnfeffer.com.