Intro to Playwriting with Ellen Peterson

Ellen can’t teach you everything about playwrighting in a three-hour masterclass, but she can help you get off to a good start. If you’ve already started, she can help you take what you have to the next level. We will do some writing, and we will talk about the elements of playwriting. We’ll look at some fun places to start your work and some pitfalls to avoid. These include bad exposition, overstatement, and the dreaded Dearth of Action. We will also talk about the importance of napping to the creative process. You’ll leave the class with a viable concept and a plan for the next steps.

About the Artist: Ellen has been a Winnipeg playwright, dramaturg, actor, producer and visual artist for over 40 years. Recent productions include an adaptation of Sense and Sensibility (Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre John Hirsch Mainstage), The Eight Tiny Reindeer of the Apocalypse, and None of This is Happening (Theatre Projects Manitoba). She teaches theatre and film at Manitoba Theatre for Young People and teaches their PlayRoots course in high schools. Ellen recently launched an initiative called The Free Theatre, which brings artists together to create a piece of theatre in one week, which is then offered for free in neighbourhood venues.