Writing from The Heart: Dramaturgy for TheatreWorks Singapore

Writing from The Heart

"Writing from The Heart" is a workshop on creative writing, creative drawing, and creative drama. There are three available versions of this workshop: one for beginners on the secondary, tertiary, and graduate levels, and another for practitioners. A third version of this workshop is designed as an outreach program to disadvantaged and underserved audiences such as the disabled, the poor and the marginalized, victims of human trafficking, battered women and abused children, drug rehabilitation center residents, child combatants, children in conflict with the law, prisoners, and gang leaders. This third version incorporates creativity and problem awareness, conflict resolution, crisis intervention, trauma therapy, and peacemaking.

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Dramaturgy for TheatreWorks Singapore

Your e-mail message:

"Hello Tony
regarding tge script '___________________________' you gave comments on, i did not make the neccessary amendments for the following reasons.
"1. My health turned for the worst in the last one month.
"2. I lost the drive and inspiration in those weeks as i struggled with a new posting at work.
"3. Making amendments to the ethnic and production issues are fine but strangely, i am unable to articulate more reflections of the key characters, because i think i am experiencing numbing loss within myself of the present dimension. I am afraid i did not spare resources for the script.

"I thought of withdrawing from next ___________________'s session with you.
"What do you think?

"___________________________

My answer:

Hello _________________________!

Don't lose hope. I taught you that there is no such thing as writer's block--neither is there such a thing as "inspiration".

There is a reason why our workshop was what it was; drama is other people, and, before you can know other people, you must first know yourself.

I note that you have manic-depressive moods. You must be able to deal with this not only as a playwright but as a human being. I cannot remember whether I told you this in person, but the root of it all is your sense of identity.

In one of our lessons, I taught you the 30 defense mechanisms. You need to use the defense mechanism called compartmentalization. Build a separate and special compartment for your play-writing so that other aspects of your everyday life won't affect it.

Finally, here is a visualization that you can do. (I didn't teach this to your batch but to the one after it):

1) Make a clean drawing/painting or a model of your ideal writing room. Pay special attention to the furniture, the walls, the window and what it looks onto. Is it a period room or a modern one? What accessories are in it? Is it full of art or is it bare?

2) Before commencing a creative work, visualize yourself entering this room and writing.

3) Re-read your play draft and begin revising it.

I know that this will work.