THE SCRIPT GYM
What's it all about?
BRAND NEW DEVELOPMENT DAY FOR WRITERS, DIRECTORS, ACTORS & DRAMATURGS.
Edinburgh Acting School’s Script Gym is a practical skills development day for professional/training theatre artists who want to learn what goes on during script development.
Development is an essential component of making theatre and a major source of paid work for many theatre artists. There are many ways of doing development, but one of the most common is script development through table work so this will be the focus of our first Script Gym. If you’ve ever wondered how a script development differs from a rehearsal process, come along and find out!
Script Gym will be facilitated by director/playwright/dramaturg Jen McGregor, whose recent development work includes Hannah Lavery’s The Unseen Boy for Hopscotch at the Beacon, Conor O’Dwyer’s Homosapien for Emma Ruse Productions at the Lyceum, and Lubna Kerr’s Chatterbox for the Pleasance. On development day Jen will be on hand to provide guidance and advice on how to be a useful contributor to a script development and how to maximise your own learning.
What is script development?
Also known as R&D (research and development), this is the process of testing and
improving a script. Development is often the point at which a writer hears their work
read aloud for the first time, which lets them start identifying what works and what
doesn’t. The director, dramaturg and actors ask questions about the text, helping the
writer to find things that are unclear or particularly interesting. It’s a collaborative
process where everyone is focused on realising the potential of the text. Unlike a
rehearsal, it’s not focused on a production concept or developing the actors’
performances – it’s all about the script, and learning how to make useful contributions
in a script development context can take a bit of practise.
Available Roles
Directors (3 roles available)
You read the script in advance and discuss it with the writer to learn what they want to
get out of the development and what their intentions are for the piece. You should come
to the development with some thoughts about how the writer could better achieve their
goals. You facilitate discussion and manage the group’s time, making sure they don’t get
side-tracked or stuck on one point to the detriment of others. You help the writer to
identify any moments that they might want to test on their feet and give the actors some
light touch direction. You monitor the group’s mood and energy and call breaks as
required.
Dramaturgs (3 roles available)
You read the script in advance and join the discussion between the director and writer
to learn what the writer wants from the development and what their intentions are for
the piece. You should come to the development with questions and thoughts about how
the writer could better achieve their goals. You help facilitate the discussion and ensure
that it stays on topic. You gather the questions and suggestions that come up throughout
the day and keep track of them in a form that you can share with the writer at the end of
the day. You may want to give the writer some suggestions for next steps.
Actors (9 roles available)
You come prepared to read the writer’s script with clarity and characterisation. You ask
any questions that arise from the reading of the text. You make sure you have a pencil so
you can amend lines if the writer wants to make changes. You might make suggestions
in the moment, but you do so on the understanding that the writer is allowed to reject
them. You work script in hand if you’re asked to put things on their feet.
Casting Breakdown
Orpheus by Noobyyyz
Orphee – any gender, any age
Guardian – any gender, any age
Employee – any gender, any age
Impermanence by Claire Wood
T – F, 30s,
Nikolai – M, 30s
Leonardo – M, 60s
A Bird in the Hand by Tabitha Gibb
Agnes – F, 19, Scottish accent
Eilidh – F, 40s, Scottish accent
Flora – F, 40s, Scottish accent
DEVELOPMENT DAY WILL TAKE PLACE ON SATURDAY 25TH MAY ALL DAY
THERE IS A £10.00 COST TO ANYONE INVOVLED IN THE DEVELOPMENT DAY, WHICH WILL COVER GENEAL RUNNING COSTS.