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THE STAR -NEWS - THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 1994
BSU Writers Rendezvous
to gather at Shore Lodge
Montana authors William
Kittredge and Annick Smith, who
co -wrote the screenplay for "A River
Runs Through It," are among the
prominent Western writers who will
give readings and workshops today
through Saturday at Boise State Uni-
versity's third annual Writers and
Readers Rendezvous at Shore Lodge.
Presenters also include Native
American writer and storytellerAnita
Endrezze, folk singer /storyteller
Rosalie Sorrels, Idaho author John
Rember and novelist Lorian
Hemingway, granddaughter of Ernest
Hemingway.
The event gets underway at 1 p.m.
today with a welcome by Clay Mor-
gan, a McCall author who is Idaho's
Writer in Residence.
Readings will continue through-
out the day, with Friday and Saturday
reserved for workshops and panel
discussions.
Kittredge is the author of "We Are
Not in This Together," a collection of
short stories, and "Owning It All," a
look of autobiographical essays. His
stories and essays have appeared in a
number of periodicals.
An editor and independent film-
maker, Smith made the internation-
ally acclaimed "Heartland" in 1979,
which won first prize at the Berlin
and U.S. film festivals and the West-
ern Heritage Award of the National
Cowboy Hall of Fame.
Endrezze is the author of the award -
winning poetry book "at the helm of
twilight," and her work has appeared
in more than 15 poetry anthologies.
She is the author of a children's novel,
"The Mountain and the Guardian
Spirit."
Sorrels, who lives in Idaho City,
has performed professionally for more
than 30 years as a folk singer,
songwriter and storyteller.
A fourth - generation Idahoan,
Rember has written two books,
"Cheerleaders from Gomorrah: Tales
from the Archipelago" and "Coyote
in the Mountains and Other Stories."
Hemingway's first novel, "Walk-
ing Into the River," was published in
1992. She has published articles in
"Rolling Stone," "Penthouse," "New
York Times Sunday Magazine" and
"Sports Afield."
The Writers and Readers Rendez-
vous is sponsored by BSU's Division
of Continuing Education.
(� �a e� Ira
Merchant of...McCall?
Playwrights convene
Seven Devils event
aims to help writers
develop new work
By Dana Oland
The Idaho Statesman
Resort areas have long been the
sites for events from outdoor art
fairs to concert series. Now, Mc-
Call will be the center point for the
Seven Devils Playwrights Confer-
ence starting this week.
„ The conference at the Alpine
Playhouse brings eminent, up -and-
coming and student playwrights to-
gether to develop new work with
actors, directors and the audience,
said Jeni Mahoney, a playwright
and the conference's founder.
Mahoney was inspired after be-
ing invited to the Eugene O'Neill
Theater Center's National Play-
wrights Conference in 1997.
"That conference was the best
thing to happen to me, and I want-
ed to share that experience," Ma-
honey said.
She and her husband live in New
York City but come to McCall every
summer. It seemed the ideal place
for a creative retreat for theater
artists of the pen.
"It gets them out of the 'scene.'
No one is allowed to network. It's
all about the plays and this time."
This is the first Seven Devils con-
ference. Mahoney and co- artistic
director Sheila McDevitt plan to
make it an annual event.
The plays will be directed by pro-
fessional directors, including San-
dra Cavanaugh of Boise's The New
Heritage Theatre Co. She will di-
rect "The Urn of Drew."
Several Idaho actors will be in-
volved as will Boise playwright
Dano Madden.
Madden has written plays for Ida-
ho Theater for Youth and the Ida-
ho Shakespeare Festival Drama
School. His play "Drop" won the
1997 Kennedy Center /American
College Theater Festival National
Short Play Award.
"It's going to be a really cool
deal," Madden said. "It's a great way
to take the creative process farther."
Each playwright will also men-
tor an Idaho student playwright.
The conference kicks offwith Lee
Blessing's "Chesapeake" at 8 p.m.
June 13. Blessing has been produced
across the nation, and he's been nom-
inated for several Tony and Olivier
awards and the Pulitzer Prize.
S1 huyi £/3 r/1 -1
Renowned playwright to launch 2007
The Seven Devils Playwrights
Conference will launch its 2007 series
of events with a reading of a new,
unproducedplayby guestplaywright
Richard Dresser.
The reading from `A View of the
Harbor" will be held Wednesday,
June 13, at 7:30 P.M. at the Alpine
Playhouse on Roosevelt Street in
McCall. Admission is free.
`A View of the Harbor" is the third
in Dresser's trilogy about happiness
in America. "This is a play that is still
in development," conference artistic
director Jeni Mahoney said. "In fact,
this is a new draft- so he'll be hearing
it for the first time at the conference,
Which is incredibly exciting."
"Each of the plays in the trilogy
examines the American concept of
the pursuit of happiness and social
mobility from a different class per-
spective," Dresser said. "In each
play, there is a concerted attempt to
escape ' the social class into which
one was born."
In `A View of the Harbor," ayoung
idealist, on the run from a heritage of
(Continued from Page B -1)
"What Are You Afraid Of ?"
which was staged in the front seat
of a car at the Actors Theatre of
Louisville's Humana Festival,
ran in Germany for four years.
He also wrote the book for
the Broadway musical "Good
Vibrations" and the screenplay
for the movie "Human Error,"
whichpremieredatthe Sundance
Film Festival. He twice attended
the O'NeillNational Playwrights
Conference and is a former mem-
ber of New Dramatists.
Television audiences will rec-
ognize Dresser's work from the
wealth andprivilege, attemptstofind
happiness as a factory worker.
The first play in the trilogy,
"Augusta" (the working class play)
was presented last summer at the
Contemporary American Theater
festival in West Virginia. The second
play, "The Pursuit of Happiness"
(the middle -class play) premiered in
January at the Laguna Playhouse in
California.
Richard Dresser's plays, includ-
ing "Rounding Third," "Below the
Belt," "Gun- Shy," "Better Days,"
"TheDownside," "Wonderful World,"
"Splittsville" and "The Roadto Ruin"
have been widely produced in the U.S.
and in Europe.
See CONFERENCE, Page B -12
HBO series "The Days and Nights
of Molly Dodd" and "Vietnam
Stories." Dresser also worked on
"The Job" with Denis Leary on
ABC and "The Education of Max
Bickford" on CBS with Richard
Dreyfuss.
Dresser also will host a free
playwriting workshop on Satur-
day, June 16, at 11 a.m. entitled,
"What's Stopping You? Get Out
of Your Own Way and Start
Writing."
The session is designed for
writers, writers -to -be and curi-
ous creative souls to learn tools
to overcome roadblocks and get
themselves on the road to creativ-
ity. No experience is necessary.
Reservations for the workshop
can be made by e- mailing jeni@
sevendevils.org, by calling 634-
1181 after Tuesday or signing up
in the lobby of McCall's Alpine
Playhouse starting June 11.
This year the conference will
also include readings of 10 other
new plays. Four were selected
from submissions from around
the country, four were written by
students from the McCall- Donnel-
ly High SchoolPlaywriting Class,
and two were written by writers
invited into the new Playwrights
Renowned playwright Richard Dresser will
launch the 2007 Seven Devils Playwrights Con-
ference on June 13 with a reading from a new,
unproduced play.
Intensive Program.
"We're thrilled two native
Idahoans are in the line -up this
year," says id co- artistic direc-
tor Sheila McDevitt. "We had a
lot of submissions, so it's a real
testament to the talent of Pacific
Northwest writers."
Seven Devils Playwrights
Conference is a project of id The.
atre Company, and sponsored by
the Alpine Playhouse. For more
information about this year's
events, visit www sevendevils.
org.
First week of Seven Devils
conference to feature student
Plays by two McCall - Donnelly
High School students will be pre-
sented as staged readings next
Thursday, June 14, at 7:30 p.m.
at the Alpine Playhouse as part
of the Seven Devils Playwrights
Conference.
The conference, now in its
seventh year, is a project of id
Theatre Company and is spon-
sored by the Alpine Playhouse.
The student writers have been
matched with professional di-
rectors and mentors to continue
their work on plays they wrote
in the playwriting class at the
high school.
"It's a free event," notes con-
ference Artistic Director Jeni
Mahoney. "But if you make a
donation at the Alpine ... it goes
directly to the Joythi Jorgensen
Helping Hands Scholarship Fund
which supports a graduating M -D
student interested in visual or
performing arts."
"And as a bonus, the A.K. Starr
Charitable Trust will match all
donations dollar - for - dollar," said
id co- Artistic Director Sheila
McDevitt. "If you donate one
dollar, the fund gets twol"
The staged readings continue
on Friday, June 15, at 7:30 p.m.
with "Informed Consent" by
Richard Brockman.
A playwright as well as a
doctor and associate clinical
professor of psychiatry, Brock -
man's plays have been produced
nationally and internationally.
Brockman teaches courses on
brain biology and the interaction
of psychotherapy and neurobiol-
ogy at Columbia Presbyterian
Medical Center.
In "Informed Consent" a pe-
diatric transplant surgeon faces
his own limitations and failings
when, for the first time in his life,
he discovers what it means to love
and what it means to give when
everything is in the balance.
On Saturday morning, June
16, at 11 a.m., the conference
will host a free playwriting
workshop entitled "What's Stop-
ping You? Get Out of Your Own
Way and Start Writing," hosted
by renowned guest playwright
Richard Dresser.
Designed for writers, writ -
ers-to-be and curious creative
souls, attendees will learn tools
to overcome roadblocks and
get themselves on the road to
creativity
On Saturday evening, June
16, at 7:30 p.m. the conference
will present "Neighborhood 3:
Requisition of Doom" by Jen-
nifer Haley.
Haley has an MFA in playwrit-
ing from Brown University. Her
work has been seen around the
country at the Vancouver and
Seattle Fringe Festivals, The
Empty Space Theatre in Seattle,
Perishable Theatre, NYU's ho-
UNK Festival and The Public
Theater among others.
"Neighborhood 3: Requisition
of Doom" invites theatergoers on
a virtual tour of an American
suburb where prescription drug
abuse, video game addiction
and cultish social programming
have given way to something far
more sinister: a deadly game
from which escape is the only
unreality.
The readings continue on
Wednesday, June 20, with the
"The Last of the Texas Dollies"
by Dan Moyer. Originally from
Palo Alto, Moyers is currently
studying Dramatic Writing at
New York University.
�,/-7 � o -7
In "The Last of the Texas
Dollies" the only thing standing
in the way of Billy's dream of
playing in the World Series of
Poker is the fact that he doesn't
have ten thousand dollars to buy
a seat. The only thing keeping
his brother Kip from reconciling
with his wife is Billy.
Two more student plays willbe
presented in the second week of
the conference, along with three
full- length plays. For more infor-
mation or to make a reservation
for the playwriting workshop,
visit www.sevendevils.org or call
634 -1181.
Seven Devils Playwrights
Conference
Schedule of Events
(All Events Free)
• Thursday, June 14, 7,30 p.m.,
The Alpine Playhouse. Two play
from McCall - Donnelly High
School.
Donations on this evening sup-
port the Joythi Jorgensen Helping
Hands Scholarship Fund.
- Friday, June 15,7:30 p.m. The
Alpine Playhouse. "Informed
Consent" by Richard Brock-
man.
- Saturday, June 16, 11 a.m.:
The Carpenter's Shop, Central
Idaho Historical Museum, 1001
State St.: "What's Stopping You?
Get out of your own way and get
writing!" Ledby guest playwright
Richard Dresser.
- Saturday, June 16, 7:30 p.m.,
The Alpine Playhouse, "Neigh-
borhood No. 3: Requisition of
Doom," by Jennifer Haley.
- Wednesday, June 20,7:30 p.m.:
The Carpenter's Shop, Central
Idaho Historical Museum, 1001
State St.
Photo by Sarah Jessup
From left, Sam Davis, Mary Portser, playwright Scott Benton, Sam Hunter, Ben Verschoor and Nate Thrash
rehearse a play to be performed tonight during the opening session of the Seven Devils Playwrights Conference.
Stage Coaches
First week of Seven Devils
Playwright Conference to feature
student plays, workshop
lays by two McCall- Donnelly High School
students will be presented as staged
readings tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Alpine
Playhouse as part of opening night of the
Seven Devils Playwrights Conference.
The conference, now in its seventh year, is a proj
ect of id Theatre Company and is sponsored by the
Alpine Playhouse. The student writers have been
matched with professional directors and mentors
to continue their work on plays they wrote in the
playwriting class at the high school.
"It's a free event," conference Artistic Director
Jeni Mahoney said. "But if you make a donation
at the Alpine tonight it goes directly to the Joythi
Jorgensen Helping Hands Scholarship Fund which
supports a graduating M -D student interested in
visual or performing arts."
`And as a bonus, the A.K. Starr Charitable Trust
will match all donations dollar- for - dollar," id co -Ar-
tistic Director. Sheila McDevitt said.
The staged readings continue on Friday at 7:30
P.M. with "Informed Consent" by Richard Brock-
man.
A playwright as well as a doctor and associate
clinical professor of psychiatry, Brockman's plays
have been produced nationally and internationally.
Brockman teaches courses on brain biology and the
interaction of psychotherapy and neurobiology at
Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center.
In "Informed Consent," a pediatric transplant
surgeon faces his own limitations and failings
when, for the first time in his life, he discovers what
it means to love and what it means to give when
Seven Devils Playwrights
Conference Schedule of Events
Note: All Events Are Free
• Today, 7:30 p.m., The Alpine Playhouse. Two
Plays from McCall- Donnelly High School. • Friday,
7:30 p.m. The Alpine Playhouse. "Informed Consent,"
by Richard Brockman.
• Saturday, 11 a.m.: The Carpenter's Shop, Central
everything is in the balance.
On Saturday morning, at 11 a.m., the confer-
ence will host a free playwriting workshop entitled "
"What's Stopping You? Get Out of Your Own Way
and Start Writing," hosted by renowned guest play-
wright Richard Dresser.
Designed for writers, writers -to -be and curious
creative souls, attendees will learn tools to over-
come roadblocks and get themselves on the road to
creativity.
On Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m., the confer-
ence will present "Neighborhood 3: Requisition of
Doom" by Jennifer Haley.
Haley has an MFA in playwriting from Brown
University. Her work has been seen around the
country at the Vancouver and Seattle Fringe
Festivals, The Empty Space Theatre in Seattle,
Perishable Theatre, NYU's hotINK Festival and The
Public Theater, among others.
"Neighborhood 3: Requisition of Doom" invites
theatergoers on a virtual tour of an American
suburb where prescription drug abuse, video game
addiction and cultish social programming have
given way to something far more sinister —a deadly
game from which escape is the only unreality.
The readings continue on Wednesday with "The
Last of the Texas Dollies" by Dan Moyer. Originally
from Palo Alto, Calif., Moyers is currently studying
dramatic writing at New York University.
In "The Last of the Texas Dollies" the only thing
standing in the way of Billy's dream of playing in
the World Series of Poker is the fact that he doesn't
have $10,000 to buy a seat. The only thing keeping
his brother, Kip, from reconciling with his wife is
Billy.
Two more student plays will be presented in the
second week of the conference, along with three
full - length plays. For more information or to make
a reservation for the playwriting workshop, visit,
www.sevendevils.org or call 634 -1181.
IdahoHistorical Museum, 1001 State St.: "What's Stop-
ping You? Get out of your own way and get writing!"
Led by guest playwright Richard Dresser.
• Saturday, 7:30 p.m., The Alpine Playhouse,
"Neighborhood No. 3: Requisition of Doom," by
Jennifer Haley.
• Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.: "The Last of the Texas Dol-
lies," The Carpenter's Shop, Central Idaho Historical
Museum, 1001 State St.
S,
PAGE B -2 - THE STAR -NEWS - THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2008
Seven Devils playwright loves immediacy of live theater
BY JULIE HAMILTON
The Star -News
Adementedversionof "Jingle
Bells," the first eco- terrorist and a
Swedish bride were all part of the
play, `A Slaying Song Tonight,"
written by John Olive and read
Saturday as part of the Seven
Devils Playwright Conference.
Olive, of Minneapolis, Minn.,
was this year's guest playwright
at the Seven Devils conference,
which ended Saturday after a
two -week run of workshops, re-
hearsals and performances.
Olive took the step from being
an actor to writing his own plays
more than 30 years ago. One of
his most well known plays is "The
Voice of the Prairie," which has
been performed more than 300
times around the country.
Olive comes up with his ideas
for plays from reading and using
his own active imagination. His
plays typically involve a lot of
characters rather than a simple
and direct storyline, he said.
Although Olive has written
and published several short
stories, he continues to love play
writing above all else. "Plays are
the most immediate form of lit-
erature there is," he said. "I love
the magic of them, the moment
by moment development; and I
just love working with actors,"
he said.
During the 10 days of the Sev-
en Devils conference in McCall,
Olive put on a public workshop
in which he led group exercises
and discussed his own evolved
approach to play writing.
He was also the dramaturge,
the person who helped edit and
adapt the play to the stage, for
conference playwright Robert
McAndrew's "The One True
Church."
On top of all that, Olive contin.
ued to develop his play, `A Slaying
Song Tonight," which was read
from scripts at the restored
carpenter's shop at the Central
Idaho Historical Museum.
The play is a humorous musi-
cal that incorporates themes of
learning to love, personal growth,
mystery and suspense, and the
crazy affects of loneliness and
longing. "I developed this play en-
tirely from the title," Olive said.
Lisa Dove, playing Sigrid Oleson,
and Ian Desmond O'Connell,
playing Einar Krakstad, act out
an emotional moment in John
Olive's play "A Slaying Song
Tonight," performed at a reading
on Saturday as part of the Seven
Devils Playwright Conference.
Star -News Photo by Julie Hamilton
Seven Devils conference takes
plays from McCall to the world
When the Seven Devils
Playwrights Conference re
turns to McCall in June, it
brings with it a growing na-
tional profile that is quickly
turning McCall into a Mecca
for new plays. 7
That is a fact that confer.
ence Artistic Director Jeni
Mahoney directly attributes
to thegenerosityof local busi-
nesses and individuals.
The conference depends on
the Alpine Playhouse to pro-
vide a site and support from
the Central Idaho Historical
Museum, HotelMcCall, Bistro
45 and others who provide
everything from housing to
props to food, Mahoney said.
"Butthere is somuchmore
to it," she said. "The very spe-
cial relationship we have with
audiences in McCall allows
playwrights to do their very
best work, and get honest,
constructive feedback that
helps them take their work to
the next level." '
Of the 73 plays developed
by the conference since 2001,
nearly 70 percent have gone
on to further development
or production at prestigious
theaters around the country,
Mahoney said.
These theaters include
the Actors Theater of Lou.
isville, Steppenwolf, The
Public Theater, Ensemble Stu-
dio Theater -LA, Rattlestick
Playwrights Theater, Lark
Theatre, Montana Rep and
Trinity Rep. Four conference
plays have even made their
way to Europe in recent years,
she said.
"Within the theater com-
munity, a statistic like this is
just staggering," Co- Artistic
Director Sheila McDevitt
said. "Seven of the 12 plays
we worked on in 2008 have
already gone on to further
development — including one
play by an intern and one by a
McCall- Donnelly High School
student."
Because the conference is
gearedtoward new play devel-
opment, plays are presented as
2009 Seven Devils
Playwrights Conference
Schedule of Events
All staged readings start at
:30 p.m. at Alpine Playhouse
unless otherwise noted. All
sessions are free.
Thursday, June 11: Plays
from McCall - Donnelly High
School.
Friday, June 12: "A Patriot
Song" by Caridad Svich.
Saturday, June 13: "Red
Rover" by Michele Raper Rit-
tenhouse.
'Saturday, June 13: "Hear.
ing the World," playwriting
workshop with Caridad Svich,
11 a.m., Central Idaho Histori-
cal Museum carpenter's shop,
1000 State St.
Wednesday, June 17:
"Colony Collapse" by James
Price, 7:30 p.m. sit -down read-
ing at Central Idaho Historical
Museum carpenter's shop,
1000 State St.
Thursday, June 18: Plays
from McCall - Donnelly High
School.
Friday, June 19: "Idaho/
Dead Idaho" by Samuel D.
Hunter.
Saturday, June 20: "The
Thing With Feathers," by
Duane Kelly, 2 p.m. sit -down
reading at Central Idaho His-
torical Museum carpenter's
shop, 1000 State St.
Saturday, June 20: "Veils"
Tom Coash, 7:30 p.m., Alpine
Playhouse.
eitherfully - staged or sit -down
readings.
"It's a very exciting way
to experience theater," Ma-
honey said. "The audience
is crucial at this point in the
process. Justby coming in and
witnessing the work, they let
the playwright know so much
about where the play is and
where it needs to go."
The 2009 Seven Devils
Playwrights Conference is a
project of id Theater and will
be in residence at the Alpine
Playhouse and the Central
Idaho Historical Museum
June 8 -20.
The conference willfeature
10 new plays, including four
by McCall - Donnelly High
School playwrights, andafree
playwriting workshop hosted
by guest playwright Caridad
Svich entitled "Hearing the
World." No experience is
necessary for the playwriting
Seven Devils
conference seeks
host families
Seven Devils Playwrights
Conference is looking for host
families for artists who willbe
in McCall for the conference
from Sunday, June 7, through
Sunday, June 21.
The conference, aproject of
id Theater, is in its ninth year
at Alpine Playhouse. Organiz-
ers said host families won't
need to entertain or feed the
artists, just give them a place
to sleep.
References are available, and
those interested are asked to e-
mail sheila @idtheater.org.
workshop, but reservations
are encouraged as space is
limited.
All conference events, in-
cluding rehearsals, are free
and open to the public at all
times. For information, go to
www.idtheater.org /7devils /.
To reserve a space in the
playwriting workshop,Send an
e -mail to jeni @idtheater.org.
Rtuja
Enter the playwrights
Seven Devils guest playwright urges writers
to `trust the uncensored parts(
BY PETER STEVENSON
The Star -News
Caridad Svich had a simple goal for the participants
at her playwright workshop on Saturday morning.
"To take a journey through memory and sen-
sation and feeling," Svich said. "This is about
unlocking something for the day and noticing things
about ourselves and how we perceive the world."
The workshop was entitled "Hearing the World" and
was attended by 21 people at Foresters Club in McCall.
Activities included a
P variety of creative
exercises and
lectures by
Svich, who is
a professor
of creative
writing at
Rutgers
University
and a guest
playwright
w,. at the
Seven Devils
r Playwright
Conference.
Director A' During one ex-
Sheila ercise, Svich led the
McDevitt, Photo by group through a series of
talks to student Sarah Jessup mental scenarios in
playwright Jaime which participants closed
Valle about his play their eyes and imagined a scene
"Slice of Life:' consisting of images, figures
and emotions from their past.
As the participants drifted in and out of reality,
Svich encouraged them to think creatively about how
their own lives can inspire their work.
"Where do characters live and how ?" Svich said.
"They are ticklish. They laugh. They are capable of
being hurt. You write what you've been responding
to all your life."
"This is about unlocking
something for the day and
noticing things about ourselves
and how we perceive the world."
— Caridad Svich
star -News rnoro oy rerer srevenson
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D i r e c t o r D a n e t t e B a k e r t a l k s t o s t u d e n t p l a y w r i g h t
K i r s t e n W i k i n g a b o u t h e r p l a y " H i M o n s t e r . "
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S e v e n D e v i l s c o n f e r e n c e w i n d s d o w n
w i t h p l a y s b y s t u d e n t s , p r o f e s s i o n a l s
T w o p l a y s b y s t u d e n t s f r o m
M c C a l l - D o n n e l l y H i g h S c h o o l
w i l l b e s t a g e d s t a r t i n g a t 7 : 3 0
p . m . t o n i g h t a t t h e A l p i n e
P l a y h o u s e i n a s t h e 2 0 0 9 S e v e n
D e v i l s P l a y w r i g h t s C o n f e r -
e n c e e n t e r s i t s f i n a l d a y s .
T h e p l a y s w e r e w r i t t e n b y
s t u d e n t s W i l l M i n s h a l l a n d
S t e p h e n F r a n d i n , w h o h a v e
b e e n m a t c h e d w i t h p r o f e s -
s i o n a l d i r e c t o r s a n d m e n t o r s .
T h e p l a y s w e r e w r i t t e n i n t h e
M - D p l a y w r i t i n g c l a s s .
P l a y s b y s t u d e n t p l a y -
w r i g h t s K i r s t e n W i k i n g a n d
J a i m e V a l l e w e r e f e a t u r e d
l a s t w e e k .
T h e s t u d e n t p l a y s , l i k e a l l
c o n f e r e n c e e v e n t s , a r e f r e e ,
b u t d o n a t i o n s w i l l b e a c c e p t e d
T h u r s d a y n i g h t f o r t h e J o y t h i
J o r g e n s e n H e l p i n g H a n d s
S c h o l a r s h i p F u n d
A l s o , t h e A . K . S t a r r C h a r i -
t a b l e T r u s t h a s o f f e r e d t o
m a t c h a l l d o n a t i o n s m a d e a t
t h e t h e a t e r .
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c o n f e r e n c e w i l l p r e s e n t " I d a -
h o / D e a d I d a h o , " a p l a y w r i t t e n
b y M o s c o w n a t i v e S a m u e l D .
H u n t e r .
H u n t e r ' s p l a y " I a m M o n -
t a n a " w a s p r e s e n t e d a t t h e 2 0 0 7
c o n f e r e n c e a n d w a s l a t e r p r o -
d u c e d a t M o n t a n a R e p e r t o r y
a n d r e c e n t l y o p e n e d a t L o n -
d o n ' s A r c o l a T h e a t e r . H u n t e r
l i v e s i n N e w Y o r k a n d r e c e i v e d
t h e 2 0 0 8 - 0 9 P l a y w r i g h t s o f N e w
Y o r k F e l l o w s h i p f r o m t h e L a r k
T h e a t e r .
A t 2 p . m . S a t u r d a y , a s i t -
d o w n r e a d i n g o f " T h e T h i n g
w i t h F e a t h e r s , " b y D u a n e
K e l l y , w i l l b e p r e s e n t e d a t
t h e C e n t r a l I d a h o H i s t o r i -
c a l M u s e u m o n S t a t e S t r e e t
a c r o s s f r o m M c C a l l M e m o r i a l
H o s p i t a l .
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h a s h a d h i s p l a y s p r e s e n t e d
a t E n s e m b l e S t u d i o T h e a t r e
a n d t h e L a s t F r o n t i e r T h e a t r e
C o n f e r e n c e i n A l a s k a .
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p r e s e n t a t i o n o f " V e i l s , " b y
T o m C o a s h .
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t o r , C o a s h s p e n t f o u r y e a r s
t e a c h i n g p l a y w r i t i n g a t T h e
A m e r i c a n U n i v e r s i t y i n C a i -
r o .
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p l a y w r i t i n g a w a r d s , i n c l u d i n g
E n s e m b l e S t u d i o T h e a t r e ' s
H a m m e r s t e i n A w a r d , T h e
K e n n e d y C e n t e r ' s L o r r a i n e
H a n s b e r r y A w a r d a n d a
J e r o m e P l a y w r i t i n g F e l l o w -
s h i p .
T h e c o n f e r e n c e , n o w i n
i t s n i n t h y e a r , i s a p r o j e c t o f
i d T h e a t e r a n d i s s p o n s o r e d
b y t h e A l p i n e P l a y h o u s e . F o r
m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t i t s
W e b s i t e a t w w w . i d t h e a t e r .
o r g .
Donations helped
in business
conference stay
Now entering its 11th year, the Seven Devils Play-
wrights Conference has developed 94 new American
Plays by McCall- Donnelly High School students,
Pulitzer -prize winners and everything in between.
To date, nearly 75
percent of the full -
length plays developed
at the conference have
gone on to production,
publication or other
honors.
In January, Seven
Devils Artistic Direc-
tor Jeni Mahoney was THE ARTS
invited to join a gather-
ing of 100 leaders in
Na-
play development at the Convening of the Na
tional New Play Institute at Arena Stage.
The conference was also recently featured in The
Dramatists Magazine's special play development
issue and a Stage Directions Magazine series on
play development.
This year's conference will run June 8 -18 with
Devils
Seven Devils
most events taking place at the Alpine Playhouse
in McCall.
This year's conference was nearly cancelled
due to a lack of funding, including the sudden
and unexpected withdrawal of funding from the
National Endowment for the Arts, a long -time
supporter.
Losing the NEA was terrible blow, especially
after having already overcome a reduction in foun-
dation income due to a long -time funder's financial
constraints," said Sheila McDevitt, co- artistic
director if id Theatre, which stages the conference.
" We came into 2011 having lost nearly 60 percent
of our budget."
In response, id Theater launched an Internet
campaign to save the conference. With just two
months to reach their funding goal, the goal was
reached in just over a month.
"The Kit Worthington Foundationforthe Arts and
Dramatists Guild Foundationboth stepped into help
fill the gap, as did a handful of generous individual
donors," Managing Director Paula Marchiel said.
See DEVILS, Page B -6
(Continued from Page B -1)
"But the bulk of the
money came from small on-
line donations, around $20,"
Marrchiel said.
The conference is still
looking for housing for a
few of its company mem-
bers June 5 -19. Anyone with
available housing should
contact McDevitt at sheila@
idtheatre.org.
All conference events are
free and open to the public at
all times. More information
about schedules, events and
travel can be found at ww-
widtheater.org.
Seven Devils Playwrights Conference Artistic Director Jeni Mahoney makes
a point to McCall- Donnelly High School student Anne Sylvia - Clarno during a
rehearsal of Sylvia - Clarno's play, "Oculos," at the Alpine Playhouse last week.
M -D student
playwrights draw
on expertise at
Seven Devils
Playwright's SEVEN DEVILS
PLX,YWK1CHzs CONFERENCE
Conference C C L L , t. " R 0
BY CARISSA SINDON
For The Star -News
Anne Sylvia - Clarno sat inside the
Alpine Playhouse last Thursday ea-
gerly anticipating how people would
respond as her play, "Oculos," was
performed for the first time in front
of an audience.
It's nerve - wracking at the begin-
ning because you don't know how
people are going to react," said Sylvia -
Clarno, one of four McCall - Donnelly
High School student playwrights se-
lected to take part in this year's Seven
Devils Playwrights Conference.
"But at the end, I think that people
really liked it which was a huge relief,"
she said.
The students wrote their plays in
Judy Anderson's playwrighting class
at the high school.
Professional
I I eIr
During the conference they de-
veloped their plays by working with
professional directors and playwright -
ing mentors attending the 10 -day
conference that ends Saturday.
Another student playwright, Alex
Allen, will see her play, "12 Kinds of
Stupid," performed tonight at 7:30 p.m.
along with a play by fellow student
PI
aywright Mary Parker.
I'm looking forward to seeing what
members of the community and the ac-
tors that are involved in the conference
think about the play," Allen said.
Sylvia - Clarno wrote her play to try
something other than acting.
"Writing my play to begin with was
really fun," she said. "But being able
to critique it with professionals and
see it performed on a stage is just so
incredible."
See STUDENTS, Page 16
"The
students just
put it out
there, and
they write
about things
that matter to
them - which I
think is a huge
gift to the
community."
— Jeni Mahoney
Students
(Continued from Page 18)
Both students said that the
experience has changed their
perspective of the challenges
inherent in writing a play.
"I've learned that it's hard
to capture realistic conversa-
tions," Allen said. "When you
think of how people talk, they
don't really talk in sentences
andthat's whatpeople are used
to writing in."
The most challenging part
was coming up with the idea
which took two weeks, Sylvia -
Clarno said.
"Constructing a story that
actually has meaning is really,
really hard," she said. "Devel-
opingthe characters takes alot
of time - you have to develop
the characters before you can
even start the play."
Seven Devils artistic direc-
tor Jeni Mahoney said that
students not only learn from
the conference, but they also
bring much by teaching others
to be brave and straightfor-
ward.
"Us jaded grown -ups tend
to hide behind our `skills, "'
Mahoney said.
"Butthe students just put it
outthere, andthey write about
things that matter to them -
which I think is a huge gift to
the community," she said.
Author
Author to showcase Seven Devils
conference in playwriting book
BY CARISSA SINDON
For The Star -News
Michael Wright is looking
forward to his first visit to
the Seven Devils Playwrights
Conference, but he is not com-
ing as a playwright, actor or
director.
Wright, the director of the
Interdisciplinary Program in
Creative Writing at The Uni-
versity of Tulsa, is visiting
McCall to conduct interviews
for an updated edition of
his 2005 book, "Playwriting
at Work and Play: Develop-
mental Programs and Their
Processes."
The book, due out next
spring, is intended to generate
a discussion about the types of
play development processes
available in the U.S., Wright
said.
It is also intended to provide
playwrights with some insight
(Continued from Page 18)
"When the opportunity
into the approaches that exist
so they can focus on a particu-
lar program, he said.
Wright included more pro-
grams in the first edition to
help make amore complete and
rounded survey of the types of
offerings available.
But when contemplating
the second edition, Wright
decided to write a book that
more concisely examines the
programs that have clearly
defined processes.
The information about
Seven Devils in Wright's first
book was based on phone and
e -mail interviews with the
conference's Artistic Direc-
tor, Jeni Mahoney, and past
participants, Wright said.
While the information is
accurate, Wright said that
he had no actual feel for the
environment.
See AUTHOR, Page 16
to receive some support for
research travel manifested,
I immediately chose to con-
tact (Mahoney) about going
to McCall to see how things
worked," Wright said.
Mahoney is thrilled that
Wright is including Seven
Devils in the new edition
because it confirms the
conference has a distinct
process. The book will help
people understand it not
only philosophically, but
on a practical level as well,
she said.
The conference uses a
model from which other
theaters and communities
could benefit because its size
and smaller budget make it
more functional for smaller
organizations, Mahoney
said.
r011
M Gfll�fiZ�
' ,
The 2011 Seven Devils Playwrights
Conference wraps up its 11 th season today,
Friday and Saturday with five new plays.
Tonight at 7:30 p.m., two plays by Mc-
Call- Donnelly High School students Mary
Parker and Alex Allen will be presented at
the Alpine Playhouse.
The student writers have been matched
with professional directors and playwriting
mentors to continue working on plays they
wrote in the playwriting class at the high
school this year.
The student plays, like all conference
events, are free but donations will be ac-
cepted tonight for the Joythi Jorgensen
Helping Hands Scholarship Fund.
The scholarship is awarded annually
to a McCall- Donnelly High School student
studying the performing or visual arts in
college. The A.K. Starr Charitable Trust will
match all donations.
See SCHEDULE, Page 16
Events and Arts The StarNews Page 1 of 1
Seven Devils to host free readings of new plays
The Seven Devils Playwrights Conference starts its 12th season in McCall next week with staged
readings of four new plays.
¢,
All events offered free -of- charge at the Alpine Playhouse. The conference also features a
free playwriting workshop led by 2012 Guest Playwright Kara Lee Corthron,
Launched 2001, Seven Devils focuses on new play development. "The goal is to allow
playwrights to explore and develop their work with directors, dramaturgs, actors and
audiences," artistic director Jeni Mahoney said.
""Itlu" Everything we do is script -in -hand so the playwrights can keep re writing, but because
the work is fully staged, the experience is very much like watching any other play,"
Mahoney said.
Each play is followed by a talk back in which the playwright gets feedback from the audience
On Thursday, June 14, at 7:30 p.m. the conference will feature two plays by McCall - Donnelly High
School students Niles Thomasson and David Garrison.
The student writers will be matched with professional directors and a professional playwright/mentor to
continue work on the play they wrote in the playwrding class at the high school. Plays by Savannah
Jackson and Lindsey Hall will be presented on Thursday, June 21.
The student plays, like all conference events, are free but donations will be accepted on both
Thursdays for the Joythi Jorgensen Helping Hands Scholarship Fund, awarded annually to a McCall-
Donnelly High School student studying the performing or visual arts in college.
All donations made at the Alpine will be matched by The A.K. Star Charitable Trust.
"Listen For The Light" by Kara Lee Corthron will be presented on Friday, June 15, at 7:30 p.m.
Corthron is an award winning playwright whose credits include both stage and television. Corthron
comes to McCall from the world premiere of her new play "Etched In Skin On A Moonlit Night," in
Philadelphia.
Corthron will host a free Playwrdng Workshop on Saturday, June 16 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the
Community Room at Idaho First Bank
The workshop is entitled "Cultivating Inspiration: How to Grow and Transform Inspiration Even When
the Well Feels Dry."
On Saturday night, June 16, at 7:30 the conference will present "Warren' by Brian Quirk, an award-
winning playwright and actor whose work has been developed and produced through the country.
"We have such an exciting and diverse group of plays this year,' said id Theater co- Artistic Director
Sheila McDevitt. 'And with 10 plays to choose from, there really is something for everyone,'
Seven Devils Playwrights Conference is a project of id Theater, and is sponsored by the Alpine
Playhouse.
All events are free and open to the public at all times. "You can even come watch rehearsals,"
McDevitt said. 'Schedules are posted in the lobby of the Alpine each day'
More information can be found at .,sw.idtheater.ory.
hup://www.mccaflstmews.com/pages/events—arts_page.php 6/7/2012
Star -News Features Page
r.
1
w.e r >ar e�.w..y cr.s.b
Conference founders Jeni Mahony, kn, and Sheila McDevitt has been impressed wit h the way the McCall canmunity has embraced the
mnference during its L2 -year ran.
100 Plays
Seven Devilsfounders reflect on milestone of original readings
"People in McCall talk about plays more intelligently than people anyplace else.
—Jeni Mahoney
BY CARISSA SWOON
for The Stu -News
Jeni Mahoney and Sheila McDevitt were not exactly sure what would happen when they joined forces
and created the Seven Devils Playwrights Conference 12 years ago.
But the conference, which takes place for two weeks in
McCall each June, has seen the development of more than
100 new plays, 60 percent of which have gone on to be
produced at venues around the country and have garnered a
number of prestigious awards W_
The people in the community have helped to make this
possible by supporting the conference in a variety of ways,
Mahoney and McDevitt said.
The willingness of community members to attend the plays
and provide feedback has been instrumental to the
.
conference's success, said Mahoney, who is the
m.ysri�
conference's artistic director.
Ketm Crowley and Pew O'Camw Perform -In
The Smvtoatha' by Dann Maddtn damg the 2oo5
When Seven Devils began, the were only going to obtain
e9 Y Y9 9
Se %enM"lsPlai mgWsCmifisena Thepla%
theKredrCenrerAnnenirm
"Z an towm m
feedback from those in the theater company like many other
CdkgeMwarerFesm "at Rea New PlnyAm-ad
play development programs, she said.
But community members were included at the request of some who wanted to participate, Mahoney
said.
Intelligent Talk
"People in McCall talk about plays more intelligently than people anyplace else because they really
said, 'We want to talk about plays in a way that's going to be helpful to what you're trying to do,'" she
said.
Playwrights are also embraced by community members who help by providing items like discounted
meats and housing, said McDevitt, who is the co-artistic director of id Theater of which the conference is
a project.
"Its in a community that the minute they walk in the door says, 'I'm glad you're here, let me help you
do what you're doing," she said.
Mahoney describes Seven Devils as "idealistic" because unlike other programs, it is not focused on
promoting or marketing plays beyond the conference which is due in large part to community support.
'We're just working on the plays, that's all we're doing,' Mahoney said.
The natural beauty of the area is also a factor in the conference's success with playwrights being
removed from the concerns of daily life which means they can give full attention to their plays, McDevitt
said.
"It's so beautiful (in McCall), people are inspired to write and do art,' she said.
McDevitt describes the relationship between the conference and those who support it as 'familial."
"Theater is a vibrant, important part of the Irfe of this community and you don't get that anywhere else,'
Mahoney said as she began to tear up.
Page 1 of 2
http:// www. mccallstamews .com/pages/hcw_featurepage.php 6/14/2012
Star -News Features Page Page 2 of 2
"It's like a dream for theater people to feel like the work that you're doing actually matters," she said.
A Rare Opportunity
Mahoney also notes that some people have been attending the conference since its inception. She
does not know anywhere else they could go to see 100 new plays.
The conference, which accepts between six and eight plays a year, has grown in recognition with the
first year seeing 30 play submissions and this year had close to 500, McDevitt said.
"I think something that people in McCall don't necessarily realize is how big an impact this work has in
the theater community at large," she said.
"There's no other place like this and this is where playwrights want to go,' McDevitt said.
Seven Devils to host free readings of new plays
The Seven Devils Playwrights Conference starts its 12th season in McCall this week with staged
readings of four new plays.
All events are offered free -of- charge at the Alpine Playhouse, and a free playwriting workshop led by
2012 Guest Playwright Kara Lee Corthron will be held on Saturday.
Launched in 2001, Seven Devils focuses on new play development. Each play is fo4lowed by a talk
back in which the playwright gets feedback from the audience.
Tonight at 7:30 p.m., the conference will feature two plays by McCall- Donnelly High School students
Niles Thomasson and David Garrison.
The student writers will be matched with professional directors and a professional playwright/mentor to
continue work on the play they wrote in the playwriting class at the high school. Plays by Savannah
Jackson and Lindsey Hall will be presented next Thursday, June 21.
The student plays, like all conference events, are free but donations will be accepted on both
Thursdays for the Joythi Jorgensen Helping Hands Scholarship Fund, awarded annually to a McCall -
Donnelly High School student studying the performing or visual arts in college.
All donations made at the Alpine will be matched by The A.K. Starr Charitable Trust.
"Listen For The Light' by Guest Playwright Kara Lee Corthron will be presented on Friday, at 7:30 p.m.
Corthron is an award winning playwright whose credits include both stage and television. Corthron
comes to McCall from the world premiere of her new play "Etched In Skin On A Moonlit Night,' in
Philadelphia.
Corthron will host a free Playwriting Workshop on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Community
Room at Idaho First Bank
The workshop is entitled 'Cultivating Inspiration: How to Grow and Transform Inspiration Even When
the Well Feels Dry."
On Saturday night at 7:30 the conference will present 'Warren* by Brian Quirk, an award- winning
playwright and actor whose work has been developed and produced through the country.
The second week of readings will start on Wednesday with "General Store," by Brian Watkins, which
will be presented as a seated reading at the Alpine Playhouse at 7:30 p.m.
Seven Devils Playwrights Conference is a project of id Theater, and is sponsored by the Alpine
Playhouse.
All events are free and open to the public at all times. More information can be found at:
www.idtheater.org.
http:// www .mccallstamews.com/pages/hcw_ feature _page.php 6/14/2012
Star -News Features Page
McCall, 10
79 °F
Clear
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HIGH COUNTRY WEEK— THURSDAY, JUNE 21. 2012
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L.A. actor has been part ofnine 7 Devils conferences
"It gives you a sort of thrill, a desire to be on stage yourself " - Mary Portser
BY CARISSA SINDON
for The Star -News
Mary Portser has spent two weeks in McCall evey June for the last nine years. But Portser is not a
tourist, she is an actor who has become a fixture at the Seven Devils Playwrights Conference.
Portser, from Los Angeles, has been either an actor or a
playwright at the conference, which is winding up its 12th
season this week.
Her husband, Christopher Curry, an actor and director, has
also participated in eight of the last nine conferences.
Portser can be seen in one of the student plays tonight at
7:30 p.m. at the Alpine Playhouse and again Saturday at 2
p.m. in "Kingdoms of Rot; by Thomas Newby, at the
Community Room inside Idaho First Bank.
The Seven Devils conference is a supportive environment
that operates beyond the confines of commercial pressure,
Portser said. This has helped her grow as an artist.
, lmimlw�
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J
',.1' ik.r y s..k r<nao
hi ,n Poltser. rVj t, wcl lkftus Butkus are sham
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vowerave''..T.ih�s Is Pats;Ws umth rear as w actor
01' a Plannmj t A it* rO Aelewe
"That's a good feeling to take into any audition; she said. 'As a playwright it makes you want to keep
going on because it's very encouraging-"
Portser, who has acted for 35 years in theater, television and film, said the ideas general at the
conference provide a "creative boost' for her own work.
"It gives you a sort of thrill, a desire to be on stage yourself,' Portser said.
Portser has had three plays developed at Seven Devils, but she likes being both an actor and
playwright at the conference .
The playwright's work is more mental, while actors get to use their bodies and emotions which can be
a release, she said.
"It's a super special thing as a playwright, but it's really fun as an actor," Portser said.
Less Pressure
Because the plays at Seven Devils are presented as readings, actors don't have the pressure to learn
the lines and can try new things with their characters, she said.
A memorable moment for Portser came last year, when audience members moaned in fear during the
reading of her play, "Wrecked."
The play takes place in a lighthouse in winter and features the interaction between a couple with a
deteriorating marriage and a shipwrecked sailor.
'I thought that there was something wrong in the booth with the sound, but I actually found out it was
the back rows of the audience; she said.
Seven Devils serves to introduce a younger generation to theater through its work with student
playwrights, Portser said.
'There's so much competition with TV and the Internet now," she said. "It's live theater. Its really
different than watching something on a screen.'
Back To Index /Menu
Seven Devils wraps up 2012 session with five new plays
The Seven Devils Playwrights Conference wraps up its 12th season at the Alpine Playhouse this
weekend with five new plays presented free.
Tonight at 7:30 p.m., the conference will present two plays by McCall-Donnelly High School students
Savannah Jackson and Lindsey Hall.
http:// www .mccallstamews.com/pages/hcw_ feature _page.php
Page 1 of 2
Ran v .. ^i,h5tri�M1On
Edit a wni
Lvg Gff
Index
. Seven Devils wraps
up 2012 session with
five new plays
B:r.4 to Fir,nt Fra-
6/21/2012
Star -News Features Page Page 2 of 2
Donations will be accepted for the Joythi Jorgensen Helping Hands Scholarship Fund, awarded
annually to an M -D student studying the performing or visual arts in college.
Donations will be matched by The A.K. Starr Charitable Trust.
'REVELATION'
On Friday, the conference continues with "Revelation" by Samuel Brett Williams starting at 7:30 p.m.
Originally from Arkansas, Williams' plays have been seen in New York and around the
country. He is a recipient of Helen Merrill Emerging Playwright Award, and his play The
Revivar was nominated for a New York Innovative Theater Award.
"Brett is taking on some serious, adult issues; said Sheila McDevitt, who is the co-artistic
i director of id Theater. "But he's such a terrifically funny and irreverent writer, he gets you
Sammi Bret laughing and thinking at the same time."
Williams
'KINGDOMS OF ROT
The conference continues Saturday at 2 p.m. with a reading of Thomas Newby's "Kingdoms of Rot* in
the Community Room of Idaho First Bank
Newby graduated from The College of Idaho in 2011 and was as a finalist for the John Cauble Short
Play Award at the Regan 7 Kennedy American College Theatre Festival.
"It's always especially rewarding to support the work of a talented Idaho playwright,' conference
Artistic Director Jeni Mahoney said.
"Kingdoms of Rot* will be presented as a seated reading as a part of the conference's Playwrights
Intensive Program, which allows writers to focus more on developing the text of their play without
worrying about staging
'TEN MILE LAKE'
The conference concludes on Saturday at 7.30 p.m. at the Alpine Playhouse with "Ten Mile Lake."
The play was authored by Tire Palinquist, a writer, director and teacher from Irvine, Calif., who
teaches research and writing at the University of Calffomia, Irvine.
Palmquist also teaches playwritng at the Orange County High School of the Arts, where she produces
an annual 10 minute play festival.
The Seven Devils Playwrights Conference is a project of id Theater and is sponsored by the Alpine
Playhouse. More information can be found at www.idtheater.org.
Back To Index /Menu
Back To Front Page
® Copyright 2009 "2012 Central Idaho Publishing Inc " All ruts reserved
http:// www. mccallstamews .com/pages/hcw_feature�age.php 6/21/2012
Star -News Features Page Page 1 of 1
Spvpn Devils wraps up 2012 sp ion v.,ith five new pin�.
The Seven Devils Playwrights Conference wraps up its 12th season at the Alpine Playhouse this
weekend with fine new plays presented free.
Tonight at 7:30 p.m., the conference will present two plays by McCall - Donnelly High School students
Savannah Jackson and Lindsey Hall_
Donations will be accepted for the Joythi Jorgensen Helping Hands Scholarship Fund, awarded
annually to an M -D student studying the performing or visual arts in college.
Donations will be matched by The A.K. Starr Charitable Trust.
'REVELATION'
On Friday, the conference continues with "Revelation' by Samuel Brett Williams starting at 7:30 p.m.
Originally from Arkansas, Williams' plays have been seen in New York and around the
country. He is a recipient of Helen Merrill Emerging Playwright Award, and his play "The
Reviver was nominated for a New York Innovative Theater Award.
Brett is taking on some serious, adult issues," said Sheila McDevitt, who is the co-artistic
director of id Theater. "But he's such a terrifically funny and irreverent writer, he gets you
samml Brett laughing and thinking at the same time."
Williams
'KINGDOMS OF ROT'
The conference continues Saturday at 2 p.m. with a reading of Thomas Newby's 'Kingdoms of Rat' in
the Community Room of Idaho First Bank.
Newby graduated from The College of Idaho in 2011 and was as a finalist for the John Cauble Short
Play Award at the Regan 7 Kennedy American College Theatre Festival.
'It's always especially rewarding to support the work of a talented Idaho playwright,' conference
Artistic Director Jeni Mahoney said.
'Kingdoms of Rot" will be presented as a seated reading as a part of the conference's Playwrights
Intensive Program, which allows writers to focus more on developing the text of their play without
worrying about staging.
'TEN MILE LAKE'
The conference concludes on Saturday at 730 p.m. at the Alpine Playhouse with "Ten Mile Lake."
The play was authored by Tire Palnquist, a writer, director and teacher from Irvine, Calif., who
teaches research and writing at the University of Califomia, Irvine.
Paknquist also teaches playwriting at the Orange County High School of the Arts, where she produces
an annual 10 -minute play festival.
The Seven Devils Playwrights Conference is a project of id Theater and is sponsored by the Alpine
Playhouse. More information can be found at www.idtheater.org.
Back To Index /Menu
http://www.mccallstamews.com/pages/hcw—feature_page.php 6/21/2012
Star -News Features Page Page 1 of 1
Not Always What It Seems
Playwright, born in South Korea but raised in Idaho, must deal with perceptions
"The perception is you are not American because you don't look American. "— Kimber Lee
BY KYLA SAWYER
for The Star -News
Kimber Lee is an American, raised in Nampa by her adoptive parents. But Lee was born in South
Korea, which has led to a lifelong experience with perceptions.
"No one's ever going to look at me and think that I'm
anything other than Asian," said Lee, one of the playwrights
at the 2013 Seven Devils Playwrights Conference in McCall.
-i
Adopted when she was eight months old, navigating
identity has been tricky, she said.
"The perception is you are not American because you
don't look American, which in this country means you are not z
white," said Lee, 42.
"And you are not Asian because once people find out you r
are adopted and raised by a white family the perception is nngt8ih1° "°
Kimber Lee, left, goes oce� n scnlx �m'mg the
you don't know anything about you're culture or heritage' SeceuD(<*Fla)wngtrtscontereuce inW -Call At
she said. nghtis; hlhe Rose Sclwlrr
Despite the culture biases she's encountered Lee says her writing comes from another source of
inspiration.
"I start from an image or a character's voice - some little thing lodges like a piece of sand and just kind
of worries and worries until it forms something," Lee said.
The results have created plays titled "Fight" and "Different Words for the Same Thing."
Her latest play, "brownsville song (b -side for tray)" will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the
Alpine Playhouse. Admission is free.
The play is about a Brooklyn family's struggle after the untimely death of a loved one.
'I'm a boxer and the seed of this play came from something I read from a female boxer's blog that I
follow," Lee said.
"The post was about the death of this young boy from Brownsville, which is in east New York,
Brooklyn, which is traditionally a rough neighborhood," Lee said.
Fellowship Award
Lee recently won the PoNY Fellowship, which stands for Playwrights of New York. She is Playwrights'
Workshop Fellow at the Lark Play Development Center and a member of Ma -Yi Writers Lab.
"It's a huge honor and I'm still walking around in a daze about it," Lee said.
An alumni of Nampa Christian High School, Lee went on to graduate from Seattle Pacific University
before pursuing a career as professional actor.
In 2006, she took an acting job in San Diego at a professional theater and discovered her love of
playwriting.
"It didn't take me too long to be in San Diego before I realized that particular job would take all of my
focus and I probably wouldn't write plays," she said.
Lee went to graduate school at the University of Texas at Austin then moved to Brooklyn, N.Y., where
she currently lives.
"I consider myself to by fully American and fully Asian, whatever that means," Lee said.
"I really do think we are moving in to a time where we will be able to think of everyone as being
American instead of needing to divide people into categories without obliterating the culture or heritage
that is there," she said.
http:// www. mccallstamews .com/pages/hcw_feature _page.php 6/20/2013
Star -News Features Page
Seven Devils wraps up with readings of six new plays
The Seven Devils Playwrights Conference wraps up its 13th season in McCall this week with staged
readings of six new plays — all offered free at the Alpine Playhouse.
Tonight at 7:30 p.m. the conference will feature two plays by McCall- Donnelly High School students
David Garrison and Joshua Rux.
The student writers will be matched with professional directors and a professional playwright/mentor to
continue work on the play they wrote in the playwriting class at the high school.
The student plays, like all conference events, are free but donations will be accepted tonight for the
Joythi Jorgensen Helping Hands Scholarship Fund.
The scholarship is awarded annually to a McCall- Donnelly High School student studying the
performing or visual arts in college.
Friday night, the conference will present `Emerald's First Life" by S. L. Daniels.
Daniels' work has been produced in theaters around the world, including Victory Gardens and New
York Theatre Workshop. A film based on her play, "Lie For Me," is currently in production in Los
Angeles.
On Saturday at 2 p.m., Jeni Mahoney's new play, "Fata Morgana," will be presented as a seated
reading.
Unlike the other readings happening this weekend, this play will be read at McCall College, located at
the Park Street Professional Plaza off Mission Street.
Mahony is also the artistic director of the Seven Devils Playwrights Conference.
The final reading of the conference, "brownsville song (b -side for tray)" by Kimber Lee, will take place
at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
Lee was bom in South Korea and raised in Nampa, and is a 2013 -2014 recipient of the prestigious
PoNY Fellowship.
Plays developed at Seven Devils have been produced at venues around the country and garnered
prestigious awards including The John Gassner Award, The Woodward/Newman Drama Award, and the
ACTF /Kennedy Center National Student Playwriting Award.
Seven Devils Playwrights Conference is a project of id Theater, and is sponsored by the Alpine
Playhouse.
Page 1 of 1
http:// www .mccallstamews.com/pages/hcw_ feature _page.php 6/20/2013
This week's front page stories
One & Done; Playwrights like one -act plays to keep audience in their seats
BY KYLA SAWYER
for The Star -News
Keeping theater -goers in their seats in the aim of a growing number of playwrights, including those
attending the just - completed Seven Devils Playwrights Conference in McCall.
"Ultimately good theater should stop time," stage director
–
Christy Montour- Larson said.
That is why many playwright prefer to write their plays in
one act, although they prefer the term "intermission less."
While audiences may be used to not having an
intermission in a movie theater, sitting for up to 80 minutes
watching a play may seem daunting.
"They
aren't one-act plays; said Jeni Mahoney, who
helped organize the conference that completed its two -week
run on Saturday.
Seven perils Plmxalgl to Confaenm Pmttcy>.wts
"1 think they may look that way on paper and they may not
1 ulyLoeben audclaut` Manmw- L —tlu,k
have intermissions, but structurally they are not one -act
au&nueashoddrem mimthmwatstluoughout
plays," Mahoney said.
.1 play
"In classical drama there are multiple acts – Shakespeare for example," participant Larry Loebell said.
"There the acts tend to break where the action breaks."
"There may still be four or five acts but where the intermission falls is not based on the structure of the
play,' Loebell said.
The majority of this year's Seven Devils plays had more than one act but may not have had an
intermission.
In a true one -act play there is a beginning, a middle and an end usually in under an hour and the story
takes place in one time period.
Note Necessarily Shorter
Intermissionless plays are not necessarily shorter, but are designed to allow the playwright and
audience to experience the dramatic tension uninterrupted, according to those interviewed.
"I think there are a lot reasons why not to take an intermission," playwright Tira Palmquist said.
"In some cases the train of the play runs and needs to keep running until the climax and conclusion,*
Palmquist said.
"There is an anecdotal belief that audiences' attention spans have gotten shorter and therefore plays
need to move faster," Loebell said.
"As an audience member I often appreciate an intermission," playwright S. L. Daniels said.
"But you want something, a question, something that has driven you to a point of, 'Oh my gosh, what
will happen next' that will bring you back to your seat," Daniels said.
Sometimes intermissions are not needed, the playwrights said.
"I once attended a play where there were actually two intermissions and they had to remind the
audience to come back in because people were actually grabbing their coats and purses," Palmquist
said.
Page 1 of 1
http:// www.mccallstamews.com/pages /fp_ stones _page.php 6/27/2013
Events and Arts The StarNews
Play reading Friday to raise
funds for Seven Devils conference
Local actors will sharing their love of drama on Friday to raise money for the nationally acclaimed
Seven Devils Playwrights Conference held each summer in McCall.
Members of the group, "The Friends of the Devils" will
"Rest,"
perform the adult- themed play, written by former
Idaho playwright Samuel D. Hunter at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the
Alpine Playhouse in McCall.
}:
The play reading stars local McCall area residents Irwin
Mulnick, Gene Drabinski, Nate Thrash, Steven Chase, Dana
Parker, Sara Walker, Lynn Johnson- DeHaven and Francie
Ford and is directed by Amy Rush.
n,..m h,
Sma N;�Ika, Lcuu Jolnuou- PeIinceu wd Fiwtte
A party with complimentary appetizers and drinks will
Fadrehemsea me fiom "Rest wbepmfoimed
Fndnc nt the �Iyme Yh»1»nse" nvc:m
follow. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $8 for students at
available at Bistro 45, Back Country Chiropractic and
Wellness Center and at the door.
McCall has hosted the Seven Devils Playwrights Conference for the past 13 years. Local residents
provide housing. Monies raised help provide airline tickets, car rentals and a stipend for about 20 to 30
people for the conference, Friends of the Devils volunteer Gail Verschoor said.
The Seven Devils Playwrights Conference selects 10 plays from about 200 entries each year.
Selected playwrights, actors and directors come together to develop and then perform the plays in
McCall.
The conference also selects four student playwrights from local schools to participate in the process. A
free playwriting workshop is also open to the public by the selected guest playwright.
ents_ arts _page.php
Page 1 of 1
4/10/2014
Events and Arts The StarNews
Seven Devils Playwrights Conference
starts 14th season Monday
Two -week conference to feature free workshops
The 14th Seven Devils Playwrights Conference starts on Monday and continues through June 21 at
the Alpine Playhouse in McCall.
Playwrights, actors and directors from across the country will travel to McCall to develop and present
six new plays.
"There's such a wealth of creative and theatrical energy in McCall," said Sheila McDevitt, co- artistic
director of id Theater, which produces the annual two -week event. "Spending two weeks honoring and
nurturing that spirit is going to be great fun. We can't wait to get started!"
Along with its usual schedule of free staged readings of new plays by visiting playwrights, the
conference will present new works by students from McCall- Donnelly High School and two free
workshops.
"Self!es from the High School" will be held next Thursday, June 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the Alpine
Playhouse, located on Roosevelt Street.
"This a twist on our usual presentation of student plays," conference Artistic Director Jeni Mahoney.
"The students were challenged to theatricalize personal statements this year so they've created some
exciting and very personally motivated work," Mahoney said. "Because the pieces are short, we'll be
working with more students on more pieces."
On Monday, June 16, the conference will present "Insta- Play!" Working with Mahoney, attendees will
be guided in writing a short play, which will then be rehearsed and presented by members of the
company at the Alpine. Writing starts at 6 p.m., and the plays will be presented at 7:30 p.m
On Saturday, June 21, the conference will host "Getting Physical" with Dwayne Blackaller, education
director of Boise Contemporary Theater. The session will begin at 11 a.m. in the basement Community
Room at Idaho First Bank on Deinhard Lane in McCall.
Those attending will explore the physical impact of language by writing from a place of sensory
awareness and learn a new meaning to the phrase 'writing from the gut." No experience necessary.
Six writers from around the country will have their work developed and presented during the two-week
conference, including Barbara Hammond ( "Visible from Four States "), Hansol Jung ( "No More Sad
Things "), Heidi Kraay ( "Heathens "), Greg Paul ( "Wetiko "), Jennifer Rumberger ( "The Skinwalkers"), and
Christopher G. Ulloth ("First Snow ").
All conference events are free and open to the public at all times. More information can be found at:
www.idtheater.org.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
2014 Seven Devils Playwrights Conference Schedule of Events
All events are free and start at 7:30 p.m. at Alpine Playhouse unless otherwise noted.
• Thursday, June 12: "Selfies from the High School," personal statements by McCall- Donnelly High
Schools Students.
Friday, June 13: "No More Sad Things," by Hansol Jung.
Saturday, June 14: "Wetiko," by Greg Paul.
• Monday, June 16: "Insta -Play: A Writing and Performing Workshop." Playwriting starts at 6 p.m.,
performances start at 7:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, June 18: "First Snow," by Christopher G. Ulloth.
Thursday, June 19: "Heathens," by Heidi Kraay.
Friday, June 20: "The Skinwalkers," by Jennifer Rumberger.
• Saturday, June 21: "Visible From Four States," by Barbara Hammond.
• Saturday, June 21, 11 a.m., Idaho First Bank Community Room, "Getting Physical," free workshop
with actor, playwright and theater creator Dwayne Blackaller.
http://www.mccallstarnews.com/pages/events—arts_page.php
Page 1 of 1
6/5/2014
Events and Arts The StarNews
Insta -Play!
Public invited to become instant playwrights at Seven Devils event Monday
BY KYLA SAWYER
for The Stu -News
With just 15 minutes to write a play, and only an hour to
Schedule of Events
practice before show time, the "Insta- Play!" workshop on
Monday promises to be a fast - paced, fun evening for
Here are upcoming events for the
aspiring playwrights.
2014 Seven Devils Playwrights
Conference in McCall.
"Insta- Play!" is an event of the 14th Annual Seven Devils
Playwrights Conference and will begin at 6 p.m. Monday at
All events are free to the public and
the Alpine Playhouse on Roosevelt Avenue.
will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Alpine
Playhouse on Roosevelt Avenue in
The event is open to anyone up to the challenge of
McCall unless noted below.
creating in a short amount of time, conference Artistic
Director Jeni Mahoney said.
TONIGHT
"Basically we're taking the entire process of writing and
"Sees from the High School," plays
mounting a play, which can take weeks, even years, and
by McCall- Donnelly High School
compressing it into a single evening," Mahoney said.
students.
"The writing time is very limited, so you don't have time to
FRIDAY
judge or edit yourself," she said. "It's very freeing whether it's
your first time writing a play or 20th."
"No More Sad Things," by Hansol
Jung.
Participants are encouraged to bring whatever they need
to write, whether paper and pens or a laptop or tablet.
A girl catches a last- minute flight to
Everyone will be given the same set of directions and have
Maui. A boy finds a girl on the shores
15 minutes to complete a short play.
of Ka anapali. Something strange and
something familiar pulls them closer.
A company of actors will arrive at 6:30 p.m. to begin
practicing for the evening's public readings at 7:30 p.m.
They spend the week together.
Maybe they fall in love. And maybe
"I love doing this kind of work because it's a great
love changes things. But not
equalizer," Mahoney said. "Everyone is in the same boat
everything.
regardless of experience, and even when they are all given
the same prompts, all the plays are completely different from
SATURDAY
each other."
'Wetiko," by Greg Paul. Russ, an
The idea for the "Insta- Play!" workshop was inspired by
ex- Marine, decides to adopt "Jack," a
this year's featured artist for the conference - the McCall
pit- fighting dog, putting his already
community, Mahoney said.
shaky transition to civilian life to the
test.
"This year's we decided to honor and actively engage all
the wonderfully talents artists and supporters we have in
But when Bead, the animal's owner,
McCall," she said.
shows up with a plan of his own, Russ
is forced to face the truth of Jack's
With little time to rehearse, the process is also an exciting
violent past. Will his determination to
challenge for the actors.
rehabilitate Jack salvage his broken
life, or destroy it?
"In the same way that the writers don't have time to edit
their words, the actors don't have time to edit their
MONDAY
impulses," Mahoney said.
°Insta -Play: A Writing and
"It's so easy to start doubting yourself or thinking you need
Performing Workshop." Writing starts
to 'fix' things, but with 1nsta- Play!' there isn't time and more
at 6 p.m., performances start at 7:30
often that's when the best work happens," she said.
p -m.
A complete schedule of events for this year's Seven Devils
WEDNESDAY
Playwrights Conference can be seen at www.idtheater.org.
"First Snow," by Christopher G.
Ulloth. In the first snow of winter, two
young lovers venture into an
abandoned and fire- ravaged mining
town.
Eager for escape and dreaming of
their yet unrealized futures, they brave
the mysterious and desolate place
where the burning earth meets the
frozen sky, only to discover that the
escape they seek may be the very
thing that tears them apart.
Page 1 of 1
http: / /www.mccallstamews .com/pages /events arts _page.php 6/12/2014
Events and Arts The StarNews
Conference starts tonight with M -D student plays
The Seven Devils Playwrights Conference launches its 14th season tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Alpine
Playhouse in McCall.
The conference kicks off with seven new plays by McCall - Donnelly High School students.
The conference continues through June 21 with six more new plays by playwrights from around the
country, and two playwriting workshops. All events are open to the public and free.
All plays are presented script -in -hand and are followed by moderated talk -backs with the audience.
"We're working with student writers in a whole new way
this year," Co- Artistic Director Sheila McDevitt said.
"Rather than writing traditional plays, the students have
theatricalized and directed personal statements working with I
their peers," McDevitt said. "Rehearsing and presenting i
them in one evening was a better fit." fid &%.m "
The presentation is free, but donations will be accepted for From left: Hansol Jung, Greg Paul, Christopher
the Joythi Jorgensen Helping Hands Scholarship Fund, Ulloth
which is awarded annually to a McCall- Donnelly High School
student studying the performing or visual arts in college.
On Friday at 7:30 p.m. the conference will present a staged reading of "No More Sad Things" by
Hansol Jung.
Originally from South Korea, Jung is a playwright, director and translator who has translated more than
30 American musicals into Korean.
"Wetiko" by Greg Paul will be presented on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Paul, who attended the conference
in 2008 with his play "Wait," is a playwright, director and actor who teaches theater at Baruch College,
and mentors and directs at NYU /Playwrights Horizons Theatre School.
On Monday, "Insta- Play!," a free writing workshop, will offer attendees the chance to write a short play
which will be performed by the company.
Those interested in writing plays should come to the Alpine at 6 p.m., and the plays will be presented
to the public at 7:30 p.m.
"First Snow" by Christopher G. Ulloth will be presented on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
h's second year with the conference, having served as an
.idtheater.org.
nts_arts page.php
Page 1 of 1
6/12/2014
Events and Arts The StarNews Page 1 of 1
Seven Devils calls it a wrap with free plays, workshop
The Seven Devils Playwrights Conference wraps up its 14th season in McCall this week with readings
of three new plays at the Alpine Playhouse and a playwritng workshop. All events are free.
Tonight at 7:30 p.m. the conference will feature "New
Eden" (formerly entitled "Heathens ") by Boise playwright
k
Heidi Kraay.
This is Kraay's second appearance at the Conference. Her
play "Kilgore" was presented in 2011, and her play "Dirt"
M
recently ran at the Water Cooler in Boise.
"The Skinwalkers" by Jennifer Rumberger will be
From left: Jennifer Rumberger, Heidi Kmav,
presented Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Barbara Hammond.
Rumberger is a Chicago playwright and actress. She is a founding member of Chicago's Living Room
Playmakers, and a graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and Northwestern
University, where she received an MFA in writing for screen and stage.
The conference will wrap up its reading series Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with "Visible From Four States"
by Barbara Hammond.
Hammond is a New Dramatists resident, recipient of a 2012 Helen Merrill Playwright Award and was
named one of the Influential Women of 2011 by the Irish Voice.
She is currently working on commissions for the Royal Court Theatre and the Contemporary American
Theatre Festival.
On Saturday the conference will offer a free playwriting workshop entitled "Getting Physical" with
Dwayne Blackaller, education director of the Boise Contemporary Theater.
The session will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the basement Community Room at Idaho First Bank on
Deinhard Lane.
Participants in this free workshop will explore the physical impact of language by writing from a place
of sensory awareness. To reserve a spot, write to jeni @idtheater.org.
Seven Devils Playwrights Conference is a project of id Theater, and is sponsored by the Alpine
Playhouse.
http://www.mccallstarnews.com/pages/events—arts_page.php 6/19/2014
This week's front page stories
Lost In Translation
Playwright faces challenges translating American musicals into Korean
Page 1 of 1
"All of the jokes are about words and word games, so it was tough. " - Hansol Jung
BY KYLA SAWYER
for The Star -News
Hansol Jung admits it isn't always easy translating American jokes into her native language.
As one of six playwrights chosen to participate in this
year's Seven Devils Playwrights Conference in McCall, Jung
has translated more than 30 American musicals into Korean.
"The hardest musical to translate so far has been 'The
25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,'" said Jung, 31.
"It's an alphabet that is not Korean, then all of the jokes are
about words and word games and play on words, so it was
tough," she said.
Many of her translated plays have been brought to the
stage in her native country.
Born in Seoul, South Korea, Jung was six years old when
her family moved to South Africa for seven years for her
father's profession as a pastor.
Phanq —I—
South Korean Playwright Hansol Jung, who
translates American musicals into Korean, takes
part in a reading at the Seven Devils Playwrights
Conference in McCall.
"I didn't have much experience with theater as a kid, instead 1 did a lot of church things on stage,
singing, etc.," she said.
Her pursuit of theater was happenstance. In college, she attended an exchange program at New York
University.
"I spent on all of my money on watching plays and just loved it," Jung said.
'And then two days after I got back home to Korea from NYU, I got a really random job as an assistant
director for a musical and also was the translator because the director was from New Jersey," Jung said.
'Jekyll and Hyde'
The musical was "Jekyll and Hyde" by Frank Wildhorn. And at age 21, director David Swan took Jung
under his week and became her mentor.
"When I was house sitting much later for him in New Jersey, I found a musical named, "Baby" and for
some reason decided I would translate it into Korean," Jung said.
The producer that had hired Jung for "Jekyll and Hyde" bought the translated script, which led to other
directorship and translation jobs.
"It's so weird," said Jung, who holds a master's degree in theatrical directing from Penn State
University and most recently completed a second master's degree in playwriting from Yale University.
Other musicals she has translated into Korean include "Evita," "Evil Dead The Musical," and "Baby."
The Seven Devils conference featured a reading of her play "No More Sad Things."
Set in the modem day paradise on the Hawaiian island of Maui, the play explores the driving forces
behind reaching out for relationships.
"I think the play is about loneliness and how we come out of relationships," Jung said.
"We all have holes from our past and sometimes a new relationship fills those holes, but mostly you
have to come to terms with this on your own to really move on," she said.
Having long periods of time to work on her play while surroundeded by McCall's natural beauty offers
playwrights plenty of inspiration, Jung said.
"We are all mostly strangers, but it was an easy process to work together and fun," she said.
Back To Index
http: / /www.mccallstamews .com/pages /fp_stories _page.php 6/26/2014
Star -News News Page—Announcements
Seven Devils Playwrights conference
gets $io,000 NEA grant
Id Theater has been awarded $10,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts to support The
Seven Devils Playwrights Conference.
The conference, now in its 15th year, brings playwrights, actors, directors and other theater artists
from around the country to McCall for two weeks of rehearsals, development and free public
presentations of new work.
The conference also develops work by local high school playwrights and offers a free playwriting
workshop.
"Receiving this kind of recognition from the NEA is such an honor," id Theater Co-Artistic Director
Sheila McDevitt said. "And not just for us; but also for the people of McCall, who take a very active role
in the development of new work at the conference.
The NEA received 1,474 eligible applications under the Art Works category, requesting more than $75
million in funding. Of those applications, 919 are recommended for grants for a total of $26.6 million.
For more information on id Theater and Seven Devils Playwrights Conference visit www.idtheater.org.
Page I of I
http: / /www.mccallstarnews.com /pages /announcements _page.php 12/11/2014
Information and Health The StarNews Page 1 of 1
Seven Devils director writes play that opens in Boise
Seven Devils Playwrights Conference Artistic Director Jeni Mahoney is the author of a play that open
this week in Boise.
The play, "Fata Morgana," is the third play developed at the Seven Devils conference, held in McCall
each June, to go on to its world premiere at Boise Contemporary Theater. The play opened on
Wednesday and will run through Feb. 21.
"Fata Morgana" takes place at the edge of a toxic lake in the Mojave Desert, where Tod and Jack have
built a quiet new life. But the silence is broken, when the life they left behind comes knocking.
"The journey for this play, from McCall to Boise, feels so right," said Mahoney, who has been in
residence at Boise Contemporary Theater for the entire rehearsal process.
"The folks at BCT take on new work with the kind of generosity, creativity and bold sense of possibility
that empowers playwrights to their best work."
Tickets cost $26 for shows on Wednesday and Thursday and $32 for shows on Friday and Saturday.
Saturday Matinee tickets and all students cost $16. For more information and to purchase tickets go to
BCTheater.org.
http: / /www.mccalistamews.com /pages /info_page.php 1/29/2015
Star -News News Announcements Page
Former McCall playwright named finalist for conference
Former McCall resident Ben Verschoor has been named a finalist for the 2015 National Playwrights
Conference at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Conn.
Verschoor s play, "Internet Hate Machines," was one of 59 finalists selected by
the conference, which received 1,300 plays this year from writers from around the
country.
Verschoor, 29, was a regular on stage and behind the scenes at the Alpine
Playhouse in McCall until moving to Washington, D.C. and then New York City to y
pursue his playwriting ambitions. He is a 2004 graduate of McCall- Donnelly High
School.
His play "Pop Will Drink Itself" was selected for development as a student play
at the 2004 Seven Devils Playwrights Conference in McCall. Two years later, he nen veil, «x
returned to the conference with his full - length play "The Tragedy of the Brothers - - ----- - -- —
Lafferty."
Written entirely in iambic pentameter, the play earned Verschoor a spot on The Dramatists Guild
Magazine's list of "50 Playwrights to Watch."
"There aren't many playwrights with the range of skill and knowledge that Ben processes, not to
mention his generosity in supporting others," Seven Devils Artistic Director Jeni Mahoney said.
The 2015 Seven Devils Playwrights Conference runs June 8 -20 at the Alpine Playhouse. All events
are free. See www.idtheater.org for details.
Page 1 of 1
http: / /www.mccallstamews.com/pages /announcements _page.php 5/14/2015
Star -News News Announcements Page
Ravenhorst to compete at Mrs. Idaho America Pageant
Christi van Ravenhorst will represent McCall at the 2016 Mrs. Idaho America Pageant.
Van Ravenhorst will be vying for the chance to represent Idaho at the national
Mrs. America Pageant and a prize package valued at over $10,000.
"
The state pageant will be held on Oct. 3 at Capital High in Boise. Van
�;
T
Ravenhorst will compete in personal interview, physical fitness and evening
gown.
1
The Mrs. America Pageant is the longest running pageant honoring America's
65 million married women.
1
In addition to the overall winner, the Idaho pageant will recognize winners who
excel in community service, professional careers and the crowd - favorite state
costume competition.
Christi van
Ravenhorst
Van Ravenhorst and her husband, Ross, have been married for four years and relocated to McCall
just over a year ago.
She recently participated in a play reading at the Alpine Playhouse to raise money for the 2015 Seven
Devils Playwrights Conference and will also perform in the playhouse's summer play in July.
Page 1 of 1
http: / /www.mccallstamews. com/pages /announcements _page.php 5/28/2015
Star -News News Events Page
Seven Devils Playwrights Conference returns next
Thursday
Id Theater returns to McCall starting next Thursday for the 15th Annual Seven Devils Playwrights
Conference.
Sponsored by the Alpine Playhouse, the conference will run through June 20 and will offer new plays
by some of the most exciting new voices in the American Theater. All events are free.
Since 2001, the conference has developed more than 125 new plays by some of the most influential
writers working in the theater today including Sam Hunter, Jeni Mahoney and Kimber Lee.
A Scotch tasting to benefit the conference will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Rupert's, located inside
Hotel Mccall downtown.
Simon Brooking of the id Theater will lead a journey through a specially selected collection of whiskies.
Cost is $50 and tickets can be purchased at Hotel McCall or at www.idtheater.org /scotch.
Here is the schedule of events for the first week of the conference. All events begin at 7:30 p.m. at the
Alpine Playhouse, 1210 Roosevelt St. in McCall unless noted:
Thursday, June 11
McCall Playwrights Night: Enjoy an evening of new work written by the members of McCall's own
vibrant playwriting community featuring 10 playwrights.
Friday, June 12
"The Open Hand," by Robert Caisley. Allison does not accept gifts. Not even on her birthday. Not even
from her fiance. So when she finds herself without her wallet and unable to pay the tab for an expensive
lunch with a friend, it is with great reluctance that she accepts the generosity of a total stranger.
Determined to repay his kindness, Allison comes face-to -face the dark secrets that drive her Inability to
accept even the simplest act of benevolence.
Saturday, June 13
Playwriting Worshop, with Robert Caisley. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. lower level Community Room, Idaho First
Bank, 475 E. Deinhard Lane. No experience necessary
Saturday, June 13
"Unraveled," by Jennifer Blackmer. As a professor of physics and philosophy, Joy has spent her life
exploring theories of space and time, but none of that has prepared her for the reality of watching cancer
unravel her mothers mind and body.
As the hard work of caretaking begins to take its toll, she hires Anna, a hospice nurse, to help her
mother. But when the rules of space and time no longer provide Joy the answers she needs, can Anna's
simple lessons of how to care for another person help Joy knit the pieces of her life together again?
Monday, June 15
Insta -Play! Ever wonder what it's like to write a play and see it performed? Now you can find out!
Come at 5 p.m. and allow us to guide you through the process of writing a short play, rehearsing it, and
then mounting it for the warmest audience ever!
Or just come to the 7:30 p.m. and be a part of the warmest audience ever as you enjoy a evening of
the freshest, newest theater you've ever seen!
http: / /www.mccallstarnews .com/pages /events_arts _page.php
Page 1 of 1
6/4/2015
Star -News News Events Page
Astronomy, Knitting & Drama
Seven Devils Playwright focuses on roles for women, ethical choices
"You look at Hamlet or most plays and it's all about the guys and women supporting them
to be OK. " Jennifer Blackmer
BY KYLA SAWYER
for The Star-News
Jennifer Blackmer likes to take big ideas such as ethics or science and discover what would happen to
a person if they were put into the middle of a difficult situation.
"1 like to see characters that must confront something
messy and hard emotionally, physically and mentally and
see what they do," Blackmer said.
Blackmer is one of the artists selected to present their
works at the Seven Devils Playwright's Conference that
starts tonight at the Alpine Playhouse.
"After I get this idea I want to spend a lot of time with I
come up with a female protagonist, who she is and then I
develop what seems like a million drafts with hints of
something good in each," she said.
Blackmer, an associate professor at Ball State University,
in Muncie, Ind., will present her play, "Unraveled," at 7:30
p.m. on Saturday.
Playwright Jennifer Blackmer, renter, discusses her
upcoming reading at the Seven Devils Playwrights
Conference with conference organizers Jew
Mahoney, left, and Sheila McDevitt, at the Alpine
Playhouse.
"Unraveled" is the story of a strong mother - daughter relationship that the main character doesn't want
to see end.
She stayed up all night on Monday night re- writing 55 pages of her play after becoming inspired by
meetings with other artists in McCall.
"All of sudden my brain started firing on all cylinders and I re -wrote the entire first act to see if the
structure of the play could actually mimic knitted fabric," she said.
Blackmer, 44, wrote her first play at age 19 in college. But graduate school and her passion for
directing took her in another direction for several years.
"It was through my directing that I learned how stories work and it was the best training ever for a lot of
years," she said.
Blackmer has always loved science, astronomy and cosmology and has incorporated those themes
into her plays.
"I realized that stories that I wanted to tell were about the subjects I'm fascinated in and it all combines
into this style of writing," she said.
Knitting Infatuation
Blackmer also is a knitter and has an entire webpage on her website dedicated to knitting.
"I became infatuated with the craft because it's so old and it's passed down through the women and
that we're all connected," she said, explaining the basis for "Unraveled."
Blackmer recently won the Pen International Literary Foundation Award for Best Emerging Playwright.
Another of her plays, "Human Terrain," is being developed as a motion picture with an independent
film company in Los Angeles.
"You look at Hamlet or most plays and it's all about the guys and women supporting them to be OK,"
Blackmer said. "I'm interested in stories with female protagonists that are going through very
complicated issues such as ethical dilemmas."
Blackmer plans to spend the next few nights re- writing the second half of "Unraveled" before
Saturday's reading.
"This conference and place gives you the feeling that its safe to go out on a limb and see what Is
possible," Blackmer said. "To do this in an idyllic community is exciting"
Page 1 of 1
http:// www. mccallstamews .com/pages /events_arts _page.php 6/11/2015
Star -News News Events Page
Seven Devils Playwrights Conference begins with playwrights night, Calsley play
The 15th Annual Seven Devils Playwrights Conference opens this week at the Alpine Playhouse on
Roosevelt Street in McCall.
Sponsored by the Alpine Playhouse, the conference will run through June 20 and will
.i offer new plays by some of the most exciting new voices in the American Theater. All
�r events are free.
Since 2001, the conference has developed more than 125 new plays by some of the
most influential writers working in the theater today including Sam Hunter, Jeni Mahoney
Robert Caisley and Kimber Lee.
On Friday, the conference will feature reading of "The Open Hand" by the Robert Caisley, who is the
featured artist of the conference.
Caisley is professor of theatre and head of dramatic writing at the University of Idaho in Moscow.
His latest play, "Lucky Me," is being produced this season at the New Jersey Repertory Theatre,
Curious Theatre in Denver, Riverside Theatre in Iowa City, 6th Street Playhouse in Santa Rosa, Calif.,
Oregon Contemporary Theatre, and The Modem Theatre in Spokane.
His earlier play, "Happy," received a National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere and was
named one of the 'Nine Best Comedies" of the season by Chicago Magazine.
Caisley will also host a playwriting workshop at 11 a.m. Saturday in the lower level Community Room
of Idaho First Bank, 475 E. Deinhard Lane in McCall. No experience necessary.
is _page.php
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6/11/2015
Star -News News Events Page
The Power of Words
Local playwrights explore their talents at Seven Devils workshop
"It's very clear what works and what doesn't. " —Amy Rush
BY KYLA SAWYER
for The Star -News
Karla Miller smiled broadly after watching her play, "Mom's R Us" performed for the first time during
McCall Playwrights Night at the Alpine Playhouse last Thursday.
"It's crazy to see your play come to life," said Miller, of
"You
McCall. don't think that what you wrote on a page has
that much power to make people feel or laugh."
r
Miller was one of five local writers chosen to have portions
of their plays -in- progress performed during the 2015 Seven
Devils Playwrights Conference.
t
"In order to have great plays, we have to have great
Pom
playwrights and that's what we're working on hen:,"
Jeui Mahoney, left, co-artistic director of the Seven
Mahoney
Conference Artistic Co-Director Jeni Mahone said.
Devils Playwrights Conference, makes comments to
Kay MacDonald after MacDonald's play was read
Last week during the McCall Playwrights Night.
The local playwrights were part of a playwriting class that
was offered by the Alpine Playhouse earlier this spring.
Conference organizers provided each playwright with a director and dramaturg, who consults with the
writers and helps edit their work.
"For more than two of these plays, our actors were handed almost entirely new scripts just hours
before the performance," Mahoney said.
Some of the pieces were short plays and others were just a few scenes from a longer play in progress.
After each performance, the playwrights were brought onstage and to hear comments from the
audience and the professional playwrights attending the conference.
"It's very clear when a play is in front of an audience what works and what doesn't," said Amy Rush of
McCall, one of the local playwrights "So there are lines that I want to take out and lines that I was
surprised by how the audience reacted."
Rush, a stay -at -home mom, wrote her play, "Winter into Spring" based somewhat on personal
experience.
"It's an idea that's been tumbling around in my head for awhile," she said. "There was a time when I
was in college when boys my age weren't interested but I was hit on by guys in their 50s"
Get To The Action
The comments from professionals helped local playwright Kay Addington MacDonald of Fruitvale.
"I've really struggled with starting a story in the middle," said MacDonald after watching her play "Harv"
for the first time on stage.
"They helped me cut out a lot of the redundant material and just start the action," she said.
Playwright Barbara L. Dixon of Council called the workshop "magical."
"I had all this stuff in my head and so the process gave me an outlet," said Dixon, who watched a
portion of her play, "Naked in Central Idaho," which deals with the complications of divorce fueled by the
need of society to keep buying things.
"I don't know if I want to call myself a playwright; I just want to finish this play," she said.
http://www.mccallstamews.com/pages/events—arts_page.php
Page 1 of 1
6/18/2015
Star -News News Events Page
Seven Devils Playwrights Conference to end with Cockey play, student workshop
The 15th Annual Seven Devils Playwrights Conference concludes this week at the Alpine Playhouse in
McCall.
Former McCall resident Bernadine Cockey will present a reading of her play "Relative Madness" to
close the conference at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
Cockey spends two weeks each June working with the conference, where she has been selected
twice as a featured playwright.
Her play, 'A Question of Grace; was produced at Boise State University. Another play, 'A Little Time
in the Fall" was presented at the Playwrights Showcase in Denver.
Cockey's play, "Night Among the Hunters," was awarded a Writer's Digest Playwriting Prize.
Cockey lives in Boise, where she works as prop master for Boise Contemporary Theater and assistant
prop master for the Idaho Shakespeare Festival.
On Saturday, an improvisational workshop for teens with professional actors from the conference will
be held from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the community room at Idaho First Bank.
Teens will take part in fun and challenging improvisation games with members of the acting company.
No experience is necessary.
Here is the schedule of the remaining events for the 2015 Seven Devils Playwrights Conference.
All events are free and will be begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Alpine Playhouse on Roosevelt Street unless
otherwise noted.
TONIGHT
° <3"
by Sara Jean Accuardi
14- year -old Ellie is a good kid. It's the worst. 22- year -old David is grown -up. It's the worst.
That is, until their lives become entangled with a girl who's determined to be neither, or both. Maybe
the only thing more dangerous than growing up too fast, is growing up too slowly.
FridaY
"Koalas"
by J. Joseph Cox
The only thing more territorial than the koala living in Ray's yard is Ray himself. When his domain is
unexpectedly invaded by his unemployed brother and gender nonconforming daughter, Ray clings to his
man -of- the -house status like a koala does a tree.
Can a 20th Century man survive the dawning of the 21st?
Saturday
STUDENT WORKSHOP
A free theater workshop for high school students starting at 11 a.m. in the lower level Community
Room, Idaho First Bank, 475 E. Deinhard Lane.
The workshop will be led by current company members Fallon Brooking, who is currently studying
theater at CalArts; Allison Siko, a professional stage and television actress; and Amy Rush of McCall.
The workshop will also include members of the conference's professional acting company who will
work hand -in -hand with student participants. To reserve a spot, write to sheila@idtheater.org.
Saturday
"RELATIVE MADNESS"
by Bernadine Cockey
Janice and Candace have always been close, especially when they're far apart. They love each other
and they believe in each other, even though Janice knows Candace is crazy, and Candace knows
Janice is totally nuts.
Two sisters struggle with the detritus of their mother's life, and the question of each other's madness.
But can sanity really be determined? Or is it all just relative?
http: / /www.mccallstamews .com/pages /events_arts _page.php
Page 1 of 1
6/18/2015
Star -News News Events Page
Training Wheels
Playwright wannabes get pro coaching at Seven Devils conference
"We wanted them to do their work without the pressure of actually having a performance."
Jeni Mahoney
BY KYLA SAWYER
for The Star -News
Deborah Jordan traveled from Jacksonville, Fla., to McCall to learn how to be a playwright.
"I wasn't really sure what that meant," Jordan said. "They
chained us to a laptop and locked us in a room," she added
with a laugh.
Jordan was one of two playwrights -in— residence chosen as
part of a new program for the 2015 Seven Devils Playwrights
Conference, which concluded last weekend at the Alpine
Playhouse.
Almost 500 playwrights from around the country applied to
be a part of the 15th annual event, conference Artistic
Director Jeni Mahoney said.
A team of readers sorted through the play submissions,
and Mahoney estimates she read through 150 plays.
v by 1s
From left, Playwrights in Residence Jenny
Sternling and Deborah Jordan discuss their work
with company member A.P. Andrews and audience
members during last week's Seven Devils
Playwrights conference at the Alpine Playhouse in
McCall.
"We had these two people who are both extremely passionate about what they had written but it
wasn't in a place to do the staged reading yet," she said.
"We wanted to offer them the opportunity to do their work, to be around people who were doing that
work and learn the environment but without the pressure of actually having a performance," Mahoney
said.
Both Jordan and playwright -in- residence Jenny Stemling of Boise were provided with a director and a
dramaturg who consulted with the writers and helped edit their work.
"I had a 100 -page play that everyone agreed was a cool play, but it didn't have very much guts;
Stemling said.
The play, "Taking the Seize: A Dog Drama" takes place in the 19th century about an actor that works
with live performing dogs on stage.
"I don't know if my play will ever be produced because it has a live dog in it," said Sternling who has
been a professional actor, director, writer and producer for stage, film, voice-over and television.
Start Over
After discussions with her director and dramaturg, Sternling decided to start all over again.
"I don't know if my play will ever be produced because it has a live dog in it," she said.
For both Jordan and Sternling, the chance to be a part of the conference helped them discover what
works and what does not.
"It's like you are getting all these free lessons and advice from all these experienced playwrights," said
Jordan, who is an associate professor of theatre and program head for acting and directing at
Jacksonville University.
Her play, "The Calling" is based on the lives and journeys of the nuns of St. Gertrude Monastery in
Cottonwood.
"I feel like I've developed and discovered the tools I need," Jordan said. "Part of it is just the openness
of everyone encouraging you to succeed in this safe, magical environment they've created here."
"People tend to look at new plays and judge whether something is good or bad," Mahoney said. "Here
we have a community that can look at a play and say this is what's fascinating without passing judgment
which allows the playwright to keep working on it and have hope."
Page 1 of 1
http://www.mccallstamews.com/pages/events—arts_page.php 6/25/2015
Star -News News Events Page
'Spoken For" reading Friday to benefit Seven Devils
"Spoken For," a play by S.L. Daniels, will be read Friday at the Alpine Playhouse in McCall.
The play will begin at 7:30 p.m. Friday and will be followed
by a party with refreshments and appetizers. There will also
be a silent auction with items to bid.
:i
Tickets cost $15 at the door or in advance at Bistro 45 in
McCall. All proceeds from the party will benefit the Seven
Devils Playwrights Conference.
'Spoken For" is a one -act comedy about "a world where
the wealthy are so rich that they hire people to speak for�TM•s�q��
them," according to the synopsis. Cast for the reading From left, Nate Thrash, Dana Parker, Bernie
includes Nate Thrash, Dana Parker, Irwin Mulnick, Lindsay Rust` pmet icnatnlniek,i;naseyenFoenanmy
Harris and Amy Rush. Rush practice a scene ftom'spoken For
Since 2001, the conference has developed and presented more than 100 new American plays.
Daniels was a guest playwright in 2013 with her play, "Emerald's First Life'
All conference events are free and open to the public at all times, including fully - staged readings,
seated readings and an annual playwriting workshop. This years conference dates are June 6 -18.
es/events—aAs_page.phD
Page 1 of 1
4/28/2016
Star -News News Events Page Page 1 of 1
Seven Devils Playwrights Conference
to return for 16th season
Seven writers from all over the country will be in residence in McCall June 9 -18 for the 2016 Seven
Devils Playwrights Conference.
Plays developed at the conference will be presented in a series of free public staged
readings at the Alpine Playhouse.
4 Other public events include a free playwriting workshop with featured artist Lee Blessing,
a free drama workshop for teens, an evening of short works by local playwrights, and
f! Insta -Play, in which community members are invited to write short plays that will then be
presented publicly.
I.ee Blessing
Blessing is returning to the conference for the third time to develop his new play
"Minneapolis /St. Paul."
The other playwrights participating in this years Conference include Sarah B. Mantell ( "Tiny"), Dominic
Finocchiaro (`The Found Dog Ribbon Dance"), K. Frithjof Peterson ('Bookmarks'), Boise native Jenny
Stemling ( "Breathe Me "), Megan Fevurly ('Tightrope "), and Playwright -in- Residence Noah Diaz (The
Motherhood Almanac).
The conference, a project of id Theater, is sponsored by the Alpine Playhouse, which has hosted the
all -free event since its inception in 2001.
Plays developed at the conference over its history include Samuel D. Hunters award - winning play,
"The Whale," Eric Coble's'The Velocity of Autumn," which went on to Broadway, and Hansol Jung's "No
More Sad Things," presented this season at Boise Contemporary Theater.
Plays developed at the conference have also garnered numerous awards, such as the M. Elizabeth
Osborn Award ("Veils" by Tom Coash), The John Gassner Playwriting Award ( "Faith" by James
McLindon), The Woodward /Newman Drama Award ( "Lemonade" by Mark Krause), and the
ACTF /Kennedy Center National Student Playwriting Award ( "In the Sawtooths" by Dano Madden).
All Conference events are free and open to the public at all times. Schedules can be found at
htip: Yidtheater .org/2016-conference.htmi.
http://www.mccallstamews.com/pages/events—arts—page.php 5/26/2016
Star -News News Events Page
Devils Advocates
Local playwrights gel expert help from Seven Devils conference
BY TERI ROBINSON
for The Star -News
David Garrison had a conflict in his life, so he decided one way to deal with the confkt was to write a
play about it.
Garrison, of McCall, is among the local authors invited to
take part in tonight's McCall Playwrights Night to kick off the
2016 Seven Devils Playwrights Conference.
The free event starts at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Alpine
Playhouse on Roosevelt Street.
This is the first year the conference has invited novice
playwrights to bring in their works for evaluation by
professionals attending the event, conference director Jeni
Mahoney.
The citizen playwrights were asked to craft their plays
around either "Armageddon" or "The Promised Land."
Michael Dixon of McCall was attending a reading in late
April when he heard about the invitation.
P fu' Sur Ne by G. b,
Justin Greavas from McCall, center, gets advice on
his play from Peter O'Connor, left, and kP.
Andrews during Monday's preparation for tonight's
McCall Playwright's Night.
"I thought maybe I could do it," Dixon said. "I've been in the Winter Carnival play as an actor, but never
written a play before"
Writing a play was never on his "bucket list" before, but now it might be, he said.
Tracey Kindall of McCall thought that writing a play would be fun and a challenge.
"When I write a story, it just comes alive," Kindall said.
A couple of amateur playwrights wrote their plays for a high school class with no anticipation of it being
picked for the conference.
Justin Greaves of McCall said he didn't even know his script was being submitted.
"I thought it was pretty red that someone thought my play was good," Greaves said.
Another high school student from McCall, Rylie Speirs, also had her play from drama class submitted
and picked.
Speirs is nervous about her play because she says it was a "really rough draft," and wasn't as finished
as she hoped it to be when it was submitted.
"It's encouraging that someone saw something," Speirs said. "I love writing and I'm excited to kook
more in depth at ft."
Garrison said the conference is all about the art.
"It's all about the art and the process, and understanding the story," he said. "At the end of the day it's
just about the art; if you mess up, it's all right."
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Star -News News Events Page Page 1 of 1
CORRECTION
A story in The Star -News last week cited Seven Devils Playwrights Conference as the producers of
the McCall Playwrights Night at the Alpine Playhouse last week. In fact, the event was a partnership co-
produced by both Seven Devils Playwrights Conference and the Alpine Playhouse.
http: / /www.mccallstamews .com/pages /events_arts _page.php 6/16/2016
Star -News News Events Page
Plays for the deaf get a hearing
at Seven Devils conference
Nebraska playwright says drama should be accessible to all
"(Sign language) has the opportunity for creativity that sometimes the English language
doesn't necessarily allow. "— Noah Diaz
BY TERI ROBINSON
for The Star -News
Noah Diaz believes a play can be enjoyed just as much by an audience even if they cannot hear a
word the actors are saying,
Diaz brought his techniques for staging plays for the deaf
as part of his stay as playwright -in- residence for the 2016
Seven Devils Playwrights Conference in McCall.
When he entered college at the University of Nebraska at
Omaha, Diaz thought theater was not in his future. it was his
mother who suggested that he spend his college years
interpreting and working with the deaf, and the two
disciplines soon came together.
Diaz is studying special education and communication
disorder while also teaching eaf and hard-of-hearing 9
pp"m to TLn Sm -Nees by Tci Rdimm
integrated drama classes at the Omaha Theater Company.
Noah Diaz, playwright -m -n sidence with the seven
[evils Playwrights Conference, speaks with actress
Writing for a deaf audience is similar to writing for a
Danielle Sacks of New York, middle, end
saran B. Martell during
hearing audience, he said.
g
p on Saturday.
a break in a writing workshop on Saturday.
a reek in
Sign language is not composed of English word order but is a language of concepts and imagery,
which makes it that much more beautiful, Diaz said.
"It has the opportunity for creativity that sometimes the English language doesn't necessarily allow," he
said.
Audience members in a play for the deaf do not need to know sign language because they are
exposed to it in a profound way, Diaz said. Often shows will provide some form of captioning service for
the hearing or deaf audience.
A team of signers serves as interpreters for actors to "speak" with each other, Diaz said.
Just as a part for a disabled person should not be played by an able- bodied actor, a deaf character
should be played by a deaf actor, he said.
"There are so many phenomenal deaf actors out there," Diaz said. "In this day and age, there's no
reason in my opinion, why a hearing person should be playing a deaf character."
Deaf actors need access to scripts earlier because of the time and energy needed to translate it into
sign language, he said.
Diaz began acting around age 8 and has been writing plays since he was 17. He began directing three
years ago.
"I like to get my hands in everything," he said.
His play for the Seven Devil conference is a series of stories about motherhood. There is a universality
to motherhood in that not every person is a mother, but every person has one, he said.
As the playwright -in- residence, Diaz is able to work on his play freely and radically, shaping his play
how he wants. He can also sit in on other rehearsals to confer with visiting actors.
The Seven Devils conference is unique in that it is not about the finished product, but making sure that
the play is what the writer wanted it to be, Diaz said.
Page 1 of 1
http: / /www.mccallstamews .com/pages /events arts _page.php 6/16/2016
Star -News News Events Page Page 1 of 1
Playwright gives his blessing to works In progress
Lee Blessing says success is bared on fielding ideas
BY TER] ROBINSON
for The Star -News
Lee Blessing had no secrets to tell prospective playwrights at Saturday's writing workshop of the
Seven Devils Playwrights Conference.
"A lot of playwriting for me is trial and error," Blessing said.
Blessing hosted the workshop, "Seeing Your Play," attend by 32 people at Idaho First
Bank as part of the conference, which concludes this week.
Blessing brought credentials worthy of the attention of workshop participants.
>� atess ag He has had two theaters devote full seasons to his work: New York's Signature Theatre
and Profile Theatre in Portland.
His play "A Walk in the Woods" ran on Broadway and in London's West End, was nominated for Tony
and Olivier Awards and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
During Saturday's workshop, Blessing assigned 10 to 15 minutes for everyone to write an introductory
image to a play they were working on or a play they were interested in writing.
He then invited attendees to read their scene and gave his feedback and advice as needed.
Each person was then told to write an end image scene to that same play, with the same amount of
time and discussion to follow.
The attendees were also able to pick Blessing's brain and learn how he writes and pointers to think
about when doing a playwright.
Advice offered by Blessing include:
• Making sure the audience is involved in the play the whole way through.
• Having meaning to everything in the play to help the audience get to the end.
• Writing a play that flips the audience's assumption about the end
When a writer has an idea, they should ask how people feel about that topic, he said.
Then they should ask why people are wrong to think that way and use that as inspiration.
If a playwright can't come up with why people are wrong for thinking a certain way, then they should
find a different angle to challenge people's assumptions and thoughts, Blessing said.
Throughout his schooling Blessing would convince his teachers to allow him to submit a play instead
of writing papers.
Blessing's play, "Minneapoilis/St. Paul," will be read at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Alpine Playhouse as
the final event of the conference. Admission is free.
http://www.mccallstamews.com/pages/events—arts_page.php 6/16/2016
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Seven Devils Playwrights Conference winds down with teen workshop Saturday
A workshop for teenagers, "Being at Play" will help wind down the 2016 Seven Devils Playwrights
Conference in McCall.
The workshop will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday in the lower level community room at Idaho First Bank.
Led by Sheila McDevitt and Dwayne Blackaller, the workshop, in collaboration with Boise
Contemporary Theater, centers on creating devised plays with a strong creative movement aspect.
Plays to be read during the final days includes "Bookmarks" by K. Frithjof Peterson, on Friday. The
play has adult content, so only those only age 17 and older will be admitted.
The conference, a project of id Theater, is sponsored by the Alpine Playhouse, which has hosted the
all -free event since its inception in 2001.
All conference events are open to the public at all times.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
2016 Seven Devils Playwrights Conference
All events are free and start at 7:30 p.m. at the Alpine Playhouse on Roosevelt Street in McCall unless
otherwise noted.
TONIGHT
"Tightrope" by Megan Fevurly
As a tightrope walker, Mira is at home balancing life's obstacles, even under the most extreme
conditions. But when faced with the challenge of a lifetime, will Mira's determination to prove that she is
in control of her own destiny ensure her legacy - or destroy it?
Friday
"Bookmarks" by K. Frithjof Peterson
After Grant's childhood friend Travis is charged with an unthinkable crime, Grant finds himself
compelled to rind out why. But when those answers threaten his marriage and sense of identity, Grant is
forced to confront the limits of his own compassion and loyalty. Adult content, only age 17 and older
admitted.
Saturday
Teen Workshop -"Being at Play"
11 a.m. - Idaho First Bank
Focused on harnessing the power of imagination, playfulness and curiosity, this workshop offers teens
an opportunity to explore and expand their idea of what it means to be theatrical.
Led by Sheila McDevitt and Dwayne Blackaller, this workshop, in collaboration with Boise
Contemporary Theater, centers on creating devised plays with a strong creative movement aspect.
Saturday
"Minneapolis/St. Paul," by Lee Blessing
A successful murder - mystery writer lives more dangerously than the stories he invents. Haunted by
questions of gender identity, fidelity, bigamy and drug addiction, how can he hope to succeed as a mate,
a parent, a husband or a wife?
http://www.mccallstamews.com/pages/events—arts_page-php 6/16/2016
Star -News News Events Page Page 1 of 1
Playwright to Teens: Emotions are
key to telling a story
"The art of theater is to stir sometlu'ng in our bodies. " - Dwayne Blackaller
BY TM ROBINSON
for The Star -News
Dwayne Blackaller says writing a good play is all about the emotions that are written into it.
"A good story invites us in," Blackaller said to a teen
playwriting workshop on Saturday during the final day of the
2016 Seven Devils Playwrights Conference.
Blackaller, education director at Boise Contemporary
Theater, worked with teens attending the workshop at Idaho
First Bank about heightening their senses and paying
attention to those senses for plays.
He urged the young writers to focus on people's senses of
smell, touch, taste, sound, and sight, and use those sense to
bring the audience into a play.
The best way to know if writing is good is if it creates a
physical response in the people receiving It, Blackaller said.
The response does not have to be a jump or sudden
movement, but something as subtle as a slight drop in
someone's jaw to an action or words, or eyes growing
slightly wider, he said.
'The art of theater is to stir something in our bodies,"
Blackaller said.
After a few exercises focused on each sense, the group
sat down for writing exercises that reflected on past
experiences while using sense descriptions.
M ar The Sm- -by_a" _
Rylie Speirs, right, and Sheila McDevitt of id
Theater strike poses during an exercise as pact of
the teen workshop held Saturdav as part of the
Seven Devils Plm ights Conference.
They wrote down phrases that went along with images of
disgust, heartbreak, joy, violence, and one true thing that they experienced. They each read their list
aloud, and while doing so the rest of the group wrote down phrases or words that stuck the most. After
each reading they discussed it and the words that stuck out the most.
With the same idea, Blackaller had the group write a poem titled "My Name Is" or "My Name Means."
Each person wrote a poem using their senses to describe what they felt their name meant to them,
keeping in mind the physical response that can occur inside them or other people with the words they
chose.
The group again read one - by-one followed by discussion about phrases and how they experienced the
physical response to it.
He then had the group split into two where they made a play based on the tools they learned and
exercises they did at the beginning, then performed it for one another.
Make a play personal as a writer, even if it's just one scene, Blackaller told the group.
"If it's not personal," Blackaller said, "it's not there yet."
http: / /www.mccallstamews .com/pages /events_arts _page.php 6/23/2016
wmions of AIUertsom, Play reading April 29 to benefit Seven Devils conference
Rite Aid and all our
W kly Sale ads
...., .tea The reading of a one -act play on Saturday, April 29, in McCall will be a fundraiser for the Seven Devils
Playwrights Conference.
The play, "Relative Madness,* by Bernadine Cockey, will begin at 7:30 p.m. April 29 at the Alpine
Playhouse, located at 1210 Roosevelt Ave. Admission is $15 at the door with advance tickets on sale at
Bistro 45.
"Relative Madness" is a surreal comedy about sisters and madness and love. It is a play about the ties
that bind to family and how they can sometimes choke the life out of family member.
In the play, Candace loves her sister Janice, because she is sweet, naive and caring but she also
know that Janice is as crazy as a loon.
Janice loves her sister because Candace is head - strong, brave and beautiful. But also, she knows that
Candace is lost and insane. How does the viewer know which sister is right? Or is it just all relative?
Proceeds will benefit the Seven Devils Playwrights Conference held each June in McCall.
The conference has developed new American plays and offered free playwriting workshops led by
some of the country's best -known playwrights.
All conference events are open to the public at all times and offered free of charge including fully -
staged readings, seated readings, workshops and even rehearsals.