SINGAPORE THEATRE OASIS
THE PLAYWRITING SPA
Awakening the creative writing spirit

Singapore Theatre Oasis | The Playwriting Spa
 The Stage Sanctuary | Mind Spring

Writing good theatre is very much a mind-body activity. We plan to truly refresh, revitalize and massage a good dose of inspiration, creativity and innovation into the tried and tested methodologies of authoring theatre scripts. At The Playwriting Spa, new and seasoned playwrights revisit their assumptions about good writing and good theatre. They challenge themselves with fresh insights and new approaches.

- Desmond Sim, Oasis Director &
ACTION Theatre's Associate Artistic Director

The Playwriting Spa admits up to 40 members annually: 20 aspiring/novice playwrights and 20 experienced playwrights. Two separate sets of programmes have been designed to cater to these two different groups.

The aspiring/novice playwrights attend the Awakening the Creative Senses course which comprises a series of six multi-sensory treatments to be given over three months. Designed to help unleash the inner creative power in storytelling for the stage, the treatments blend knowledge-sharing with hands-on experiments for all Spa members. All the six treatments are personally given by Oasis Director Desmond Sim. Each treatment lasts about two hours each.

AWAKENING THE CREATIVE SENSES (for aspiring playwrights)
Session 1:
Drama Discovery
Thu 14 Oct 04, 8pm 		Refresh and rediscover your understanding of the elements of drama and story, and let the exciting journey into playwriting begin!
Session 2:
Story Structure Radiance
Thu 28 Oct 04, 8pm		 The physiology of a story, rests on the condition of its skeletal shape the structure. Let us work the acupressure points, the buttons that need to be pushed, so that we can structure great stories.
Session 3:
Deep Tissue Character Creation
Thu 4 Nov 04, 8pm		 Literally building bodies from nothing! How are engaging, riveting and memorable characters etched out in plays? Find out the secrets
Session 4:
Energizing Audiences
Thu 11 Nov 04, 8pm		 Bring life, energy and exuberance into an audience! Find out how plays engage them, excite them, and leave them breathless and demanding for more.
Session 5:
Perfect Pitch
Thu 18 Nov 04, 8pm		 Focus and meditate on the must-haves for a successful play/story pitch. It's not much point writing a play that will never be produced. Some very real and practical ideas for playwright survival.
Session 6:
Script Revitalizes
24 Nov 04, 8pm		 Tone and revitalize your scripts with a host of useful tips. Lift sagging plot lines, tighten flaccid dialogue, sculpt memorable moments with advice gleaned from true experience!

For the seasoned playwrights, The Playwriting Spa offers a special Creative Wellness Reviver course. Designed to invigorate, tone and rejuvenate the playwriting spirit, the four creative spa sessions making up this course employ PBL (problem-based learning) techniques where participants learn through self-discovery and practical experiential methodology.

CREATIVE WELLNESS REVIVER (for experienced/seasoned writers)
Session 1:
Heritage Alive!
Wed 13 Oct 04, 8pm		 Refresh those memories calling out to us from the past, demanding be written about. Write with impact and relevance from our richly interwoven cultural and historical backdrop.
Session 2:
G-spot Secrets
Wed 27 Oct 04, 8pm		 Massaging the gung-ho, gritty and gutsy into your plays. Exercises and an examination of theatre that is bound to help put the sting and bite in your pieces!
Session 3:
Singapore Classics
Wed 3 Nov 04, 8pm		 Revitalise generations to come by writing inspiring and timeless plays. Let's get together to develop an understanding of what it takes to write great drama, and how we can work towards it.
Session 4:
Nourishing Imagination
Wed 10 Nov 04, 8pm		 The imagination is a fertile field that needs to be tended and constantly nourished. Let's exercise our minds and learn to fly to realms unvisited with the power of our writing!

In addition to the above programmes, members of The Playwriting Spa will also be able to share their works-in-progress with the Oasis Director and fellow members during the Café Consultation sessions.

CAFÉ CONSULTATION (Sharing sessions with fellow members & Oasis Director)
Café Consultation I Wed 1 Dec 04, 8pm
Café Consultation II Wed 2 Feb 05, 8pm
Café Consultation III Wed 2 Mar 05, 8pm
Café Consultation IV Wed 6 Apr 05, 8pm

Members of The Playwriting Spa will also be able to make appointments to see the Oasis Director for one-to-one Script Therapy sessions to get feedback and advice on their works-in-progress.

All sessions are conducted in various spaces amidst the tropical landscape of ACTION Theatre's 42 Waterloo Street.

For details on membership privileges of The Playwriting Spa and how to apply, please click here.

To obtain an application form, please click here. Membership fees will be waived for approved applications received by 24 Sep 2004.

Find out more about the other two components of Singapore Theatre Oasis

The Stage Sanctuary (Potluck Theatre, Theatre Idols)
Mind Spring

Singapore Theatre Oasis | The Playwriting Spa
 The Stage Sanctuary | Mind Spring