PlayWrite July Newsletter
Hello/Barev/Merhaba/Pryvit/Ola/Namaskara!
Quote for July: “Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.” —Harriet Tubman
Hello, all. I’ve been proud to be on the PlayWrite board for 10 years now, the last two as Board President, helping to fulfill our mission of life-changing work with “youth at the edge.” Let me say first of all, thank you for your support.
Like many organizations, we were hard-hit by Covid, but we’re well on the road to recovery. We’re booking workshops with multiple partners again, and operations are running smoothly. Much of this is due to our talented committed staff members and coaches (thank you team!) — and you, supporters and donors who helped us keep the lights on and dance our way through the Covid darkness.
My term as President has ended with the closing of this fiscal year, June 30, and I’m delighted to hand the reins over to our incoming Board President, Jane Unger. Jane’s been a fan of PlayWrite since our founding. She’s a linchpin of the Oregon theatrical community, as the founder and Artistic Director Emerita of the esteemed Profile Theatre, and as a champion of artists and young people for decades. I could not be more excited to see where she leads us in the upcoming year, as we celebrate 20 years as an organization.
Q&A with new Board President Jane Unger
Q: Jane, what drew you to PlayWrite? And when?
Jane: I first became aware of PlayWrite in the early 2000s. I instantly loved the work and the work behind the work, that is the use of writing for performance as a means of self-expression for at-risk youth. The culmination of the workshops with a public performance of a young person’s original play by professional actors provides a singular and deeply organic sense of empowerment and self-worth. I have always been a great believer in the power of live theatre to transform, both for audiences and performers. The essence of PlayWrite’s mission is transformation and personal growth and that’s what’s always drawn me to PlayWrite.
Q: What’s the biggest/best opportunity PlayWrite has right now?
Jane: After two-plus years of forced isolation, something that has been especially difficult for teens, PlayWrite has a great opportunity to provide teens with a healthy and positive way out of the dispiriting isolation that has informed their lives.
Q: What’s the biggest problem?
Jane: I believe our biggest problem right now is reconnecting to community organizations where PlayWrite workshops are most effective. it is also a Covid-related problem. As our society begins to re-emerge we are collectively having to re-assess and in some cases re-invent ourselves. New connections need to be made and old ones need to be renewed.
Q: What do you see happening for PlayWrite in this next 2023–24 year?
Jane: Growth! To continue Matthew’s metaphor, PlayWrite managed to keep a pathway lit throughout the dark time of a global pandemic thanks to a hard-working, dedicated staff of three. We’ve done amazing work with little resources. I believe the organization can grow in the coming year—grow its resources, grow its staff and grow the work it does in the community. I am both honored and excited to be in a position to work with this unique and exceptional organization and feel very grateful that PlayWrite exists.
What’s Happening
Helensview School provides individualized instruction and specialized support services for youth ages 12–21 who have dropped out of school or who are experiencing chronic attendance/behavioral issues. We have a workshop scheduled September 18th–28th (12 noon – 3 pm) at Helensview School.
The performance date is TBD, most likely the following week. The school wants to invite the entire student body and some external administrators to the performance.
We’re scheduling a hybrid three-day workshop for the beginning of the school year at Park Academy, an independent school in Lake Oswego for students challenged with dyslexia. We will deliver a taste of PlayWrite. The class size is large (20–22 students) and the class period is 45 minutes. We’ll do some of the basic PlayWrite exercises, games, and some group writing.
Recently Victor Mack, our Program director, worked with Portland Center Stage to deliver a playwriting program to p:ear students. One of the students Victor worked with, Brandt Maina (aka RIOA wa RIOE), has been selected to participate in the JAW (Just Add Water) new play festival July 28–30 at Portland Center Stage.
News About PlayWrite Coaches, Actors, Staff & Board Members
PlayWrite Coach/actor John San Nicolas stars as Ralph in The Gods of Comedy, by Tony Award-winner Ken Ludwig, running at Clackamas Repertory Theatre through July 23. “Best known for his 1980s comedy Lend Me a Tenor, Ludwig here mashes up Greek myth and theater history with some not-quite-so-old-fashioned elements from the college campus romps of mid-century American comedy."– Marty Hughley, ArtsWatch. Get tickets and learn more here. Photo by Liz Wade.
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.
Board member Nancy Campbell Mead is on the national board of the National Organization for Women (NOW), and the national NOW Political Action Committee (PAC), and is the VP of Oregon NOW. In her spare time, she’s trying desperately to learn Turkish — “It’s so hard!”
And if you missed our 24-Hour Play Festival, Write On! catch up with the news about this fabulous theatrical funfest here.