Bucks County Playhouse's Education Institute Offers Fall Education Conference

Playhouse Institute, an educational arm of the non-profit Bucks County Playhouse, announces it will host its annual conference virtually November 14, 2023, from 10am – 4pm. Playhouse Institute conferences, launched in 2018 as in-person events, have expanded participation opportunities by moving the forum online welcoming educators from around the globe to join in the event.

Tuition for the Fall Conference “A Show from Scratch: Creating Mind-blowing Original Theater with Young People” is $300. The Playhouse Institute is designed to offer training for constituencies ranging from professional educators to members of the corporate community by utilizing theater and communication skills. Details on the programs are available at bcptheater.org or by calling the education department at 215-862-2121. Limited space is still available.

Taught by award-winning professional theater artists, Playhouse Institute Conferences for Educators offer a variety of virtual workshops, master classes, and panel discussions. Playhouse Institute Conferences are designed to inspire educators of middle school, high school and college theater with innovative teaching methods, production skills and an opportunity to connect with peers and Playhouse artists, with your registration is a ticket to a season performance at the historic Bucks County Playhouse.

As part of the year-long in-school residency program Bounce, with the Morrisville School District, Bucks County Playhouse is proud to announce that three of the school’s teachers will be receiving a scholarship to attend the conference.

Playhouse Institute is an ACT 48 approved provider.

Tuesday, November 14, 2023

10 am – 4 pm EST

Virtual conference via Zoom

This one-day virtual conference focuses on creating original theater with young people. Workshops will cover adaptation, devised theater techniques, and traditional playwriting. Learn how to work with an ensemble to craft an idea into a compelling stage piece. For ages 18- adult.

12 hours of professional development credit can be earned by attending.

ABOUT THE FACILITATORS:

In 2018, Will Dennis founded UnScripted Productions and has served as its owner/operator since that point. UnScripted is an improv studio offering classes, events, specialized workshops and more. Will brings a unique blend of compassion, self-deprecation, humor and deep insight into every classroom he is in. Will specializes in “Applied Improvisation;” a set of principles, practices, and techniques derived from the art form of improvisation and applied to a variety of contexts: work, relationships, parenting… life. Will is the winner of the Bucks Happening 2022 Entertainer of the Year and is a nominee again in 2023. His company, UnScripted Productions, is also nominated as one the Best Places in Bucks County.

Kate Brennan is an artist, educator and creator. Works include the Brennan & White collaborations “ALiEN8,” “Clean Slate,” and “Illuminate” as well as her other musicals “Lost Boys,” “ELFuego” & “Some Assembly Required.” Awards: “What’s in Store” (B Street Theatre Comedy Festival Finalist, O’Neill Semi-finalist, Princess Grace Finalist), “#notacult or Camp Hope” (Judith Royer & Jane Chambers Award Finalist), “The Marginals” (Lanford Wilson New American Play Finalist) and “Lost Boys” (O’Neill Semifinalist). Publications include: “ALiEN8” (YouthPLAYS), “elevated thoughts,” (Literati Press), “McSweeney’s” (“21 best of ’21”), “Dramatist,” “Howlround,” “The Offing,” and “The New York Times.” She is a member of The Dramatist Guild, AEA, The Women’s Playwrights Circle at Speranza and is a Designated Linklater Teacher. Kate holds an MFA from The University of Virginia. 

David Lee White is a New Jersey based playwright, performer and educator who has worked with Passage Theatre, McCarter Theatre, Vivid Stage, PlayPenn, the Bucks County Playhouse and many other institutions in the NJ/NY/PA area. His work runs the gamut from comedy, verbatim theatre, musical theatre and educational theatre. In 2016, David was commissioned by the New Jersey Performing Arts Center to create the play “Fixed” which premiered at Passage Theatre in March, 2017. His play “Blood: A Comedy” was seen at Passage Theatre (2009) and Vivid Stage (2012). His play “Slippery as Sin” (available from Next Stage Press) also received its world premiere at Passage in 2011. “Ways to be Happy” (also available from Next Stage Press) made its debut as an audio play from Vivid Stage in 2020. He has performed his solo show, “Panther Hollow,” at multiple venues including Off-Broadway at The United Solo Festival, Arcade Comedy Theatre in Pittsburgh, Point Park College, Stockton College and Drexel University. David has created three shows with composer Kate Brennan – “ALiEN8” (available through YouthPLAYS), “Clean Slate” and “Illuminate.” Other musicals include “Live Stream” (with Sarah Donner) and “The Angry Grammarian” (with Jeffrey Barg). He is a MAP Fund recipient for his work on the OK Trenton Project at Passage Theatre as well as his work with Kate Brennan on “Clean Slate” and “Illuminate.”  www.davidleewhite.net

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