MADC ONE-ACT PLAY FESTIVAL / L-EWWEL ATT: SCRIPTWRITING INTENSIVE MENTORSHIP PROGRAMME

10:00-10:15

Introduction: Mentorship Programme

10:15-11:45

Workshop 1: Understanding Sophocles’ Antigone through a practical analysis of his scriptwriting Marcelle Theuma

11:45-12:45

Workshop 2: Arthur Miller Sean Buhagiar

12:45-13:15

Lunch Break

13:15-14:15

Workshop 2: Getting in (Writing) Shape Andre Mangion

14:15-15:30

Workshop 3: Breaking the Rules Alfred Buttigieg

15:30-16:00

Final Discussion & Conclusion

Marcelle Theuma has been involved in theatre for the past 33 years. Over the years, as an actress, she has taken part in a number of theatre productions interpreting roles by playwrights such as Dario Fo, Lorca, Michael Frayn, Max Frisch, Strindberg, Pinter, Pirandello, Chekhov and Francis Ebejer. In the early 90s she co-founded an experimental theatre group and performed original Maltese texts which were also presented in the Mediterranean Biennial Festival for Experimental Theatre held in Malta in 1990 and 1992. She was also a tutor at the Mikelanġ Borġ Drama Centre between 1995 and 2003 where she directed various classical texts and written original ones developed through work in progress with the Senior Students of the school. In these last years her energy has been mainly focused on directing. She directed Solitudni fil-Belt (2004), Marat Sade (2004), Ċimiterji (2205), The Nightingale (2006), L-Interdett Taħt isSodda (2006), Equus (2007), Doreen (2011), In-Nisa Maltin Jafu Kif (2013), Pretty Lisa (2013), Il-Ħajja Sigrieta tan-Nanna Ġenoveffa (2013), and Rima (2016).

WORKSHOP 1: UNDERSTANDING SOPHOCLES’ ANTIGONE THROUGH A PRACTICAL ANALYSIS OF HIS SCRIPTWRITING:

The workshop will explore Sophocles’ Antigone through a practical analysis of the playtext. It will highlight the structure of the Greek tragedy and participants will also acquire an understanding of what constituted ancient Greek theatre practice.

Sean Buhagiar is a professional Artistic Director, Creative Producer and Theatre-Maker based in Malta. In 2015, Sean was presented the Outstanding Young Persons Award for cultural achievement by the Junior Chamber International Malta. Sean first read Communication Studies and Theatre Studies at the University of Malta. He holds a Masters Degree in Performance Creativity from Universities in Rome, Paris and Poland where he researched creativity in performance. He currently works in theatre, film and large-scale festivals. He has been active in the local theatre scene for the past 10 years. As an actor he has toured and performed in festivals in Ireland, Tunisia and Italy. He directed several works on the island such us Kirana – a children’s opera by Ruben Zahra which has toured internationally, and a number of original Maltese works such as Jiena Nħobb, Inti Tħobb and Sibna ż-Żejt at Teatru Manoel. Sean also produced Malta’s first contemporary performer-based circus show for the Malta International Arts Festival in 2013. In 2016 he produced and directed ‘B’Tal-Linja Jaqbillek Żgur’, a large-scale street theatre production which toured spaces in Malta & Gozo on a Maltese vintage bus. An exhibition of his directorial work as a theatre-maker was organized by the representative office of Malta in Palestine as part of the EU Presidency programme in 2017. Amongst other organisations, Sean has actively worked with the then Malta Council for Culture & The Arts, the Dr. Klown Foundation, the Science in the City Festival, and the Valletta 2018 Foundation. Sean is the current Artistic Director of Notte Bianca Valletta and the Artistic Director of Teatru Malta, the newly founded National Theatre Company.

WORKSHOP 2: FOCUSING ON MILLER Why are Arthur Miller’s texts considered theatre classics?

How does a director work with Arthur Miller’s text? Why do his texts … work? Taking ‘The Crucible’ as the main example, which he will be directing for Teatru Manoel in the coming weeks, Sean discusses his interest in Miller’s work.

ANDRE MANGION is a writer and an actor. He started his training with Freespirit Acting and furthered developed his skills with TMYT (Teatru Manoel Youth Theatre). He was part of several theatre projects and television programmes. In 2012 he wrote and acted in the play ‘It-Tfajjel ta’ fuq il-Bandla’, that won the 1st edition of the Social Theatre Contest. André also won il-Premju tal-Kittieb Żagħżugħ in ‘Konkors Letteratura għaż-Żagħżagħ’ and his novel, ‘Tattoo’ was published in 2013 by Horizons. He also wrote several scripts for short films for television like ‘Trasmissjoni Indiretta’, that was in fact chosen by One TV and was broadcasted fl-2011. The last play he wrote is ‘Raymond “Fight” Beck’.

WORKSHOP 3: GETTING IN (WRITING) SHAPE

A few tips on how to build the necessary muscle and stamina to sit down and write

Alfred Buttigieg was born in the small Maltese village of Tarxien in 1956. With a career spanning over three decades, his canon of work includes plays, prose and educational works. ‘Gezzu’, a philosophical fable for adults about an innocent and optimistic spider’s refusal to conform to society, was his first work. It was published in 1982. His plays have been staged at some of Malta’s most prestigious venues, including the Manoel Theatre and Spazju Kreattiv within St James Cavalier. His play ‘Ir-Rewwixta talQassisin’ (The Priests’ Revolt), first published in 1986, has become a literary classic studied by students at the University of Malta. Among his many other achievements, Alfred was a founding member of the 1980s’ theatre company, Ateatru, and formed part of the Manoel Theatre Management Committee between 2003 and 2008.

WORKSHOP 4: BREAKING THE RULES

A workshop on how ignoring the usual advice and conventions on writing a script can still work – with reference to the playwright’s own works and Alfred Jarry’s Ubu Roi.