Every day all around us we encounter interesting characters, compelling scenarios, and memorable conversations. Whether it’s in line at the grocery store, on the city bus, or walking down the street, the real world is full of potential stories–you just need to stop and listen. In this four-week class, we will observe the world around us and collect snippets of real-world dialogue. Students will review dramatic structure and use collected material to develop characters in fictionalized, high-stakes situations through monologues and scenes. The class will culminate in a dramatic reading of works-in-progress. We will follow the reading with an introduction to Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process, an affirming and interactive feedback strategy that will help a writer grow in their craft.

WORKSHOP DATES: August 6, 13, 20, & 27, 6:30-8:30pm CST, Hybrid (in-person at Gemini Ink and online Zoom)

COST: Nonmember: $145; Member: $125; Student/Educator/Mil $75

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE

Amalia Ortiz appeared on three seasons of Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry on HBO. She was awarded the 2020 American Book Award for Oral Literature for The Canción Cannibal Cabaret (Aztlan Libre Press, 2019). Her book Rant. Chant. Chisme. was listed among "10 Great Latino Books of 2015" by NBC Latino. She has won several awards, including an Alfredo Cisneros Del Moral Grant, a National Hispanic Cultural Center residency, the 2015 Writers' League of Texas Poetry Discovery Prize, and the 2018 NALAC Fund for the Arts Grant. Ortiz received a BA in Theatre from UIW and an MFA in Creative Writing from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. She is the Director of Theatre at SAY Sí, an afterschool arts program in San Antonio.