Theater Alaska is offering two opportunities for Alaskan writers to develop work for performance in 2022 – Alaska Writers Workshop and Groundwork. Applications for the Alaska Writers Workshop are due on January 30, 2022, and for Groundwork on January 16, 2022.
Applications for these programs can be found at www.theateralaska.org.
Alaska Writers Workshop
The Alaska Writers Workshop is a two-month residency offering a cohort of 4-6 Alaskan writers the space and time to further develop a full-length play that they are currently working on. The Alaska Writers Workshop is led by New Dramatist playwright Julia Izumi, who will offer guided instruction and feedback on their work. Additionally, their time in the Workshop will include a roundtable reading of their play and master classes presented by Izumi and one other theater professional. All meetings will be over the Zoom on-line platform for 2022.
Dates and times for Alaska Writers Workshop:
- March 5, 2022 – 10:30am-12:30pm AKST
- March 6, 2022 – 10:30am-12pm AKST
- March 12, 2022 – 10:30am-2pm AKST
- March 19, 2022 – 10:30am-2pm AKST
- March 26, 2022 – 10:30am-2pm AKST
- March 27, 2022 – 10:30am-12:30pm AKST
- April 8-16, 2022 (Tentative Dates) – Zoom Workshop of Writing
- TBD – Debrief of Workshop
ALASKA WRITERS WORKSHOP APPLICATION
Participation in the Alaska Writers Workshop is free and open to residents of Alaska. Applicants must be available for all the dates listed above. Applications are due by January 30, 2022.
ALASKA WRITERS WORKSHOP INSTRUCTOR
Julia Izumi is a writer and performer who makes plays, musicals, theatrical nonsense, and everything in between. Her work has been developed and presented at MTC, Clubbed Thumb, Bushwick Starr, WP Theater, Berkeley Rep’s Ground Floor, SPACE on Ryder Farm, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ojai Playwrights Conference, Barn Arts Collective, NNPN/Kennedy Center MFA Playwrights’ Workshop, Great Plains Theatre Conference, Williamstown Theatre Festival, CAATA’s National Asian-American Theatre ConFest, and Pork Filled Productions. Honors for her work include the OPC Dr. Kerry English Award, O’Neill Theater Center’s NPC Finalist, Kilroys List Honorable Mention, and KCACTF’s Darrell Ayers Playwriting Award. She is a 2020/2021 New Georges Audrey Resident and an upcoming New Dramatists member. MFA: Brown University. www.juliaizumi.com.
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Groundwork
Groundwork will be held over 3 weekends and offers a cohort of up to 8 Alaskan writers the space and time to explore writing for performance and playwriting. Groundwork is led by Heidi Handelsman who will lead participants in writing exercises and offer guided instruction and feedback on their work. All meetings will be over the Zoom on-line platform for 2022.
For some, Groundwork may be their first step in writing for performance. We are committed to providing a safe space for growth, as well as a pathway to professional work through the shared knowledge of the instructors and leadership at Theater Alaska. Ultimately, the goal of the Alaska Writers Workshop and Groundwork is to build a strong community of writers who write stories from their heart.
Dates and Times for Groundwork:
- February 12, 2022 – 1pm – 3pm AKST
- February 19, 2022 – 1pm – 3pm AKST
- February 26, 2022 – 1pm-3pm AKST
APPLICATION
Participation in Groundwork is free and open to residents of Alaska. Applicants must be available for all the dates listed above. Applications are due by January 16, 2022.
GROUNDWORK INSTRUCTOR
Heidi Handelsman is a theater director and educator. Heidi has developed new work with New Georges, Youngblood, F*It Club, FringeNYC, the University of New Mexico, and NYU/Tisch. When not collaborating with playwrights, she re-imagines classic texts with and for teenagers. Heidi has served as Resident Director at Ensemble Studio Theatre and as Directing Fellow at Chautauqua Theater Company. She is a New Georges Affiliated Artist, a member of the Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab, and a recipient of the SDCF Observership. For ten years, Heidi produced the Potluck (a roving play-reading series). BA: Vassar College, MFA: Brown University / Trinity Rep.