Workshops Include...

Playwriting*
with John Lazarus (Queen's University)
John Lazarus has been an award-winning professional playwright since 1970, and a teacher of playwriting since the 1980s. His plays have been produced across Canada and the U.S. and around the world. They include Village of Idiots, Dreaming and Duelling, Babel Rap, and four short plays for young audiences produced by Green Thumb Theatre. He has taught playwriting and related subjects for 10 years at Vancouver’s Studio 58, for 20 years at Queen’s University, and sporadically at Vancouver Film School and his alma mater, the National Theatre School. He lives in Kingston, Ontario, with his wife Lin.  

​Like his generation of Canadian playwrights, John is self-taught, and took some years to figure out how to put together  a play that really affects the audience. In this interactive workshop, he will describe his discovery of the two sides of the process, and lead the students through a game that generates weird and wonderful plots. John's workshops are famous for generating lots of laughs.

* Means students will also be present for this workshop session

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Theatre of the Oppressed Games
with Eliza Gardiner (VIU Theatre Department) 
Description: Famed Brazilian theatre activist Augusto Boal invented his Theatre of the Oppressed games and image-theatre techniques to inspire people to animate their emotions, unspoken fears, perspectives on power, and perceptions of 'the other'.   In our modified, online TofO Games workshop, we’ll explore components of Boal’s activities, getting up on our feet to enliven inner thoughts and feelings using physical poses to sculpt expressions of diverse points-of-view. Participants will engage as spect-actors in this experiential exploration of socio-political drama that will motivate dialogue on social justice, conflict transformation, power, and liberty. There will be laughs, real issues explored, and time for discussion.

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The Show Can Go on During the Pandemic - Live Streaming and More…
with Jim Hoare (Theatre Rights Worldwide)
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Description: What is live streaming? What shows can be live streamed? Can I make cuts and adapt a show for social distancing? How will licensing fees be calculated if I cannot fill my house? Are licensing fees negotiable? Jim Hoare (TRW) and Jason Goldstein (BookTix Live) will lead you through the process and answer your questions.
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Bio: Executive VP at TRW has presented workshops throughout the USA and UK, and in 2011, received the New York State Theatre Education Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Jim is a Board Member for the Educational Theatre Foundation, and the author of YOUR HIGH SCHOOL IMPROV SHOW PLAYBOOK, (Theatrefolk, 2019).

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Adapting Theatre to Film
with Paul Moniz de Sá (Arts Umbrella)
Description: Acting is Acting. Whether your students are working on stage, voice over, or on camera, the work of an actor remains same. It is the medium that changes. Our job as teachers is to help our students share the story. Understanding how each art form works allows us, as teachers, to refine our own artistic expression to suit the method of storytelling. This workshop is meant to expand our awareness of how we communicate through stage and screen both non-verbally and through text, as well as explore ways of shifting, adjusting, and connecting to the work to suit each medium.
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Bio: Paul has been working as a professional actor for over 20 years both on camera and on stage. Film credits include The BFG directed by Steven Spielberg, Arrow and an upcoming feature in which he worked with Viola Davis. He has appeared on stages across North America including the Bard on the Beach, the National Arts Centre and at the Charlottetown Festival in PEI. He received Jessie awards for his performances in "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe" with Pacific Theatre and "The Overcoat" at the Vancouver Playhouse as well as Jessie nominations for his performance in "Driving Miss Daisy" at Pacific Theatre and his sound designs for "One In A Million" and "The Prodigal Son". Paul began his theatrical training at Arts Umbrella when he was 16 and continued on to study at the prestigious Studio 58 at Langara College. Paul has also made a career as an instructor teaching sound design and acting both on and off camera with organizations such as Bard on the Beach, Douglas College, the Shadbolt Centre and Learning Through the Arts. In 2008, Paul became the Artistic Director of Theatre and Music at Arts Umbrella.

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Characters, Coverage, Continuity
​with: Thea Loo (The Cinematheque)
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Description: Shooting a conversation between two characters can seem easy, but there are many considerations to be taken into account if you are a first time director or cinematographer. In this workshop we will talk about “Characters, Coverage and Continuity” three key points to plan for as you begin thinking about how to shoot dialogue between two actors. How do you plan to block your characters and what kind of coverage do you want to shoot to tell a visual story? How can you make sure that your visual language is coherent and consistent while still being creative? Workshop participants will spend 1 hour being introduced to shot lists, continuity rules and how to also break them.
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Bio: Thea is a Learning & Outreach coordinator at The Cinematheque. She has a BFA in Film Production from Simon Fraser University. For over two years she has overseen the conceptualization and production of dozens of short films and documentaries through The Cinematheque’s outreach programs. Thea is passionate about helping aspiring creatives learn the visual language of film as a strong avenue for self expression, civic participation, and fun.

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​Tech Theatre Safety
with Don Parman
Manager Programs and Services, Performing Arts
Actsafe Safety Association 
Bio: Don’s twenty five-year career has taken him from student, to crew, to supervisor and manager. Along the way he has worked with some amazing organizations, The Massey Theatre, Vancouver Folk Music Festival, Royal City Musical Theatre, The Canadian Institute for Theatre Technologies to name just a few.
Don now brings all of that experience and love for live performance to Actsafe Safety Association. From ladder safety to air quality Don has experienced it first hand and can help you navigate the world of Performing arts safety.

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Managing your Theatre Resources
with Margaret Messick (Theatre Inventory Database)
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Margaret started Costume Inventory Resources in 2010 to help Costume Shops organize their collections.  She learned to sew at age 12 and have sewn garments for many theatre productions and my family.  She has worked as a database designer and database instructor for over 25 years.  Creating the Costume Inventory Database (now the Theatre Inventory Database) allowed her to combine her love of sewing with my experience in designing database applications.  Margaret love working with customers to help them understand how to use the databases and inventory tags and labels to get their theatres organized. ​ ​

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Michael Chekov Acting Techniques
with Philip Granger (New Image College)

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Acting & Auditioning for the Camera 
with Geoff Gustafson (Vancouver Acting School)
Description: Find out how to adapt your techniques for the stage to teach your students how to audition and work on camera, giving them a leg up when they apply for film schools after graduation.

Bio: Geoff Gustafson is a busy working actor and producer in Vancouver, and is the Director of Performing Arts at Vancouver Acting School. With 81 professional credits to his name, Geoff is known for movies like The Interview, Hot Tub Time Machine, and 2012, along with the upcoming animated feature Panda vs. Aliens. As well, he has been a series regular on TV shows such as Gotta Grudge?, Primeval: New World, and has been a recurring guest star on Once Upon a Time.  Geoff is also working on the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries ongoing series Signed Sealed Delivered.  His wealth of experience and honest teaching approach has helped launch the careers of many young actors in this city, and he is passionate about being able to positively impact the next generation of thespians. 

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​Directing for the Theatre
Angela Konrad (Trinity Western University - BFA Theatre Dept.)

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Build Sustainability into your Theatre Productions*
with Kyla Gardiner (SFU)

* Means students will also be present for this workshop session

© 2020 British Columbia Thespians