May 2023 Newsletter
Hello/Barev/Merhaba/Pryvit/Ola/Namaskara!
Quote for May: The power of imagination makes us infinite. - John Muir
Q&A with Victor Mack, PlayWrite's Program Director
Victor became our Program Director in 2020. He works with our partners, trains coaches, shapes PlayWrite programs, and oversees swarms of details.
Q: How did PlayWrite discover you (or vice versa)?
Victor: Local actor and PlayWrite coach Chris Harder and I were in a project together with Sojourn/Artists Repertory Theatre (ART) in 2004. Chris was scheduled to coach in a PlayWrite workshop but had a conflict, and asked if I was interested in being a coach. He explained the work to me and I leaped at the opportunity. Back in my NYC days, I worked with 52nd Street Project, another renowned program that caters to underserved youth. If I’m not in a show, this is the type of work I prefer between gigs.
Q: Working with youth… what’s been the most challenging thing?
Victor: The youth we provide workshops for come from various backgrounds. I strive to let them know that we are providing them with a safe space. It can be disconcerting to be in a room, with an equal number of adults, who are asking them to do zany activities; adults who can in many instances out-zany them. The work we do is deeply personal and can invoke powerful memories and emotions. It’s important the writers know they are fully supported through the process.
Q: Can you name a greatest satisfaction?
Victor: Once upon a time, I would have said performing in their plays was a “greatest satisfaction.” I really enjoy bringing their characters to life, but I find more satisfaction now in walking around on performance day, watching our young writers direct professional actors, watching how each deals with “butterflies.” Meeting their friends and family. Watching them as they see their words brought to life.
Q: Can you give us an example of an experience that might happen in a workshop?
Victor: We did a workshop at Jefferson HS last summer. One of the routines of the day was to go down to the kitchen to get the lunch that PPS provided the students. I would get a volunteer each day to help me carry the boxes. Each time on our “lunch run,” I would ask a student how the workshop was going for them.
For some it was really fun, and hard; others spoke about the “memory work” we do, and how they really appreciated being shown how to access their memories – this particular student told me they wanted to try these exercises on their family members. And one student straight out said it has helping them deal with their trauma.
The journey through the workshop invokes unique and deeply personal experiences for each of the participants. And at the end, they bring forth unto the world – a New Work of Art. In my years with PlayWrite, every participant (who completes the workshop) ends up with a play to be proud of.
Q: What are the criteria an effective coach must possess?
Victor: Some of the young writers have done this type of work before and it flows easier for them than others. It’s important for our coaches to remember that everyone flows at a different pace. We Meet Them Where They Are—not Where We Want Them to Be. As a coach it is important to be encouraging and supportive, giving the young writer motivation to dig deeper and keep going. When delivering workshops, we’re more interested in what they’ve experienced and what connections they’re making on their own, as opposed to telling them what to expect.
PATIENCE. LISTENING and BEING PRESENT are key to being a successful coach. Legible handwriting is a bonus. 😊
Q: What would you most like people to know about PlayWrite?
Victor: The work we do transforms lives in a positive way. We are looking forward to growing our community post-pandemic. We’re still here! 20 years strong!
News About PlayWrite Coaches and Actors
Photo credit: Liana Rose Photography
PlayWrite Coach/actor John San Nicolas stars as Bernardo in The Play You Want by Bernardo Cubria, running at Milagro, May 5 - 20. It's a comedy that (as Marty Hughley writes in ArtsWatch) "concerns a writer who sarcastically dashes off a work of crass racial cliches only to have it become his pathway to success." Get tickets and learn more here.
Coach/Actor Chris Harder has been teaching "Authentic Connection," his fun, supportive acting class for 15 years. Using the Meisner technique, you'll learn to build connection through attentive observation, listening, repetition, and moment-to-moment authentic responses. Open to all levels.
Classes upcoming. Get more info.
UPCOMING: To celebrate our 20 years of helping youth at the edge, PlayWrite is producing Write On! a 24-Hour Play Festival June 16-17.
· 8 short plays written, rehearsed, and performed - within 24 hours
· 8 writers, 8 directors, 8 assistant directors/stage managers, and a slew of actors individually sign up and get paired via a lottery system
· The 24-hour clock begins ticking on Friday night, June 16 and finishes with a grand performance Saturday night, June 17 at 7:30 pm at Portland Center Stage's Ellyn Bye Studio.
Save the date! See you there!
PS: Our emcee is the utterly fabulous Poison Waters! Judges are Beth Harper, David Koff, Artistic Director of the Change Through Play Improv & Acting studio., and Nik Whitcomb of Bag&Baggage. It's gonna be fabulous!
Read the Write On! press release
With deepest gratitude,
The PlayWrite Team
Contact us: info@playwriteinc.org