Seattle poet and instructor, Elizabeth Austen, will be offering a class on Performance at Richard Hugo House in September and October. I highly recommend Elizabeth’s class–I had the opportunity to work with her when I was a Jack Straw Writer. Her ability to instruct the most nervous readers/performers (like me) is amazing. She guided our group through choosing the best material for public readings, breathing, enunciating, using microphones, grounding/centering, introducing our material, and most importantly, feeling comfortable and confident in front of an audience. She was immediately able to key-in to each writer’s areas of strength and weakness. Her professionalism and innate kindness created a stress-free environment in which all of us felt at ease to work on our performance skills. My experience with Elizabeth greatly helped in terms of preparation for public readings and boosted my comfort level as I read. Both beginning writers and established writers should take advantage of Elizabeth’s expertise. Sign up!
Performance: Making the Transition from Page to Stage (Elizabeth Austen, instructor)
Wednesday evenings from 7 to 9pm, Sept. 11 to Oct. 16, with an additional class Oct. 8. Richard Hugo House. ($207. HH members; $230 general public) Limited to 12 participants.
What does it take to transform the words on the page into an engaging, authentic and memorable performance? Commitment, rehearsal and humility. Over the course of six weeks you’ll learn and practice tangible skills (including mic technique, how to handle dialogue, line breaks, and introductions), and work on developing a performance style that suits you and your work. The class includes take-home reading and assignments, and giving a public reading in the Hugo House cabaret during the week of the fifth class session. All forms/genres are welcome. Register online or call 206-322-7030.
Tea With The Hermitess 