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DramaSplurge: January 2011
http://www.dramasplurge.com/2011_01_01_archive.html
Saturday, January 29, 2011. At last weekend's " Writing North: A Writer's Workshop. Event, Edmonton-based playwright Kenneth Brown. Led a lively Saturday morning discussion as a self-described theatre "pirate.". That is, he explained his calling as a playwright as being similar to that of 18th century pirates who used "small speedy vessels to attack big ships.". I’ll be writing more about this in future posts but for now let me just say that, as dramatists who deal with the greatest and most powerf...
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DramaSplurge: March 2011
http://www.dramasplurge.com/2011_03_01_archive.html
Thursday, March 31, 2011. The Importance of Being Earnest. The Importance of Being Earnest' is important, but it says nothing about anything. Mark Singer, The New Yorker, March 7, 2011 p. 24. Yes, yes, yes. More than suffice. For the record, it’s not that I believe theatre has to be intense, serious, political, hard-hitting and/or emotionally devastating in order to be good theatre. First of all, true emotional catharsis can come about in many ways – and perhaps one of the most satisfying of these ...
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DramaSplurge: February 2011
http://www.dramasplurge.com/2011_02_01_archive.html
Thursday, February 17, 2011. Today I find myself thinking about another idea playwright Kenneth Brown. Raised at a recent writing festival. As Ken reminded his audience, the French don't go "see" a play. Neither do they do what English theatre goers used to do back in the day - that is, go out to "hear" a play (at an aud. Instead, he explained, they go out to " participer au theatre. To participate in it. As he said that, I turned my head to see bilingual playwright Madeleine Blais-Dahlem. A great novel ...
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DramaSplurge: Just when you thought Sophocles was safe...
http://www.dramasplurge.com/2011/04/just-when-you-thought-sophocles-could.html
Friday, April 1, 2011. Just when you thought Sophocles was safe. Sadly, it's no April Fool's joke. Was banned last night in Saskatchewan. Yes, that classic tragedy originally penned by Sophocles. The pop playwright sensation of Athens roundabout 440 BC, has been slammed and slammed hard. About 200 kilometres from Saskatoon. At least that's what the local band council at Poundmaker seems to think of the new adaption of the play by playwright Deanne Kasokeo. Who hails from Poundmaker herself. That said, Ka...
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DramaSplurge: Participer au theatre
http://www.dramasplurge.com/2011/02/participer-au-theatre.html
Thursday, February 17, 2011. Today I find myself thinking about another idea playwright Kenneth Brown. Raised at a recent writing festival. As Ken reminded his audience, the French don't go "see" a play. Neither do they do what English theatre goers used to do back in the day - that is, go out to "hear" a play (at an aud. Instead, he explained, they go out to " participer au theatre. To participate in it. As he said that, I turned my head to see bilingual playwright Madeleine Blais-Dahlem. A great novel ...
dramasplurge.com
DramaSplurge: July 2011
http://www.dramasplurge.com/2011_07_01_archive.html
Tuesday, July 19, 2011. That's right, I've gone fishing. Fishing for stories, for inspiration, for writing time, for dream time, for rest, for replenishment, for refilling the well. Now, the fact is, I probably should have posted this much earlier but after such a busy season - and a particularly busy spring with the Spring Festival of New Plays. And then the Aboriginal Playwrights Circle. Then, after leading the fun but rather intense Sage Hill Teen Writing Experience. Truth is, I'm still not quite read...
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DramaSplurge: What not to do...
http://www.dramasplurge.com/2011/03/what-not-to-do.html
Friday, March 11, 2011. What not to do. What shouldn’t you do if you’re a young playwright? Don’t bore the audience! I mean, even if you have to resort to totally arbitrary killing onstage, or pointless gunfire, at least it’ll catch their attention and keep them awake. Just keep the thing going any way you can.". Tennessee Williams in an interview with The Paris Review published in Playwrights at Work. It doesn't get more basic than that, does it? In A Clockwork Orange. So…what is it? I'd argue one of th...
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DramaSplurge: The Importance of Being Earnest
http://www.dramasplurge.com/2011/03/importance-of-being-earnest-is.html
Thursday, March 31, 2011. The Importance of Being Earnest. The Importance of Being Earnest' is important, but it says nothing about anything. Mark Singer, The New Yorker, March 7, 2011 p. 24. Yes, yes, yes. More than suffice. For the record, it’s not that I believe theatre has to be intense, serious, political, hard-hitting and/or emotionally devastating in order to be good theatre. First of all, true emotional catharsis can come about in many ways – and perhaps one of the most satisfying of these ...
dramasplurge.com
DramaSplurge: Spring Festival of New Plays
http://www.dramasplurge.com/2011/05/spring-festival-of-new-plays.html
Saturday, May 21, 2011. Spring Festival of New Plays. If I didn't know it from the leaves that have finally decided to make an appearance on Saskatoon trees, I'd know it from the playwrights, directors and actors who will be gathering here as of this weekend for the Saskatchewan Playwrights Centre. S 2011 Spring Festival of New Plays. Later today I head to the airport to pick up the first arrivals: Stephen Heatley. Our inimitable Festival Dramaturge and director (and recent Siminovitch Prize. Each worksh...
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DramaSplurge: Gone fishing...
http://www.dramasplurge.com/2011/07/gone-fishing.html
Tuesday, July 19, 2011. That's right, I've gone fishing. Fishing for stories, for inspiration, for writing time, for dream time, for rest, for replenishment, for refilling the well. Now, the fact is, I probably should have posted this much earlier but after such a busy season - and a particularly busy spring with the Spring Festival of New Plays. And then the Aboriginal Playwrights Circle. Then, after leading the fun but rather intense Sage Hill Teen Writing Experience. Truth is, I'm still not quite read...
