Actor to Playwright Creative Workshop

If Shakespeare can do it, why not you? We believe all actors have the playwright gene embedded in their DNA. You may not think so but how would you know unless you take the plunge into your ‘gene pool” and discover the hidden talent within. After all, as an actor, you contribute by telling the story on stage to your audience. Why not use your own words? Explore your potential and bring out the writer in you by creating your own script.

Mixing It up Productions is now offering a unique workshop that focuses on actors coming up with their own stories through the process of developing a play.

Starting this fall, we are offering small workshops, with no more than 7 participants, to teach the art of playwriting while applying their acting skills.

The workshops run for 6 weeks, 2 hours a week in Manhattan’s theatre district. There will be 3 workshops scheduled beginning in September and October.

By the last session, you will have created a piece of work that may turn out to be a 10-minute play or part of a one act or full-length script to be continued for further development.

Some of the topics we’ll be covering are: developing the theatrical idea, improvisation, voice and movement, character and plot analysis, readings.

Resources will be available to further develop your script or submit to contests, festivals, and theatre labs.

Bring a notebook and pen or pencil.


***

What our Actors, Directors and Producers say about the workshop:

"I believe in entrepreneurship! Creating work is the best conduit for ensuring that you are continuously working. We don’t need to sit around to wait to be cast in something when we can be creating those opportunities ourselves!"
~ Andrew Clarke, Actor/Producer

“I'd happily support a workshop for actors/directors learning about how to apply their skills to write a script -- it's a natural extension of their abilities. While there are some technical aspects of story-telling and plot development that often have to be learned, often missing in playwright's work. Learning to infuse this into a new play is exciting and a worthy exercise for actors and directors.”
~ Dewey Moss, Actor/Director/Producer

“There are two reasons why I support the idea of actors and/or directors learning how to apply their skills to writing a script:
1) In learning how to address the same challenges that a writer must face when devising a new script, an actor/director will better be able to discern the structure of a script (rather than focusing solely upon the dialogue). This should help to bring the material it into sharper focus for the audience.
2) Learning to write new material will allow an actor/director to develop new properties of their own, freeing them from dependence upon using preexisting material.”
~ Larry Daggett, Actor/Producer

“I think it’s important for the actor(s) and director to experience a writer’s process when creating a piece. Not only would this workshop help unite all parties but could also prompt a deeper respect for writers and the wordsmiths in general.”
~ Atonia Kasper, Actor/Producer

"My company used to do a similar program in terms of providing coaching and feedback for new playwrights, but I love the idea of making a workshop out of it, so the development can continue and the writer (be it actor or director) gets more ongoing support. Then moving it toward a significant reading is great. Actors and directors both already come with such a storehouse of insights into the many things that are needed to create good dialogue and plot and to develop fully realized characters with a deep understanding of their needs and wishes as well as their foibles and weaknesses. These key elements are so vital to writing solid, exciting, moving, and enlightening plays and other works for the stage. I also feel that playwrights at some point should experiment with acting and directing."
~ Frank Avellino, Co-Founder/Creative Director  — Boz and the Bard Productions, Inc

"As an Actor/Producer/Director, I'm a huge believer in creating your own content! We need more writing workshops, like this, created specifically for actors."
~ Jamie Monahan, Producer/Casting Director