Activities / Programs / Workshops

Playwriting Circle: Do Be So Dramatic

This will be a Learn-by-Doing-as-You-Go, anecdotal (in a theatre history way), ease-you-into-it experience that’s not scary or overwhelming and will result in the participants having something dramatic to show for it at the end of the session.

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Description

Eight Wednesdays, Oct 4-Nov 29 (no meeting on Nov 1), 6-8pm
Open to all
Limited to 12 participants
In-Person Workshop*

This will be a Learn-by-Doing-as-You-Go, anecdotal (in a theatre history way), ease-you-into-it experience that’s not scary or overwhelming and will result in the participants having something dramatic to show for it at the end of the session. If you have always wanted to write a play or already have a play idea in the works, this is the workshop for you. I’m quite motivational, coach-like and pushy in a good way. I will get that play out of you if you’re willing to try. I am all for deadlines, discipline, and contests. Since I have more of a comic bent, there could be more emphasis on comedy at times. The workshop will evolve as it goes, based on what everyone hopes to accomplish.  I am often surprised and quite happy to see what happens when I throw ideas and writing games at writers in the workshop. I am very careful about how feedback is given because everything is so new. This does not mean that there won’t be plenty of opportunity to share your work or prove that you are indeed writing. One of my past QWF workshops resulted in Picturesque: Voices from Beaver Hall, which saw productions at Redpath Museum and Dawson Theatre as well as museums in Hamilton and Calgary.

*This workshop will take place solely in-person at the QWF Office (Room 3, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Westmount, Quebec).

Workshop leader

Credit: Peggy Curran
Colleen Curran is an award-winning playwright, novelist, actor, and teacher. Her comedy Cake-Walk premiered at the Blyth Festival in 1984 and has had more than 50 productions across North America. It was brought to the attention of Showtime Network by Whoopi Goldberg. Curran’s many plays include Villa Eden, Sacred Hearts (winner of the International Gabriel Award and most recently done by Zeitgeist Stage in Boston), Maple Lodge (Winner Best Canadian Play, Samuel French Inc. Competition), Another Labour Day (Best New Play QDF 1984), El Clavadista, A Brave Girl, Sybil and Sylvia, Casa de Mary Margaret, Ceili House, and Ireland’s Own Carmel O’Reilly Tonite! Her three novels about Montreal singing waitress Lenore Rutland are Something Drastic, Overnight Sensation, and Guests of Chance. Her stage adaptation of Something Drastic premiered in 2002 and has been seen in Winnipeg, Toronto, Athens, and Melbourne. Her True Nature launched the 2011-2012 season at Centaur Theatre. Out for Stars, her latest novel, made the Long List for the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. During the pandemic, Colleen created Kitty Calling starring Debra Hale and Lorna Wilson, it won best Canadian web series in Toronto’s Now magazine.

Register

Please note that workshop registration is on a “first come, first served” basis.

Payment is required to confirm your place in the workshop. 

Payments are to be made online via credit card or PayPal. Click on the link below to add the workshop to your shopping cart, then proceed to payment. QWF Members must be logged in to receive their discount. If you are not already a QWF member, you will have the option of purchasing a Membership, in which case you will receive the discounted workshop rate.

If you are unable to pay online, you can temporarily reserve a place by registering online. Your payment must be made to the QWF office by cheque or cash within 7 days of registration or it will automatically be cancelled. Cheques must be written out to “QWF–Quebec Writers’ Federation” or “Quebec Writers’ Federation”

If the workshop is full, you will have the option of joining the waiting list. If a space becomes available, all those on the waiting list will be notified at once by email. The available spot will be assigned on a first come, first served basis.

Please familiarize yourself with the rest of the Workshop Policies in the shaded box.

Member

General $180 + $4.39 Fee
Student $115 + $2.91 Fee
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Non-Member

$230 + $5.52 Fee
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Programs

Workshop Policies

Please familiarize yourself with our workshop policies and general guiding principles

Special Thanks

QWF gratefully acknowledges the assistance of the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Government of Canada.