Newmarket is a town with many recent immigrants. Some of these newcomers are learning to tell their stories in a creative way by participating in Shadowpath Theatre and Newmarket Public Library’s free online Theatre-Making 101 workshops.
The workshops are a concept that Alex Karolyi, Shadowpath’s Artistic Director, came up with last year. She recognized that a lot of newcomers to town were lacking an outlet for creative expression and wanted to fill that gap.
“We wanted to provide a platform for new Canadians to express their creativity and provide their own unique perspective on what it means to leave your homeland and start a new life in Canada,” she says. “They can do that in the workshops by creating a short play, a monologue, poem or a stand-alone scene.”
Shadowpath Theatre has held events in many different venues over the years, including restaurants, cafés, wineries, parks, Pfaff Audi Newmarket, Newmarket’s Old Town Hall, and Newmarket Public Library.
Like all theatre companies, however, the pandemic has curtailed in-person events. Since last year, Shadowpath performers and theatre enthusiasts have had great success with the Classical Play Reading Club launched in partnership with the library, a series of online play readings highlighting ground-breaking plays of the past.
In the Theatre-Making 101 workshops participants are assisted by instructors who work in the theatre industry as directors, production managers and performers. The instructors provide guidance and expert advice to help individuals transform their ideas into theatrical works, but it’s the participants themselves who determine the content.
Instructors are also fluent in other languages other than English, including French and Farsi. This helps in communicating with participants who are learning English as a second language. The workshops also have translators in attendance to assist when needed, and there is a regular translator for Mandarin.
Due to the pandemic, workshops are being held online via Zoom either on Saturday mornings or Wednesday evenings. Workshops can accommodate up to 30 individuals and, so far, have been averaging around eight to 12 participants.
“People can participate as a playwright, performer, director, or simply as an observer or audience member,” says Karolyi, “whatever they feel comfortable doing. They will learn scripting, how to create a character, stage a scene, write dialogue, and more. It’s a great way to connect with others while developing communication skills.”
For participants, their efforts will result in an online showcase of their work planned for the end of April. Karolyi says they will also receive an artist’s honorarium or volunteer hours.
For more information and to register for the Theatre-Making 101 workshops visit www.shadowpaththeatre.ca.
Lorne Chase is the marketing and communications coordinator at Newmarket Public Library. Visit the library’s website at www.newmarketpl.ca
