Finding Each Other Dead, a play I wrote while attending Brigham Young University, was accepted by peer review for a staged reading at the Last Frontier Theatre Conference in Valdez, Alaska. Attending the conference proved valuable to my work and to my contribution to the field of theatre arts. I also learned that the conference would be beneficial to other students in all aspects of the theatre.
The conference, held annually, is open to theatre professionals, students, educators, and members of the general public. It provides unique, hands-on learning experiences through readings, workshops, performances, and featured artists.
A play given a staged reading at the conference is subject to professional critique, peer review, talk-back sessions, and a one-on-one conference with a mentor. Feedback received during the reading and throughout the conference is useful for further revision of the play as well as application to new works.
In previous years the conference has featured playwrights such as Arthur Miller, August Wilson, and Edward Albee. This year I was privileged to work with such artists as Gary Garrison (executive director of the Dramatist’s Guild of America) and Marshall W. Mason (recipient of six Obie awards).
The workshops this year included The Social Politics of Theatre, How to Direct a Reading, The Playwright’s Bill of Rights (in which we constructed the Dramatists’ Bill of Rights, a document to become a basis of the new mission of the Dramatist’s Guild of America), Acting for the Camera, Directing, Writing the Rant (how to compose an effective stand-up routine), and a question-answer session about the Dramatists’ Guild (which outlined its risks and benefits). The workshops gave all those who participated the opportunity to freely express their views and ideas. We also shared our experiences outside of the workshops: I was able to talk to theatre professors and to address their concerns from a student’s standpoint. Other authors spoke of those with whom they had worked and of what they had learned and experienced throughout their careers. This aspect of the conference was one of many great opportunities to listen to other artists and to read their work.
My faculty mentor for this project, George Nelson, was correct when he told me that the conference was important for the advancement of my career and education. I plan to graduate from BYU in April of 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts Studies. At the conference I met several representatives of graduate schools that captured my interest. I am now almost certain that I will pursue a Master’s of Fine Arts in Dramatic Writing from one of the universities I learned about at the conference.
At the conference I learned from others in my field not only how to perfect my written works but also how to steer my career path in a more profitable direction. The insights I gained will, I believe, strengthen my contribution to the field. I feel I gained more of the necessary confidence to share important messages with audiences.
George Nelson told me that my experiences at the conference would help other students in my field of study and would remind them of the value in discussing their work and objectives with other professionals. I would recommend the Last Frontier Theatre Conference for other students as well as for instructors. I would recommend it not only for those interested in playwriting but for students in all theatrical endeavors. I would strongly recommend it for those interested in directing and acting (especially since there are directing and acting workshops as well as many positions for readers). I would recommend the conference to all theatre students because of the benefits it offers. It is considered a retreat; a chance to be with other artists away from the influences of the world. Gary Garrison told us something to the effect of “this week you get to be a writer rather than what you normally are […] you’re not a Dairy Queen manager […] or a college student.” He meant that while we were at the conference we would be able to focus on the theatre and on our contributions to it. He also told us, “It improves your own thought process about your work to give responses to other people’s work,” and in this other students would be able to benefit from the interaction with other artists.
If a student were to make this trip in the future I would recommend flying from Anchorage to Valdez rather than driving (round trip via rental car was over 700 miles).
Friday, July 20, 2007
Dear Fultons,
I would like to express my deep gratitude for the funds provided me by the Mary Lou Fulton Chair Student Support Grant. Because of your generosity I was able to attend the Last Frontier Theatre Conference in Valdez, Alaska, where I received valuable feedback on a reading of Finding Each Other Dead, an original play I had written at BYU. I was able to work with professional artists and to learn more than I had ever learned regarding my career path.
The conference was the first time I had ever had the opportunity to receive a professional review of my work. The conference gave me a more in-depth understanding of the art of playwriting as well as of the other theatre arts.
The conference was one of the greater experiences of my life so far. The best part of it was meeting and working with other playwrights. It was an experience I had never had before because of the wide range of opinions on subjects. The other artists’ feedback on the reading was more than helpful. Some of the people I met were Gary Garrison, the executive director of the Dramatist's Guild of America (for which, thanks to my attending the conference, I now qualify), and Marshall W. Mason, a playwright who has received six Obie awards. I also met many inspiring professors who answered my questions about my educational future. I am now almost certain that I will pursue a Master’s of Fine Arts in Dramatic Writing after graduation from BYU.
Not only did I receive career advice and helpful feedback on the creative writing process, but I also learned valuable life lessons. Honesty was a point well-stressed: that a person is able to be successful without being dishonest, and that one should never attempt to bend anything in his or her favor by using deceit. I learned that one should remember that others will follow his or her example. Another point discussed was that a playwright should know who he or she is and what his or her work is: that a person must know what his or her values are and what he or she values in his or her own work. I learned that every person must know what message he or she wants to give to others, and that every person must take responsibility for his or her voice. Another point made was to always advocate respect and generosity, that artists keep the theatre alive and therefore must respect one another as well as the audience.
Through the conference I also gained a new store of confidence in myself and in my work. I was able to see what other playwrights were writing, and I learned from the feedback given to them. I know I am a better playwright as well as a better student and a better person than I was before I attended. In one journal entry I wrote: “I think I am growing up on this trip.”
I plan to share all I have learned with the students and faculty at BYU. I am truly grateful for the funds I received for this valuable opportunity. Thank you for giving me this profound and wonderful experience that has changed the course of my future.
Sincerely,
Mattie Roquel Rydalch
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