Course Offerings
This is our teaching component of Gaslight Community Theatre Productions.
It provides opportunities for local residents to develop skills in scene-writing, playwriting, directing, acting and stage managing under the direction of professionals in the field.
We subsidize two writing programs each year. Our first course offering, ‘Page to Stage’ gives people in the community the ability to take advantage of the expertise of a successful, professional playwright; Dan Needles. Our second course offering, our ‘Playwriting course’ is run by Janet Wilkinson & Dawn Hanley, who are both long time Gaslight playwrights and between them they have seen 14 plays produced for the tour. These wonderful instructors will walk you through the research and writing process to help you successfully complete a scene or play! Janet Wilkinson is the producer of this very important part of our company. Small class sizes, low tuition costs, and lots of personal attention make these programs such a hit with our writers.
Page To Stage- Scene writing course
(Jan to March 2023)
Each Winter, we offer a Scene-writing course with Playwright, Dan Needles. Dan is best known as the creator of the Wingfield Farm series. His plays have appeared in virtually every english language theatre in Canada.
The lucky participants gather, to learn how to write a 10-minute scene.
Where: Awaken Spiritual Store
When: Thursdays 6-9pm
Dates: Jan 26th- March 2nd with no class during the week of Feb 23rd.
Cost: $150
Once the final scenes have been presented to the group, four of the scenes will be chosen to move onto the rehearsal phase with volunteer actors. The rehearsals will culminate into the final performance called ‘4 Scenes & a Cup of Tea’ at the Simcoe Street Theatre, in front of a live audience!
Contact: janet.gaslight@gmail.com
4 Scenes & a Cup of Tea
(April 2023)
A wonderful opportunity to try acting for the 1st time, with our staged reading performance of ‘4 Scenes & a Cup of Tea’ which we like to call our Gaslight ‘lite’!
Rehearsals take place over a couple of weeks, this year being 5 hours total, 3 different rehearsals culminating with the final performance day of 2 performances on April 16th at 1pm and 3:30pm.
Each scene is roughly 10 minutes in length. No experience necessary! Our wonderful director and stage manager will guide you through it all! This is a fun way to try something new and meet new people in our community!
Contact: laurie.gaslight@gmail.com
Playwriting Course
(April to June 2023)
Are you interested in learning how to write a 20 minute play? Learn from experienced Gaslight playwrights Dawn Hanley and Janet Wilkinson how to set a scene, write dialogue and create the drama! Four of the plays completed during the course will be brought to life for this year’s Gaslight production “Old News” in Fall 2023.
Where: Collingwood Public Library “Free Schools Room”
When: April 23, May 14 and June 11 from 1-4 pm.
Cost: $150.
Dawn and Janet are both long time Gaslight playwrights and between them they have seen 14 plays produced for the tour. They’ll walk you through the research and writing process to help you successfully complete a play. The writing courses are popular so don’t miss your chance to join.
To register email: dawn.gaslight@gmail.com
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Town of Collingwood Land Acknowledgement:
For more than 15,000 years the First Nations walked upon, and cared for, the lands we now call home: Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Ojibwe, and many others who cared for their families and communities, the way we now seek to care for ours.
The Town of Collingwood acknowledges the Lake Simcoe-Nottawasaga Treaty of 1818 and respects all of the Nation-to-Nation agreements that have formed relationships with the original inhabitants of Turtle Island; the reality of our shared history; the current contributions of Indigenous people within our community and seeks to continue empowering expressions of pride amongst all of the diverse stakeholders in this area.
We seek to do better, to continue to recognize, learn, and grow, in friendship and community, Nation-to-Nation.