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Creating Dramatic Action

This workshop is FULL. To be added to the waiting list, email Meghan at programs@mainewriters.org.

A Fiction and Memoir Workshop

Level: All Levels

Screenwriting guru Syd Field said, "All drama is conflict. Without conflict, you have no action, without action, you have no character, without character, you have no story." This workshop is for all writers curious to explore the creation of dramatic action to elevate their stories, whether they are playwrights, fiction, nonfiction, memoir or film writers. In this workshop, we will consider what constitutes dramatic action, and how to create and build it to better structure our stories, making them more engaging, more riveting, and ultimately, more successful. We will build our ideas through discussion, examples by writers such as Caryl Churchill, Margaret Atwood, and Samuel Beckett, debate and writing exercises. This workshop is appropriate for any writer, from beginner to advanced.

 + PLEASE NOTE This workshop will occur online via Zoom. Students do not need to create an account to participate, but should test out Zoom before their class if they are first-time users. On Thursday, January 27, from 5:30pm to 6:00pm, MWPA staff will offer a tech help session on Zoom. Students are encouraged to attend the tech help session, which usually takes only 5-10 minutes, if they have any tech concerns, use Zoom infrequently, or simply would like to test their connection, and those who do not are responsible for ensuring that they are able to use Zoom on their own. The week of the workshop, students will be emailed a link that they may click to enter the test session and the class.

+ REQUIRED EQUIPMENT A reliable, fast internet connection (broadband wired or wireless (3G or 4G/LTE), speakers & a microphone (built-in or USB plug-in), and a webcam (built-in or USB plug-in).

If you would like to quickly and easily test your internet connection and your computer’s compatibility with Zoom, click HERE. Full details on supported Operating Systems, internet browsers, and more can be found HERE. To download and familiarize yourself with Zoom, click HERE.



Andrea Lepcio is a Maine-based playwright who writes fast and often. She is best known for Looking for the Pony, a finalist for the Dramatists Guild Hull-Warriner Award and for the NEA Outstanding New American Play Award. Most recently, she was an Artist in Residence at Acadia National Park. Her climate change play, World Avoided, was commissioned by Sloan/EST and presented in a reading by EST as part of the First Lights Festival in 2017 and 2019. She has been produced regionally, in New York City, and internationally; three new plays have been produced since 2015. She is a member of the Dramatists Guild, was a Dramatists Guild Fellow, served as the Fellows Program Director for ten years, and is a Dramatists Guild Institute teacher. She is adjunct at the College of the Atlantic. Andrea is also a personal trainer and yoga teacher, has an M.F.A. in Dramatic Writing, Carnegie Mellon University and a B.A. in Human Ecology, College of the Atlantic.


ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED
All MWPA workshops require advanced registration. We accept registration by phone, mail, and online via our website. We cannot guarantee registration in the final 24-hours before a workshop, and can rarely accommodate day-of registration.

PAYMENT & CANCELLATION POLICIES
If you need to withdraw from a class after registering for any reason, please email or call the MWPA immediately. You may be eligible for a partial refund or credit, depending on how far in advance you cancel. → MORE INFORMATION

QUESTIONS
For any questions regarding this workshop, please contact Meghan Sterling at programs@mainewriters.org.

REGISTER BY PHONE
Call 207-228-8263 and register with your VISA or MasterCard.

REGISTER BY MAIL
If you prefer to pay by mail, please print this registration form (downloadable PDF) and mail it to the MWPA with a check or credit card information.



SCHOLARSHIP
The MWPA is proud to offer one full scholarship to this workshop for members-only. Scholarships are awarded on a combination of need and merit. Application Due on January 20 at 9:00 a.m.
→ MORE INFORMATION

MWPA WORKSHOP POLICIES
Registration in any MWPA workshop, program, or event constitutes your agreement to our terms and conditions. → MORE INFORMATION

Earlier Event: January 22
Beneath the Iceberg
Later Event: February 5
The Full Immersion