Characters of Conscience
We are, if nothing else, Our stories. As a nation. As a community. As individuals. The narrative(s) that are poorly told or never told usually have the most to teach us as a people and a humanity. How do we build character of conscience? How do we construct stories in that not just entertain, but enlighten?
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Creating Characters of Conscience is a multi-session 90 minute workshop designed to help participants focus on a moment time and show an audience “why they need to care” about the people and moment you will construct. These characters will give the viewer insight into “what we did not know” as well as an overarching sense of time and place that is the backbone of good storytelling.
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Why “Character” Matters
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Henry Wallace
Chief Joseph
Deborah Sampson
Fred Hampton
Fannie Lou Hamer
Dolores Huerta
Abraham Joshua Heschel
Bayard Rustin
Martin Niemoller
Eleanor Roosevelt
We all have or know of moments that were defining to us as individuals and us all as a country. There is always a deeper narrative that speaks to the spirit of people, time, and place. Many times, it is poorly told, if at all. This workshop will help you to zoom in on the most compelling elements that will bring those moments to life.
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Though we always encourage participants to delve into the stories and narratives of the disenfranchised, we do not discourage developing stories / characters that are personal and compelling. Often times those two objectives intersect. We know that just about every cultural story if you go back far enough in time, will tell a story of oppression, struggle, degradation, and loss. In fact, it is one of the universal truths of the American story.
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Part of the objective of this workshop is to give participants a new perspective. We hope, through this process, we foster deeper insight into the human struggle that we are all tied together through.
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PROCESS
Each week will give participants tool and techniques that they will integrate into a fully formed mini-one act/ enhanced monologue presentation at the end of the class. Participants will research time and place to support building character context. This masterclass will be as much interactive lab as character development intensive.
The workshop is designed to take you from the nugget of an idea to research and staging techniques.
