There are currently two Los Angeles workshops.
Santa Monica
with monthly Monday evening works-in-progress evenings at the Powerhouse
Downtown Los Angeles
Tuesdays, 7 - 10:30pm, at 2nd & Main,
with monthly Tuesday evening works-in-progress evenings at Cafe Metropol, in the Downtown Arts District
Founded as a workshop for solo performance, the group has expanded to include artists writing specifically for the stage, the page and the screen. The What’s the Story? process, in any case, is the same, comprising
• Weekly group meetings, where participants respond to one another's work in a formal, constructive (!!!) forum;
• Monthly works-in-progress evenings where we have the opportunity to see how a work lands with a friendly, invited audience (no formal response);
• Private one-on-one sessions, where writer-performers receive in-depth direction.
For those writing for the stage, we work back and forth between principles of performance and the writing, as the one informs the other. We are always moving towards greater immediacy and a deeply personalized approach to whatever narrative or event we are using as raw material for our stories.
Recently, we introduced the “Living Room Reading” series, where a writer-performer has the opportunity to read a full-length first draft for a small group of friends and peers from the workshop, and receive the same formal, constructive response.
The What's the Story? annual Festival of new works-in-progress, produced every spring at the Powerhouse Theatre in Santa Monica, offers an opportunity for workshop participants to perform full-length works in a context where the focus is still the honing of the text, in relationship with an audience.
“In solo performance at its best,” Chaiken says, “all we have is you, the audience. The audience, and a great crafted story.” We don’t know what we have until we bring it to an audience.
the workshops
the schedule
The workshop is ongoing; you are free to join at any time. If you join mid-session, workshop fees are pro-rated.
For the purpose of administration, we offer three 12-week sessions throughout the year, with month-long breaks between.
The winter 2008 session begins the Sunday after New Years Day.
contact us
For general questions about the workshop:
For fee information and payment plans:
To talk about whether What’s the Story? is right for you:
TM