tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2016682993279481082012-02-16T03:12:02.752-08:00PTCThe official blog of Playwrights Theatre CentrePlaywrights Theatre Centrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17694844835616982682noreply@blogger.comBlogger261100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201668299327948108.post-54511386946137634432012-02-01T14:26:00.000-08:002012-02-01T14:35:49.135-08:00Mapping the MakingThrough our Associates program we are currently supporting six talented playwrights over three years, helping bring their ideas forward into workshops, readings and production talks. As we shift into our second year of the program, we invite you to learn more about what they are creating and what we are doing to help make it happen. Over the next six weeks you'll get a window into their creative Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16026536034346349120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201668299327948108.post-40766047190790701502012-02-01T12:55:00.000-08:002012-02-01T14:36:47.543-08:00Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16026536034346349120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201668299327948108.post-91498411529002831502011-12-14T12:30:00.000-08:002011-12-14T14:39:31.661-08:00Wrapping up the ColonyThis year's Colony was brimming with writerly talent and critical thought, as dramaturgs, writers, actors and PTC administrators gathered to hear and respond to four new Canadian plays. As the dramaturgical intern, I was completely giddy at the thought of sitting around a table with bright, sharp minds talking theatre. I was in dramaturgical heaven (read: nerd heaven.) I decided to see if the Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16026536034346349120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201668299327948108.post-59971298061145595692011-11-29T10:44:00.000-08:002011-12-02T15:52:12.404-08:00Two Dramaturgs Drama-Nerding OutAfter the amazing colony at PTC last week, Lisa C. Ravensbergen and I reflected on the experience of dramaturging new work. At this year's colony all four scripts were inspired, in whole or in part, by a specific event or work of art. Mote by José Teodoro, for example, is a re-imagined version of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, and The Decameron: A City by Greg MacArthur is an inventive response to Emilyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16026536034346349120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201668299327948108.post-89503731815659499132011-06-05T15:21:00.000-07:002011-06-05T15:54:14.421-07:00From our Washington Correspondent... a guest post from Sean Devine <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Times New Roman"; panose-1:0 2 2 6 3 5 4 5 2 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:50331648 0 0 0 1 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:0 2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:50331648 0 0Heidi Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636769609437300662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201668299327948108.post-6470292000561964192011-06-01T13:50:00.000-07:002011-06-01T14:15:14.161-07:00Block P takes on the world, via Vancouver's EastsideFollowing an announcement from Wet Ink, a new writers’ collective, that they had secured the Culture Lab as a BYOV for the upcoming Vancouver International Fringe Festival, Dramaturg Heidi Taylor sat down with founders Loretta Seto and Lynna Goldhar Smith to learn about their journeys from writer to producer. Both participated in PTC’s 2010 Block P: Self-production for emerging writers with IlenaHeidi Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636769609437300662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201668299327948108.post-24344874128985768162011-05-30T11:10:00.000-07:002011-05-30T11:20:00.475-07:00Unblocked A's: Messengers of Mercy?The Unblocked A's are a group of six writers, past participants in PTC's Block A. They meet regularly in the PTC library to share work and support each others' process.Is it morally right to eat from the opening night buffet when you hated the show? This was my question, brought up at our last Unblocked A gathering; a few of us had seen a show in the past week and we were discussing it. “OfHeidi Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636769609437300662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201668299327948108.post-58155846247559837392011-05-23T22:05:00.000-07:002011-05-23T22:31:36.100-07:00Trunk Redux: murrhaus meets Craning NeckPTC Associate Jeremy Waller, in rehearsal with Craning Neck and murrhaus at The Gam GalleryHead to The Gam Gallery Friday or Saturday night to see the reinterpretation of Jeremy Waller's Trunk (originally produced at Box Studios, 2010, PTC Colony 2009). With kinetic sound and image, Craning Neck and rock band murrhaus immerse the audience in an energy, a mood, an event. Trunk: A Fantasy Heidi Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636769609437300662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201668299327948108.post-60248913635814993522011-05-18T13:25:00.000-07:002011-05-19T15:56:35.382-07:00In development: Sea of SandTuesday afternoon, I looked up from my computer to see dolphins frolicking in the waves. It wasn't a hallucination (though that's always possible when working in the theatre of the mind); I was on the ferry, Vancouver-bound, after a productive script session on my major summer project, The Only Animal's Sea of Sand, by TOA Managing Artistic Director Eric Rhys Miller. Ferry travel and lunch at Heidi Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636769609437300662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201668299327948108.post-89556518377566763532011-05-13T11:30:00.000-07:002011-05-13T11:45:11.793-07:00Theatre heavenJan Derbyshire, PTC Associate, reports on her recent adventures in Dublin and London...I have finished my Dublin run of Funny in the Head that included some spanky reviews and a standing ovation for the last show. I have never been able to say anything like that for one of my little shows. Usually people only stand up to leave at the end so when they just stood there, I thought this must be some Heidi Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636769609437300662noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201668299327948108.post-43506366056196131412011-05-10T11:15:00.000-07:002011-05-10T11:44:20.551-07:00Nine Tenths: a process converation with Tim Carlson and Richard WolfeDramaturg Heidi Taylor asked PTC Associate Tim Carlson and director Richard Wolfe to reflect on the development process for Tim's Associates project, Nine Tenths. We spent a few days in the studio in March with actors Craig Erickson and Sarah Louise Turner, while Tim delved into the meta-theatrical nature of the play. Nine Tenths investigates the rehearsal process, through four characters' Heidi Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636769609437300662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201668299327948108.post-54015295987361152982011-05-05T09:33:00.000-07:002011-05-05T09:50:03.702-07:00Keeping tourist and actor happyJan Derbyshire's update from the Dublin International Gay Theatre Festival... Three shows down and three to go. The response has been good and I'm having many fabulous conversations after the shows. Most of these start with being told how the Irish tend to just sweep things under the rug and not talk about them and how the show sort of just blows everything up and out right there in front of themHeidi Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636769609437300662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201668299327948108.post-16763668129904976452011-05-01T22:08:00.000-07:002011-05-01T22:16:39.869-07:00Jan Derbyshire reporting from DublinPTC Associate Jan Derbyshire is performing her solo show, Funny in the Head, at the Dublin International Gay Theatre Festival, May 2-7, 2011. She's sending us updates, as we jump up and down with glee at having one of our Colonists (i.e. PTC Colony 2009 alumna) take on the UK.I am working on my Dublin tan much to the chagrin of the festival organizers. They are praying for rain as attendance Heidi Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636769609437300662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201668299327948108.post-69356023663305505712011-04-28T12:35:00.000-07:002011-04-28T16:28:00.346-07:00PTC writers go globalSometimes it's hard to keep up with the many writers whose work we support here at PTC. There's often a gap between the moment I encounter a play as dramaturg, and opening night. But you if you're quick, you can catch three of our writer's works - in Vancouver, Dublin, and New York City - all within the next month.Dave Deveau's My Funny Valentine (held over until April 30th) has garnered Heidi Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636769609437300662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201668299327948108.post-67664220313758665442011-04-14T09:59:00.000-07:002011-04-14T17:35:14.871-07:00Lenore Rowntree reports from New YorkNot timeless...simply annoyingOkay I’m lucky ‘cause recently I got to go to New York City, and I’m especially lucky because the group I went with was hosted by one of Vancouver’s best jazz musicians, Cory Weeds, who showed us all the secret jazz hot spots in the city. I even felt lucky when I wasn’t discovering jazz and instead was sneaking away one evening to watch a reprise of Wallace Shawn’s Heidi Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636769609437300662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201668299327948108.post-47202171634089248502011-03-28T16:31:00.000-07:002011-03-28T21:16:48.455-07:00Dramaturgy happens......especially when these folks are in the room. I'm pleased to introduce the 2011 Block D participants. Over ten discussions, we'll be unwrapping our own processes, noting current issues and practices, and examining the role of the dramaturg in the dramaturgical process. PTC Associate Lisa C. Ravensbergen will be co-facilitating the sessions as part of her new dramaturgy residency. Look for Heidi Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636769609437300662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201668299327948108.post-55750587189657199292011-03-15T16:47:00.001-07:002011-03-15T16:48:33.250-07:00Keeping the faithWe’ve now had a few orphan (instructor-less) “Unblocked A” meetings, and we’ve fallen into a good pattern. We’re good at giving each other feedback. At least no one has cried during a meeting and it seems that we all keep coming back. We have our rituals. We start by talking about our lives between meetings, then any theatre we’ve seen lately. The conversation meanders around touching on a wide Heidi Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636769609437300662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201668299327948108.post-44313214504800200822011-02-21T18:30:00.000-08:002011-03-28T17:39:18.941-07:00Poetry to Playwriting: The Connecting PartsThe Unblocked A's are a group of playwrights who have emerged from PTC's 2010 Block A.A new year. Our first meeting together as the Unblocked A’s since Block A ended. We had decided to continue meeting as a group to share, offer support, give feedback and keep the home fires burning for writing plays.The familiar flip chart was still there, in the same place with the same page, the same figures Heidi Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636769609437300662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201668299327948108.post-39918766513367604922011-02-03T15:07:00.000-08:002011-02-03T17:31:58.534-08:00Assembling practiceI have the pleasure of attending the PuSh Assembly this week, hard on the heels of a quick trip to Halifax, where I sat on a panel at the New Canadian Realisms symposium, hosted by Dalhousie University. In a testament to the microscopic size of the Canadian theatre community, three of the Haligonians I met are attending the Assembly to pitch their projects in Vancouver. Check out Halifax's Zuppa Heidi Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636769609437300662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201668299327948108.post-23177275470411288802011-01-19T22:26:00.000-08:002011-01-20T14:21:15.007-08:00Sneak peek: PodPlays - The QuartetPodPlays - The Quartet premieres Friday, January 21, 2011.Without giving away the secrete route, here's a sneak peek of the PodPlays experience. Thanks to photographer Carol Sawyer and PodPlay walker Stephen Tracey for sharing their walk.Go to Neworld Theatre for tickets, and check out the rest of the PuSh Festival guide here.Heidi Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636769609437300662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201668299327948108.post-2860553299681686012011-01-14T11:06:00.000-08:002011-01-16T20:50:18.345-08:00on PodPlays - The QuartetCommissioned by Neworld Theatre and PTC Presented by the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, January 21 - February 6, 2011Created by Adrienne Wong & Joelysa Pankanea, Proximity Arts, David McIntosh & Max Murphy, and Martin Kinch & Noah Drew.For tickets and show times, visit Neworld Theatreby Sarah BantingLet’s say I deliberately chose one of the chilliest wet days of a dark December to Heidi Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636769609437300662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201668299327948108.post-49742900324409654782010-12-23T13:20:00.000-08:002010-12-23T13:27:29.472-08:00Block A: the insider's reportPTC welcomes six emerging writers each fall to join a senior playwright for an in-depth exploration of the craft of playwriting. Stanley Katz, one of our 2010 Block A participants, offers his take on the experience.@font-face { font-family: "Times New Roman"; }@font-face { font-family: "Arial"; }@font-face { font-family: "Tahoma"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in Heidi Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636769609437300662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201668299327948108.post-3246575744189831112010-12-14T14:42:00.000-08:002010-12-14T18:11:22.977-08:00Seasonal joysMonday, December 13th marked PTC's Annual General Meeting, this year a joint affair with The Only Animal. It was inspiring to revisit the activities of the 2009/10 year for both companies, and to see the sparkling documentation from NIX, TOA's theatre of snow and ice, and You and the Moon, one of my favourite plays for solo audience. I look forward to our ongoing collaboration on SOS, by Eric Heidi Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10636769609437300662noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201668299327948108.post-76918078745726466202010-12-03T11:16:00.000-08:002010-12-03T18:40:39.361-08:00The Catalan Connection@font-face { font-family: "Times New Roman"; }@font-face { font-family: "Arial"; }@font-face { font-family: "Times-Roman"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }table.MsoNormalTable { font-size: 10pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; } The Catalan Connection brought three Heidi Taylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02478056475171243025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201668299327948108.post-68568179998188498302010-11-26T14:38:00.000-08:002010-12-03T11:24:41.992-08:00Playwrights CentralMere seconds after our Colony writers returned to their regular lives, PTC welcomed Tant per Tant’s Tom Bentley Fisher and Elisabet Rafòls from Saskatoon, and Catalan writers Marta Buchaca, Pau Miró, and Pere Riera from Barcelona. The Catalan Connection is now in full swing, with seventeen actors joining the writing, translating and dramaturgical teams to explore the translation of three Catalan Playwrights Theatre Centrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17694844835616982682noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201668299327948108.post-24732659764861097502010-11-14T04:00:00.000-08:002010-11-15T23:26:56.691-08:00Interview with two Colony writers...Brian Fidler and Andrew Templeton are two of the four writers participating in PTC’s fifth annual Writers Colony. Dramaturg Heidi Taylor spoke with them on the eve of the Colony to take a look under the hood at the mechanics of playwriting.
HT: Something I’ve been curious about, not having worked with either of you as a dramaturg, is how you move from source material to script? Is it a Playwrights Theatre Centrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17694844835616982682noreply@blogger.com1