Bienvenue à/Welcome to . . .
ATELIER LA ROQUE ALRIC 2008
WRITERS COLONY
Provence, France.
2007's Atelier was a resounding success!
We are pleased to announce . . .
ATELIER LA ROQUE ALRIC 2008
The Village of
La Roque Alric
L'Atelier la Roque Alric is held in the long mas, La Sousto,
centre, middle.
In June 2008, La Roque Alric, France, will once again be the site
of a dynamic writers’ retreat.
A select group of writers will congregate in this picturesque mountain village to hone their craft, advance specific projects and delve into basic principles.
In a convivial atmosphere, enhanced by great cooking and fine Côtes de Rhone wines, the retreat is open to all ages and backgrounds.
The workshop stay includes departure and arrival days, plus seven working days
(with an excursion en Provence Wednesday afternoon)
DRAMA: playwriting/screenwriting dates;
June 15-21 2008
Drama Workshop Leader Kent Stetson, C. M.
Website: www.MasterPlayWorks.com
Story. Plot. Character. How would you rate these three dramatic elements in rank of importance? Silly question! All are of equal value. But the 'way in' to every drama, whether it be for the stage, film or television, is different for every dramatist. A remembered incident may spark a screenplay. A story from the past, which insists it be rendered in spoken dialogue, may set you on a path to the stage.
Whatever the stimulus, certain truths remain: characters make plot; plot expands story; story illuminates character; the holy grail of all dramatic writing is the construction of dramatic metaphor.
No matter what your current process, the very last task in the construction of dramatic text is writing dialogue.
First comes the research. Included in research is exploration of character. As you discover your story's people, the story unfolds. When you have a sense of the arc of your story – the who, what, where and when of all fiction – Kent will guide you through the most delicate aspect in the art of dramatic writing: the construction of the plot. Plot is the chief engine, the how and why of drama.
We'll also spend time investigating the basics of dramatic technique, including the five elements of play construction as delineated by Aristotle in the Poetics. And we'll explore pace, meter and rhythm – elements which infuse dialogue with vitality. We'll think about scene structure, the number of acts your story requires, the theme of your work, its major motifs, prophecy, fantasy, and more.
Kent will need you to provide a work in progess, and a ten line outline for a new work – both of which we'll explore at the workshop. The outline will provide the basis for a new piece of work. The work in progress, which should be in a reasonably advanced state (a well-worked scenario, plus sample scene with dialogue, is acceptable) will be analysed; expert, constructive criticism will be offered.
During the course of the workshop, Kent will take you through character perspective exercises, the elements of story construction and, of greatest importance, the construction of the plot. These exercises will be of great value to you throughout the duration of your career as a dramatist, whether your métier be film, the stage or television.
Kent's story, plot and character exercises, developed while studying drama, briefly, at Columbia University in New York, have proven to be of equal value to dramatists just starting out, and estblished writers at advanced stages of their careers. See MasterPlayWorks/People I have Helped.
Drama Workshop Leader, Playwright, Screenwriter, Director and Dramaturg KENT STETSON's honours include his country's top recognition of excellence in dramatic literature, The 2001 Governor General's Literary Award. His plays are widely produced in Canada and abroad. Several have been translated. Kent's skills as professional dramaturge and teacher are widely sought. His work at The National Theatre School of Canada, McGill and Concordia Universities in Montreal has profoundly influenced the work some of Canada's finest, most successful playwrights and screenwriters. Kent was appointed to The Order of Canada in July, 2007.
MEMOIR DATES:
June 15-21 2008
Memoir Workshop Leader Marianne Ackerman.
Website: www.marianneackerman.com
Headed by novelist and journalist MARIANNE ACKERMAN, the memoir unit will be run on the winning format under which the first La Roque retreat was held in 2000. A group of no more than five participants will be chosen, based on the strength of their work and their proposed projects. Ms. Ackerman will review their existing work and discuss the project with them before they arrive, in order to help devise a concrete plan of action for the eight-day retreat.
Participants will receive one-on-one guidance from Ms. Ackerman while in La Roque by way of meetings scheduled around their writing time. It is expected that each participant can advance their project while in La Roque, either by way of formulating an overall structure, or working on specific passages of writing – ideally a bit of both.
These tutorials are designed to offer participants advice and editing tailored to their individual needs. In addition, a series of group meetings will be held through the eight days dealing with such basic principles as good writing, story structure, work habits, inspiration and publication possibilities.
As well as guidance in preparing for the retreat, successful candidates will be offered two follow-up meetings (or editing sessions by mail) after the workshop. The intention of the workshop is to help each participant define concrete goals and move closer to realising completion of their project. Participants may or may not have publication in mind; if so, every effort will be made to explore strategies to meet this aim.
Marianne Ackerman is a Montreal novelist, journalist and playwright. Her first novel, Jump, was published by McArthur & Company in 2000. Founder and artistic director of Montreal’s THEATRE 1774, she has published four plays, written several film scripts, and published in leading newspapers and magazines, including Saturday Night, The Globe and Mail, The Guardian Weekly. She was theatre critic for The Gazette and continues to write for the book section. Currently she is at work on a novel, Matters of Hart.
ACCOMMODATION:
La Roque Alric is a hillside hamlet of some two dozen permanent inhabitants, located 45 kilometres north of Avignon, in the south of France. Participants and staff will stay in La Sousto, a 300-year old mas located in the centre of the village, or in similar houses nearby. Each participant will be provided with his or her own room with a desk, adequate writing and computer hook-up.
Terrace and Garden; La Sousto
the 300 year old Ackerman/Campbell mas
Facing south west
Street outside La Sousto
Interior: La Sousto
Interior stairway: La Sousto
(Computers will not be provided but printing facilities will be available for those whose machines have floppy disk capacity) Participants and instructors will take their meals together, prepared by the staff – all you have to do is turn up, and sometimes, help clear the table. Free time will be allocated each day for walks in the surrounding countryside, jogging, sightseeing, etc. One afternoon mid-week will involve a group excursion to several of the nearby points of interest, organized by staff.
Departing participants will be taken to Avignon after breakfast, where air and high speed rail connections to major international departure centres are available.
HOW TO APPLY:
Candidates are advised to contact Marianne Ackerman regarding application and instruction details for the MEMOIR workshop.
Those interested in DRAMA are asked to contact Kent Stetson regarding application and instruction details.
All applicants are requested to contact Marianne with questions regarding logistics and/or accommodation.
Decisions regarding acceptance will be made by the instructors, and successful candidates will be notified as soon as a decision has been made.
NB: Every effort will be made to tailor this experience to meet the needs of individual participants, but it must be noted that both instructors are experienced writers who have experience both in teaching and workshop organisation. A convivial, intellectually stimulating atmosphere is an important part of this experience; therefore the selection process will attempt to create a good balance or personalities, experience and ambitions. We look forward to an intenseand ultimately rewarding experience for all involved!
HOW TO CONTACT US:
POST
Marianne,
On the terrace
Marianne Ackerman
5300 Waverly St
Montreal, Quebec
Canada H2T 1X7
http://www.marianneackerman.com/workshops.html
Kent Stetson
7069 Ave. Christophe Colomb
Montreal, Quebec
Canada H2S 2H4
The Village Cat!
A frequent visitor to l'Atelier la Roque Alric.
© All pictures copyright Kent Stetson.
Web Design: Kent Stetson, © MasterPlayWorks, 2004.
