2019 – a wonderful year for MWT
Thank you to everyone who has attended our writing workshops, come along to our public readings ,participated in our ‘In One Act’ playwriting program and joined us for the MWT shows Beachside Stories (13 – 22 June) and Daring Dog Monologues (12 – 21 September). We are now preparing for our final show for 2019 – the innovative short play season Six Degrees at a HOT Melbourne Market (13 – 23 November). We hope you will come along to this show, and that you will stay on the creative journey with us … because who knows? The next script we present could be Yours.
2019 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
This year our theatrical seasons will be presented at Gasworks Arts Park, while our Monthly Workshops, open to all MWT members, will be held at Kensington Town Hall (30 – 34 Bellair St, Kensington). Here is a snapshot of the Readings and Workshops we have delivered so far, and those still to come. We’d love to see you at a future event!
PUBLIC READINGS
@ La Mama Courthouse
March 11
‘A Flower for Moses’ by Clare Mendes
June 3
‘Hands Off’ by Mazz Ryan
& Script Markets, presented by Neil Cole
MONTHLY WORKSHOPS
@ Kensington Town Hall
February 4
The Art of the Short Play
* Preceded at 6.30pm by the AGM
March 4
The Craft of the Monologue
April 1
Script Development – Feedback on scripts written at Feb and March workshops
May 6
A Bunch of Scripts #1 – Professional actors read your scripts
July 1
Daring Dog Monologues – script meeting
Writers meet director to discuss scripts
August 5
Six Degrees at a Hot Melbourne Market – script meeting
Writers meet directors to discuss scripts
September 2
Plays you Need to Read
What can we learn from reading a great script?
October 7
A Bunch of Scripts #2 – Professional actors read your scripts
November 4
Industry Speaker: Who I Am – What I Do
December 2
MWT Christmas Party
OUR 2019 SHOWS:
DARING DOG MONOLOGUES
12 – 21 September for Melbourne Fringe
SIX DEGREES AT A HOT MELBOURNE MARKET
13 – 23 November
*Banner photo: Ian Thrussell
The Melbourne Monologues
*Photos at right: John A. Edwards
Stark. Dark. Albert Park.
Six Degrees in Melbourne
P a g e
t o
STAGE
2 0 1 9
Q & A with MWT writer Louise Hopewell
Q. You are relatively new to playwriting, but an experienced writer beyond plays. Tell us a bit more about this.
Having had all the creativity educated out of me, I made a conscious decision a few years back to start living more creatively. Since then I’ve dabbled in a range of different writing forms and styles. I’ve had some short stories and flash fiction published and I also write a lot of haiku—that’s modern image-colliding haiku, nothing like the formulaic 5-7-5 form kids learn in primary school. I’m a passionate theatre-goer, but had never considered writing a play until a friend told me about the In One Act program run by Yarra Libraries and Melbourne Writers Theatre. I participated in this program in 2018 and now I’m hooked on the short play form. I also enjoy writing songs and one day I’d love to have a go at writing a musical.
Q. How does writing a play specifically challenge you?
Telling a story predominantly through dialogue is a real challenge and I’ve found myself grappling with how to convey the characters’ backstories and inner worlds. Also, playwriting is a very collaborative process and I’ve had to open myself up to receiving public feedback on my work. The robot character, Scamp, did not have an active role in the first draft of The Future of Organics. At the script’s first outing—a MWT script development session—I got the feedback ‘we want to see the robot.’ I went home with absolutely no idea how I was going to write a robot character into my play, however I gave it a go and feel my play is stronger (and funnier) as a result. Finally, I’ve learnt that theatre is a team effort and, as a writer, I have to let go of my work. I’ve handed my script over to the talented Melbourne Writers’ Theatre directors and actors who will make it their play too. I can’t wait to see what they do with it!
Q. What will audiences feel when they watch your short play The Future of Organics?
In The Future of Organics, Scamp is an adorable, highly huggable robot, but he has a dark side too. I want audiences to be entertained but I also hope they leave the theatre reflecting on the type of society we want to create for future generations and the role of artificial intelligence in that future.
The Future of Organics will be performed in Six Degrees at a Hot Melbourne Market, which will run at Gasworks Arts Park from November 13 – 23.
TICKETS: http://www.gasworks.org.au/event/six-degrees-at-a-hot-melbourne-market/
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