PLAYWRITING
Charles E. Polly, Eastenders’ Founder and Playwright-in-Residence, conducts an ongoing playwriting workshop called New Voices. Participants have been given showcases in 2002, 2003, 2007 and 2009 as part of our mission of mentorship. Plays fully developed and staged by ERC include new works by award-winning Bay Area playwrights Charles E. Polly and Dean Backus, East Bay poet Mary Milton, San Jose playwright Scott Munson and Seattle playwright Bret Fetzer. As part its ongoing commitment to showcase new playwrights, our productions of TENN IN 2002! and PINTERESQUE featured works by emerging writers. Eastenders is also busy forging ties with established Bay Area playwrights, such as Scott Munson, Joe Besecker, Christine U’Ren and Trevor Allen, and provided opportunities for these playwrights to hear their works-in-progress hot off the presses and obtain positive, constructive feedback.

Interested in hearting more about New Voices? E-mail Playwright-in-Residence Charles E. Polly at info@eastenders.org or call ERC at 510-568-4118

AUDITION WORKSHOP
Annually since 1996 ERC’s Artistic Staff conducts Audition Workshops for members and the local acting community. Local casting directors Amy Potozkin (Berkeley Repertory Theatre), Meryl Shaw (ACT), Annie Stuart (Marin Theatre Company), Leslie Martinson (TheatreWorks) and, Greg Hubbard (ACT), along with Nancy Carlin (local actor/director) and Patrick Dooley (Artistic Director, Shotgun Players) have all served as auditors of the final sessions of these ongoing Audition Workshops and provided useful critiques, feedback and encouragement. These workshops provide performers with a unique opportunity to engage in one-on-one interactions with casting directors – in turn, our local casting directors enjoy the rare experience of explaining their decision-making process. As a direct result of our Audition Workshops participants have been asked to audition for roles at major houses, including TheatreWorks and ACT, and four participating actors have landed jobs with local companies (Berkeley Repertory Theatre, TheatreWorks, New Conservatory Theatre and Shakespeare at Stinson). Next Audition Workshop – six week session Dec. 2009 –Jan. 2010

Interested in hearing more about our Audition Workshops? E-mail info@eastenders.org or call ERC at 510-568-4118.

DIRECTING WORKSHOP
Directing Workshop intensives focused on play analysis, basic stage composition and picturization, groundplan, movement, emphasis and blocking, casting, the rehearsal process and working with new plays and novice playwrights.

Interested in hearing more about our Directing Workshops? E-mail Susan E. Evans at info@eastenders.org or call ERC at 510-568-4118.

PLAYREADING SERIES
In an effort to educate our membership and increase our exposure to theatre literature – from the Greeks to just off-Broadway – ERC hosts a drop-in playreading series to read plays in an informal, friendly environment. These evenings attract theatre professionals who want to brush up their skills and network with their peers, keep our membership informed and active and provide exposure to theatre novice.