Note:  Fees for local workshops vary depending on where they are held.  Different locations charge different fees for the use of their facilities.  Costs will be posted when workshops are finalized.

Publishing:

1)   Self-Publishing by Yourself

This 6 hour practical workshop empowers indie authors as you work toward a solid foundation and understanding of self-publishing for the print market and an in-depth guide to e-publishing. By the end of this course you will have a published eBook and the confidence to move forward by yourself in the world of Indie Print Publishing. In addition, we will touch on: how to obtain a free ISBN, taxes & the IRS, registering your imprint with the government and author-publicity basics.

All workshop participants will receive a free e-copy of Publicizing Yourself: A Beginner’s Guide to Author Marketing as a gift for attending.

This is a 4-period workshop for senior level high-school students;

or

This is a local workshop for indie writers age 16+ held for 3 hours on 2 separate days with assigned homework.

Click HERE for more details.

English/Writing:

1)      Self-editing for Beginners

This hour and a half long workshop is an introduction to self-editing.  Many aspiring writers do not have a budget to accommodate the purchase of several edits for their manuscript.  By becoming familiar with the most common errors overlooked when writing a first draft, your second draft will be ready for a content editor and ultimately a copy editor.  Being able to recognize over-writing, consistency in plot & characterization, sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, and use of cliché & colloquialisms will help you tighten and refine your craft.

This is a two period workshop for senior level high school students;

or

This is a local workshop including handouts and practice time.

2)      The Weight of Silence: Characterization & Craft

This is an hour and a half long intermediate level workshop on characterization.  Authors wishing to learn more about what to do when dialogue is not an option, will gain insight on the use of detail, exposition, and summary to balance your craft and add weight to those silent moments between characters.

This is a one period workshop for senior level high school students;

or

This is a local workshop including writing time.

3)      Soundtrack of Your Life: Characterization Exploration

This is an hour and a half long workshop for aspiring writers at either the beginner or intermediate stage in their writing.  Authors will explore character building through the use of lyric music.  After a whole group session focused around a specific song chosen by the instructor, authors will then work with their own character and song choices.  Authors will be asked to bring a copy of the lyrics to a song best befitting one of their beloved characters.  By the end of the workshop authors will be armed with an alternative way for bringing depth and background to any character in their work.

This is a two or three period workshop for senior level high school students;

or

This is a local workshop including writing time.

Drama:

1)      Mask Making: Characterization

This is a three hour workshop devoted to the making of a high-quality low-budget whole head dramatic character mask.  Items required for the making of the mask include one plastic grocery bag without holes, two rolls of 3M masking tape, recycled paper & thin cardboard (like a cereal box), scissors, & paint supplies.  The first hour will be spent on the basic construction of the mask (completed construction will be for homework).  The second hour will be spent on fine-tuning (full, ¾, or ½ mask for speaking or non-speaking characters) and painting the mask.  The third hour will be spent on development of character using a question template/handout, personal space time, & hot seating.  Project extension available for group, dialogue, or monologue work. 

DISCLAIMER: The making of the mask will require participants to wear a plastic bag on their head for a minimum of 5 min.  Note that a nose breathing hole will be available.

This is a three+ period workshop for intermediate or senior level high school students;

or

This is a three session local workshop where participants bring their own mask making supplies except for basic paint supplies, scissors, and recycled materials.

2)      Commedia del’Arte: The Characters & the Comedy

This is a three+ hour long workshop focusing on the fundamentals of Commedia del’Arte.  Participants will learn the names, traits (physical & mental), basic story lines, and use of lazzi, to better understand character and interaction.  The first hour is dedicated to learning character basics and exploring posture.  The second hour is dedicated to plotting without a script and rehearsed improvisation including understanding and using lazzi in performance.  The third hour is dedicated to small group rehearsal and performance (without the use of traditional masks).  Project extensions are available for small & large group rehearsed improvisation, random group improvisation, media comparison, and written tests.

DISCLAIMER:  Rehearsed improvisations can take up to two days depending on the skill and comfort level of the participants.  Should this be the case, the workshop leader will not attend for the extra day(s) rehearsal but will return for performance evaluation on the last day (or vice/versa depending on the wishes of the instructor).

This is a three session workshop for junior or intermediate level high school students.

3)      Teacher-In-Role Improvisation: Text to Performance

This is a three+ hour long workshop that can be accommodated for all levels in the dramatic program.  Beginning with the reading and understanding of a text (children’s book, poem, novel excerpt) students will be encouraged to explore character through a variety of standard techniques (e.g. statues walk, large group in-role discussions, hot seating, animated tableau, and interpretive movement to name a few) where some elements are discovered with teacher-in-role and some with teacher guidance.  Students will have had opportunities to improvise character solo, in pairs, small groups, and in a large group setting.

This is a three session workshop for junior or intermediate level high school students.

Scholastic Based Workshop Prices

 If the location of the school is farther than a 45 minute drive, $10 will be added for mileage.