PTC’s Workshop Series is back!

Take June and July to rejuvenate, meet other community members, and inspire yourself for the autumn to come. We love to meet folks in the community who are interested in trying a new skill or refreshing their practice. All workshops are pay what you choose. Registration is on a first come basis, no experience required.

Register for all of these workshops using the form on our workshops page! For more information or any assistance please email Alyssa Formosa at workshops[at]playwrightstheatre.com.

Learn more about each workshop below.

Writing Scenes of Intimacy… beyond “they kiss”

Thursday, June 13, 6-9pm • online via Zoom

Playwrights often struggle to articulate scenes of sexual or physical intimacy on the page. Scenes of intimacy can include depictions of sexual innuendo, kissing, sex acts (consensual and non-consensual), personal/medical care, or non-sexual physical touch that conveys essential storytelling in the play. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to approach intimate moments in your play with precision and creativity. If you can write scenes of intimacy well, you’ll empower directors and performers to stage your work in ways that do justice to the play as a whole.

Melanie Yeats (she/they), PTC’s Creative Managing Director, is also a practicing dramaturg and intimacy director with over 25 years’ experience in physical theatre creation.

Testimonials:

“Melanie was a fantastic workshop leader with great energy. She established a very positive culture for the session, was very well prepared, and I would love to take any session with her. I felt really great about this session.”

Mapping a Creative Project: Out of your head and into the world 

Wednesday, June 3, 6pm-9pm • In person at Progress Lab – 1422 William Street, Vancouver

Do you have a play, writing project, or creative project you’d like to understand better? Join dramaturg Heidi Taylor in a fun learning session to gain tools to apply to any creative project.

We’ll use different mapping techniques that you can apply to the content of your piece (ideas, images, spaces, times, and people) and to your approach to making it (strategies, timelines, collaborators). You’ll finish the session with a visual or tactile version of your project that you can use to springboard your next creative steps.

• Enjoyed this session last year? This is a workshop you can repeat! Participants will use a creative project of their choosing as an example.
• Participants of all experience levels are welcome.

Materials to bring:

• Participants will need a description of their project, and a copy (text, audio, video) of what they are working on to reference.
• Participants can bring their own notetaking materials (computer, tablet, notepad). Mapping/tactile materials will be provided.

Access notes:

• This process uses visual characteristics (colour, physical placement, shapes) as a tool. Participants who use other sensory modes are welcome.
• Please email workshops@playwrightstheatre.com and the instructor will work with you to ensure access can be equitably provided. If email is a barrier, leave a message at 604-685-6228 and we will communicate in your requested mode.
• ASL will be provided upon request to ensure the interpreter of choice can be booked, pending availability.

The Show Will Go On: The Basics of Running a Smooth Event

Friday, July 12, 6-9pm • Online – 1422 William St., Vancouver BC

Running a live event or show can be nerve-wracking. How do you start? How do I organize my tasks and ideas? What are the basics of planning a successful and meaningful activity that joins people together to do something great?

In this workshop, Davey Samuel Calderon, a producer and coordinator of various events (festivals, workshops, indie shows, community gatherings, and fundraisers, etc.) invites participants to learn about the basics of planning an event. Ideal for folks new to organizing live events and shows. Participants can expect a mix of getting handy documents and participating in “ensemble” building, allowing folks to share with each other and Davey.

• Participants of all experience levels are welcome.

Materials and Tech setup to have ready

• Participants will need a description of their project, and 1 – 2 questions they may have about event organizing/producing.
• Participants to prepare the best way they would like to record notes at home
• Making sure their devices camera and microphone set up is ideal for Zoom (especially having the most updated version of Zoom).

Access:

• Davey’s basics tips will be shared as Word and PDF documents post workshop
• We’ll be using Zoom, so access to chat transcripts and use of the AI captions function will be available

Please email workshops@playwrightstheatre.com and the instructor will work with you to ensure access can be equitably provided. If email is a barrier, leave a message at 604-685-6228 and we will communicate in your requested mode.