The 2011 New Works for Young Audiences Playwright’s Circle

Playwrights This workshop is for playwrights (emerging or established) who are interested in developing work suitable for young audiences or families. The play itself can be at any stage of development – a full draft, a few scenes or even just an idea. A small group of no more than six playwrights will be selected to participate in this workshop based upon the suitability of their proposed work, their goals around developing their work and their desire to share the development process with others.

Workshop Elements Over the course of the full workshop playwrights can expect to develop their play under the guidance of established playwright, educator, director and dramaturge, Kim McCaw, as well as through feedback from other participants, readings by professional actors and reaction and feedback from your intended audience. Acceptance & participation in the Playwright’s Workshop will include:

• Six ‘playwright’s circle style’ sessions lead by Kim McCaw (Canadian Centre for Theatre Creation) on Wednesdays from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. from January 12 to February 16, 2011 (Edmonton).

• Workshop readings of your play (or scenes) in development during the week of Feb. 21 to 25 by professional actors.

• Workshop readings of your play (or scenes) in development for a school and/or family audience during the week of April 4th to 15th.

• Consideration for future development and/or production by Kompany Family Theatre.

Application Process Interested playwrights are invited to respond to Jan Taylor, Artistic Director of Kompany Family Theatre, by January 7th 2011 with a short description of your play/idea, what you would like to accomplish over the course of the workshop as well as relevant background information about yourself. Chosen participants will be required to pay a ‘place-holder’ fee of $200.00 that is fully refundable upon completion of the workshop process.

Kim McCaw Director, Canadian Centre for Theatre Creation and New Works Workshop leader
A professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Drama at the University of Alberta, McCaw brings over thirty years of experience in the field of Canadian new play development and Production. He has previously been Artistic Director of Winnipeg’s Prairie Theatre Exchange and Program Director of the Banff Playwrights’ Colony, both leaders in developing new work for the theatre. Kim is well-known for his contribution and dedication to theatre for young audiences – his Robert Munsch stage adaptations were the first ever created of these beloved stories and are still being produced to this day and the legacy of his artistic direction at Prairie Theatre Exchange includes many successful seasons of educational touring shows for young audiences.

The New Works Playwright’s Workshop replaces our former New Works for Young Audiences Play Development Programme, increasing the number of playwrights who will benefit from the programme, enhancing the participation of intended audiences in the play development process and creating a collaborative relationship between the Canadian Centre for Theatre Creation and Kompany Family Theatre.

Questions can be directed to Jan Taylor, Artistic Director, Kompany Family Theatre

For further information, check out last year’s announcement and 2009 winner Zachary and the Storytelling Stones, and 2010 winner The Missadventurous Perils of Pauline.

Announces the

2012 New Works for Young Audiences Playwright’s Circle

Appropriate playwrights: This circle is for playwrights (emerging or established) who are interested in developing work suitable for young audiences and/or families. The play can be at any stage of development – a full draft, a few scenes or even just an idea. A small group of no more than six playwrights will be selected to participate in this workshop based upon the suitability of their proposed work, their goals around developing their work and their desire to share the development process with others.

Playwright Circle elements: Over the course of the full circle playwrights can expect to develop their plays under the guidance of established playwright, educator, director and dramaturge, Kim McCaw, as well as through feedback from other participants, readings by professional actors and reaction and feedback from your intended audience. Acceptance & participation in the Playwright’s Workshop will include.

Six ‘playwright’s circle style’ sessions lead by Kim McCaw (Canadian Centre for Theatre Creation) on Wednesdays from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. from January 18 to February 22, 2011 (Edmonton).

Workshop readings of your play (or scenes) in development by professional actors for a school and/or family audience. You will be given an honorarium for the use of your piece in this part of the process.

Consideration for future development and/or production by Kompany Family Theatre.

Application Process:  Interested playwrights are invited to respond to the Artistic Director of Kompany Family Theatre (kompany@telus.net) by January 4^th 2012 with a short description of your play/idea, what you would like to accomplish over the course of the workshop as well as relevant background information about yourself. Chosen participants will be required to pay a fee of $150.00 for the workshop process and will be eligible for an honorarium for the use of their work with a school and/or family audience.

Bios & Further information:

KIM McCAW 

Director, Canadian Centre for Theatre Creation and New Works Workshop leader
A professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Drama at the University of Alberta, McCaw brings over thirty years of experience in the field of Canadian new play development and Production. He has previously been Artistic Director of Winnipeg’s Prairie Theatre Exchange and Program Director of the Banff Playwrights’ Colony, both leaders in developing new work for the theatre. Kim is well-known for his contribution and dedication to theatre for young audiences – his Robert Munsch stage adaptations were the first ever created of these beloved stories and are still being produced to this day and the legacy of his artistic direction at Prairie Theatre Exchange includes many successful seasons of educational touring shows for young audiences.

KOMPANY FAMILY THEATRE   Kompany Family Theatre (of Kompany Dance and Affiliated Artist’s Society) is an Edmonton-based professional theatre company dedicated to producing quality theatre for young audiences and families, as well as to the creation and development of new works. Past productions, under the Artistic Direction of Jan Taylor, have included:  Alberto the Dancing Alligator, In True Pirate Fashion, Zachary and the Storytelling Stones, The Missadventurous Perils of Pauline, Fairly Scary Fairy Tales, The Pumpkin Patch Mystery, The Wizard that Was… or Was Not and From Zero to Hero.

This is the second year of The New Works Playwrights’ Circle which replaced the former New Works for Young Audiences Play Development Programme. This collaborative venture between Kompany Family Theatre and the Canadian Centre for Theatre Creation saw a very successful inaugural year in 2011 resulting in the creation and production of the family musical The Wizard that Was, or Was Not…, and the beginnings of three other plays by emerging Edmonton Playwrights.

Questions can be directed to Jan Taylor, Artistic Director, Kompany Family Theatre (kompany@telus.net ).

The 2011 New Works for Young Audiences Playwright’s Workshop

Playwrights This workshop is for playwrights (emerging or established) who are interested in developing work suitable for young audiences or families. The play itself can be at any stage of development – a full draft, a few scenes or even just an idea. A small group of no more than six playwrights will be selected to participate in this workshop based upon the suitability of their proposed work, their goals around developing their work and their desire to share the development process with others.

Workshop Elements Over the course of the full workshop playwrights can expect to develop their play under the guidance of established playwright, educator, director and dramaturge, Kim McCaw, as well as through feedback from other participants, readings by professional actors and reaction and feedback from your intended audience. Acceptance & participation in the Playwright’s Workshop will include:

• Six ‘playwright’s circle style’ sessions lead by Kim McCaw (Canadian Centre for Theatre Creation) on Wednesdays from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. from January 12 to February 16, 2011 (Edmonton).

• Workshop readings of your play (or scenes) in development during the week of Feb. 21 to 25 by professional actors.

• Workshop readings of your play (or scenes) in development for a school and/or family audience during the week of April 4th to 15th.

• Consideration for future development and/or production by Kompany Family Theatre.

Application Process Interested playwrights are invited to respond to Jan Taylor, Artistic Director of Kompany Family Theatre, by January 7th 2011 with a short description of your play/idea, what you would like to accomplish over the course of the workshop as well as relevant background information about yourself. Chosen participants will be required to pay a ‘place-holder’ fee of $200.00 that is fully refundable upon completion of the workshop process.

Kim McCaw Director, Canadian Centre for Theatre Creation and New Works Workshop leader
A professor and Associate Chair in the Department of Drama at the University of Alberta, McCaw brings over thirty years of experience in the field of Canadian new play development and Production. He has previously been Artistic Director of Winnipeg’s Prairie Theatre Exchange and Program Director of the Banff Playwrights’ Colony, both leaders in developing new work for the theatre. Kim is well-known for his contribution and dedication to theatre for young audiences – his Robert Munsch stage adaptations were the first ever created of these beloved stories and are still being produced to this day and the legacy of his artistic direction at Prairie Theatre Exchange includes many successful seasons of educational touring shows for young audiences.

The New Works Playwright’s Workshop replaces our former New Works for Young Audiences Play Development Programme, increasing the number of playwrights who will benefit from the programme, enhancing the participation of intended audiences in the play development process and creating a collaborative relationship between the Canadian Centre for Theatre Creation and Kompany Family Theatre.

Charlene’s play The Missadventurous Perils of Pauline was a submission in the 2010 New Works for Young Audiences Play Development Programme. The Missadventurous Perils of Pauline is currently in rehearsals and will be previewed to Edmonton elementary schools in June, then off the Calgary and Edmonton Fringes this summer!

Are you interested in writing for children and families? The 2011 New Works for Young Audiences Play Development Programme will be announced in the fall of 2010 with a submission deadline in January 2011.

2010 NEW WORKS FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES PLAY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

Kompany invites Canadian playwrights to submit a complete draft, original play to the second annual Kompany Family Theatre New Works for Young Audiences Development Programme. Last year’s winning submission Zachary and the Storytelling Stones was developed and produced by Kompany and enjoyed a successful tour to Saskatoon, Winnipeg and Edmonton Fringe festivals, as well as multiple performances at Edmonton schools.

The top submissions to the New Works competition will be featured in a public reading on February 14th and the playwrights will receive individual dramaturgical feedback.

One play will be chosen from the top submissions to be developed further with a team of professional actors, dramaturges and director in Edmonton during the week of February 14 to 21, 2010.
The winning playwright will be awarded a $600.00 honorarium. Travel costs to Edmonton can be subsidized.

The chosen play will be considered for June and subsequent productions in Kompany Family Theatre’s 2010/11 season!

Submission Deadline:

• January 22, 2010, 5pm MST

• Chosen playwrights will be contacted before January 29, 2010

Development Workshops

• Will take place in Edmonton, AB between February 14-21, 2010

Play Submissions must be:

• A full draft, ready to be dramaturged

• Able to be supported by a cast of no more than 3 actors

• One act, approximately 50 minutes long or less

• Suitable for an audience of children ages 3-8 and their families

• Submitted electronically to kompany.admin@shaw.ca
  

  Accompanied by the following information:

Script Information:
Development/Production history
Evidence of permission to write the play if based on an existing work plus details of permission
Other relevant information

Playwrights must be:

• Canadian

• Available to participate in dramaturgical workshops in Edmonton, AB between February 14-21, 2010

For any further information please CONTACT US

Scripts were submitted from all across Canada. Our selection committee read and discussed each submission, and Kompany Artistic Director Jan Taylor offered feedback to any submitting playwright.

KRISTEN FINLAY was selected as the winning playwright, and in February her show Zachary and the Storytelling Stones was further developed with a team of professional actors, dramaturge and director.

The play was produced as part of Kompany Family Theatre’s 2008/2009 season with June preview performances for Edmonton schools and summer productions including a three-Fringe-tour to Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Edmonton.

Information regarding the New Works Programme 2010 will be available in the fall of 2009.