| APN's Development Programs
Some of you may have heard through the grapevine that APN has been undergoing a Program Review for the past several months. This page contains descriptions of our revised programs. If you have not received our most recent Bulletin or have not yet read the cover article, then please click here to read about our Program Review.
Revised Play Development Process
It’s actually not too different from what we have been doing all along. But the main advantage to our Revised Play Development Process is that we have been able to describe our actions with a series of steps that are clear and easy to follow, not only for us but for the playwrights we work with.
It’s important to remember that this model will be adaptive to the different shapes and needs of the plays and playwrights. It is not our intention to make you fit into our box, but rather to serve your needs. A play submitted to the Development Process might be ready for Phase Three. Or a play might be submitted for the sole purpose of getting assistance with promotion. APN stands ready to be flexible in either situation.
Phase One: one-on-one dramaturgy on ongoing basis
Fee: $40
When a play comes into the office, it will be given to our reading committee. Each play will be read by at least two of our dramaturges, one of whom will meet with the playwright for a one-on-one consultation. That dramaturge will follow that play throughout its life with APN, assisting the playwright with dramaturgical input and tailoring APN’s programs to the needs of the play. Other directors may join this process, the dramaturgical personnel might change, but APN will remain with the play.
We presently have two to three dramaturges on staff, depending on our funding levels. These staff dramaturges will continue to form the nucleus of our work with playwrights. APN wants to develop a relationship with you and your play by providing a long-term relationship over several years with the same dramaturge.
This Phase (formerly known as the Script Doctor) will still charge a reading fee of $40. For that $40 you will receive a face to face meeting, dramaturgical consultation, a discussion about further development opportunities, and our promise that we will not only read any subsequent draft, but that we will continue to work with you and your play for as long as you wish. As always, one needs to be a current member to access any of our programs (membership $35/ students&seniors$25/joint membership with Theatre Alberta $45).
Click here for an application form
Phase Two: 4 hour reading with actors and the ongoing dramaturge
Fee: None
A play is not a play until it is read out loud; until then it is just a script, a blueprint for a play. For many playwrights, the first time they hear a play out loud is at APN.
After some time spent working individually with the playwright, there will come a time when the next natural step is to hear the play read out loud by professional actors.
There is no fee for Phase Two or beyond. In fact, many of our members do not realize that we pay you! In 2004 we adjusted our policies so that APN now pays the playwright $50 for Phase Two and $100 a day for full day workshops (see Phase Three below). Playwrights are professional artists as well as actors, directors and designers, and it is not appropriate for them to be the only unpaid artists in the room … especially, not at a playwright development centre.
Phase Three: 2-day or more workshop with actors, ongoing dramaturge and/or director
Fee: None
After a period of rewrites it might be time for a more in-depth workshop. On the advice of the APN dramaturge the reading committee might a play move to Phase three and so it can receive a longer workshop.
It is at this stage that we provide the playwright with the option to introduce an outside director or dramaturge into the workshop process. By this point in a play’s development it is usually time to introduce a new point of view into the discussion. The decision about who this director/dramaturge might be is always made in consultation with the playwright. Note that APN’s dramaturge continues to be involved in the development stage so that the playwright can retain continuity.
Four: public reading to gage audience response
Fee: None
Actors sometimes refer to an audience as “the missing character”, because they know from first-hand experience that when a play is performed in front of an audience for the first time everything changes. Playwrights share this experience.
These readings might take place as part of the Auburn Reading Series or at some other opportunity.
Five: public showcase at PlayWorks Ink and or other opportunity
Fee: None
What’s the difference between a “Phase Four Reading” and a “Phase Five Showcase”? A reading is for the benefit of the play and is a natural extension of the development the process, while a showcase often involves other members from the community and is performed with an eye to promoting the play to a specific theatre or to the larger theatre community. This might happen as part of PlayWorks Ink, or it might take advantage of some other unique showcase opportunity that arises.
Phase Six: Beyond APN where we provide recommendations for the future of the play
Fee: None
This is our chance to help you promote your play. Our board does not see its role as an agent for playwrights in Alberta; however, we do want to assist you to get your play onstage when our committee feels it is ready.
We have a number of guidelines for Stage Six:
-
The play must be at a certain stage
-
APN feels most comfortable when the Playwright initiates the promotional activity
-
APN can provide a Letter of Recommendation and can help the playwright figure out where to send the play
-
Playwrights can use our Resource library
-
The on-line catalogue, which is open to all produced plays by all of our members, should be part of any recommendations
-
When APN does make recommendations there must be an appropriate match between play and the mandate of the theatre and personal taste of the producer
-
Where possible, the Executive Director should make use of the reading committee to provide checks and balances
-
Showcasing activities and invitations to producers are perhaps the most useful way of disseminating our information
Performance Creation Increasingly, many actors are turning their hand to playwriting and many playwrights are choosing to perform their work themselves … and Alberta is leading this trend nationally. APN is responding to this new method of creating work with a special program to meet the needs of performer/creators.
Fee: None
Download an application now.
Auburn Reading Series
sponsored by The Auburn Saloon, McNally-Robinson Booksellers
and the Playwrights Guild of Canada - APN presents readings
of excerpts from selected plays that APN has been developing
in the Calgary region. Often guest hosted by a playwright
of national stature such as Tomson Highway and featuring playwrights
of a variety of experience levels. Plays are selected from
the Script Doctor program or from the various contests above.
Playwrights'
Circles
are supportive seminars for emerging and experienced playwrights,
covering everything from structure to form, and from business
to aesthetics. Participants are asked to start a work during
the course and develop it in conjunction with the group.
Fee: $200 for 8 weeks
Our Circles begin whenever we have sufficient interest from our members. If you are interested in joining one of our Playwrights Circles, then please send us an email telling us so; we will let you know when the next Circle is planned.
Yes! I am interested in a Playwrights' Circle!
Later we may need you to return to this page and download a form:
Download
a Calgary Application
or
download an Edmonton Application
PlayWorks
Ink co-produced
with Theatre Alberta consists of a festival of new play readings,
educational workshops, guest speakers and
panel discussions for a full weekend of theatrical magic.
This is our opportunity to showcase some plays from Stage Five.
Click
here to view PlayWorks Ink 2006
Click
here to view a pdf of the 2006 brochure
To print our forms, you will need the Adobe acrobat plug-in
Click
here for Adobe Acrobat
|
