When we approach personal material — stuff that happened, stuff we think may have happened, stuff someone told us happened — there's always way too much information for us to see clearly to meaning or intent, which is what I call story.
HOW WHAT'S THE STORY? WORKS
The core of What's the Story? is a group process designed to help you sort through that morass of information that is personal experience. You hear your work mirrored back to you through the lens of the empathy and curiosity of others. Then you can make some choices.
I've created what I call a "rhythm of response", designed to guide group response to your work and keep it constructive, generous, and useful. Meanwhile, I pay close attention to you, what seems to be important to you, help you name it, and suggest ways for you to build on it.
What’s the Story? can be a resource or tool at any point in the development of your project. some people come with a full manuscript, a chapter, a few pages, or even just an inkling there’s something they need to write or say out loud.
If you're coming with material you want me to review, I can arrange to do a close read before we start, so I get a sense of the big picture: what you’re up to.
The core of What's the Story? is a group process designed to help you sort through that morass of information that is personal experience. You hear your work mirrored back to you through the lens of the empathy and curiosity of others. Then you can make some choices.
I've created what I call a "rhythm of response", designed to guide group response to your work and keep it constructive, generous, and useful. Meanwhile, I pay close attention to you, what seems to be important to you, help you name it, and suggest ways for you to build on it.
What’s the Story? can be a resource or tool at any point in the development of your project. some people come with a full manuscript, a chapter, a few pages, or even just an inkling there’s something they need to write or say out loud.
If you're coming with material you want me to review, I can arrange to do a close read before we start, so I get a sense of the big picture: what you’re up to.
LOS ANGELES GROUP SESSIONS
The Downtown workshop meets for weekly group sessions on Mondays, during the day and on Tuesday evenings. In those groups, you are welcome to work for the page or for performance.
Beginning in May 2018, we'll add a Sunday afternoon West Side workshop, with a specific focus on work for performance, and how to work with/learn from an audience.
During the group sessions, each writer presents ten to twelve minutes of material. The group responds to the work in that carefully guided, utterly constructive way, designed to help you see what you've written. I may make suggestions about how to move forward, how to dig in. The better I get to know you and your work—and the better sense I have of what you're up to—the more robust my response may become. Once you've been together for a few sessions, you'll have built a team of collaborators—including me—who have knowledge of, and an investment in your work.
PRIVATE SESSIONS, FACE-TO-FACE
You can work with me privately, one-on-one, as well. I'll probably suggest that you come to at least one group session, so I can hear what other's are hearing in your work, which gives both of us a bigger sense of what is in the material (see HOW IT ALL BEGAN, above). And if you're participating in the group sessions, there may come a time when one of us feels a private session would be beneficial, so we can talk about the work in a way we may not want to in the group context.
LONG-DISTANCE COACHING
I work extensively with people outside LA, one-on-one via FaceTime or Skype. You can also beam into a scheduled LA group class session, read, and get response to your work. I'll ask that you plan to stay online for the whole session, and respond to others' work, as well. I've had students from elsewhere who join us virtually on a regular basis. It's amazingly effective.
WEEKEND INTENSIVES, AND COURSES OUTSIDE LA
Every other month, we offer a weekend intensive in Downtown LA, which is a great way to get something started, deepen something you're working on, or just get a taste of how the workshop works. I also travel and do residencies—teaching and performing—outside LA, at colleges, universities, and like organizations.
Let me know if that's something that would be of interest.
The Downtown workshop meets for weekly group sessions on Mondays, during the day and on Tuesday evenings. In those groups, you are welcome to work for the page or for performance.
Beginning in May 2018, we'll add a Sunday afternoon West Side workshop, with a specific focus on work for performance, and how to work with/learn from an audience.
During the group sessions, each writer presents ten to twelve minutes of material. The group responds to the work in that carefully guided, utterly constructive way, designed to help you see what you've written. I may make suggestions about how to move forward, how to dig in. The better I get to know you and your work—and the better sense I have of what you're up to—the more robust my response may become. Once you've been together for a few sessions, you'll have built a team of collaborators—including me—who have knowledge of, and an investment in your work.
PRIVATE SESSIONS, FACE-TO-FACE
You can work with me privately, one-on-one, as well. I'll probably suggest that you come to at least one group session, so I can hear what other's are hearing in your work, which gives both of us a bigger sense of what is in the material (see HOW IT ALL BEGAN, above). And if you're participating in the group sessions, there may come a time when one of us feels a private session would be beneficial, so we can talk about the work in a way we may not want to in the group context.
LONG-DISTANCE COACHING
I work extensively with people outside LA, one-on-one via FaceTime or Skype. You can also beam into a scheduled LA group class session, read, and get response to your work. I'll ask that you plan to stay online for the whole session, and respond to others' work, as well. I've had students from elsewhere who join us virtually on a regular basis. It's amazingly effective.
WEEKEND INTENSIVES, AND COURSES OUTSIDE LA
Every other month, we offer a weekend intensive in Downtown LA, which is a great way to get something started, deepen something you're working on, or just get a taste of how the workshop works. I also travel and do residencies—teaching and performing—outside LA, at colleges, universities, and like organizations.
Let me know if that's something that would be of interest.
Take a look at the online store for pricing and payment options.
If you have questions, please feel free to drop me a note and we'll schedule an audio or video call.
