Dramatists Guild of America to Host 'Writing the Changing World' in La Jolla

The Dramatists Guild of America is pleased to announce their Third National Conference, Writing the Changing World, which will be held from July 16-19, 2015 at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines in La Jolla, CA. The conference will include keynote speeches, legal and business seminars, workshops, panels, and conversations with theatre elite. Participating Council and visiting artists include Lisa Kron, Stephen Schwartz, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Carol Hall, Winnie Holzman, Georgia Stitt, Bobby Lopez, Marsha Norman, John Weidman, Julia Jordan, Amanda Green, and Linda Bloodworth-Thomason.

Writing the Changing World will focus on storytelling for the future and the intersection of theater with television and film. One must only look at current events to understand the world is changing at a rapid rate. Panels and workshops will focus on how to reflect these changes in our writing. The conference will include four tracks of programming running simultaneously: one track will be devoted to business and legal affairs for dramatists, two tracks will focus on playwriting and musical theatre writing, and one track will be devoted completely to member-generated workshops and panels.

"Writing offers many rich and incalculable rewards, but it is often a solitary endeavor," says Doug Wright, President of the Dramatists Guild of America. "Because we spend time working in relative isolation, dramatists hunger for the chance to share the tricks of our trade, swap war stories and share triumphs. The National Conference is our metaphorical water cooler; a rare chance to commune with the fellow mad men and fearless women bent on pursuing this often impossible, singularly gratifying profession."

"Writing for the theater can feel like a lonely enterprise," said John Weidman. "The antidote to that feeling is community. And whenever playwrights gather-to share experiences, advice, war stories and Martinis-that experience of community is reinforced. Being in Chicago two years ago was an exhilarating pleasure and I am looking forward to repeating the experience in La Jolla."

John Logan, Tony Award winning playwright (I'll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers, Red, and The Last Ship) and screenwriter (Penny Dreadful, Skyfall, The Aviator, and Gladiator), will open the conference Thursday night.

Ralph Sevush, Dramatists Guild's Executive Director of Business Affairs, will speak with two former Dramatists Guild Presidents, John Weidman and Stephen Schwartz, and newly elected President Doug Wright, to discuss some of the more key, important strategic issues that the Guild has had to address over the years.

In Comedy Writing Across the Mediums, Dan Castellaneta, Lisa Kron, Deb Lacusta, Michael McKeever, and David Rambo will discuss how theatre, film and television are similar when constructing comedy and at interesting times are completely dissimilar.

Marsha Norman (The Secret Garden, The Color Purple) is a featured keynote speaker and will also host a workshop on crafting the book for a musical.

Bobby Lopez (The Book of Mormon) and Kristen Anderson-Lopez (Frozen) will discuss musical theatre writing. This summer, the Lopezes are in residence at the La Jolla Playhouse working on their new musical, Up Here.

Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, creator, writer and producer of Designing Women, will speak with The Dramatist Editor, Joey Stocks. Bloodworth-Thomason is the book writer of the current musical adaptation of The First Wives Club and her television credits include M*A*S*H, Rhoda, One Day at a Time, and Evening Shade.

Lisa Lampanelli and Charlayne Woodard will join Christine Toy Johnson for a conversation about the joys and challenges of writing the solo drama. From rich and varied perspectives, the session will explore questions such as what happens to character and story when you write autobiographically.

The National Songwriter Book Writer Exchange will be held for songwriters to share their work with scriptwriters seeking collaboration on new works of musical theatre.

The Third National Conference of the Dramatists Guild of America Highlights:

· John Logan One-on-One with Joey Stocks

· Writing a Musical Book: Marsha Norman

· DG Conflict/Resolutions: Stephen Schwartz, Ralph Sevush, John Weidman, and Doug Wright

· BMI Presents One-on-One with The Lopezes: Bobby Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez

· The 11 O'clock Number: Cheryl Coons, Amanda Green, Lisa Kron, Bobby Lopez, Stephen Schwartz, and Georgia Stitt

· The Lily Awards Present: Marsha Norman-Keynote Speaker

· One-on-One with Stephen Schwartz

· Afternoon Keynote: One-on-One with Linda Bloodworth-Thomason

· Creating Character Through Story and Song: Amanda Green, Winnie Holzman, Peter Parnell, and Stephen Schwartz

· BMI Presents: Musical Theatre-Adaptation: Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, Peter Parnell, and Doug Wright

· Writing the Solo Drama: Lisa Lampanelli, Charlayne Woodard, and Moderator Christine Toy Johnson

· Comedy Across Mediums: Dan Castellaneta, Mark Krause, Lisa Kron, Deb Lacusta, Michael McKeever, and David Rambo

· The Cultural Fingerprint in Television: Linda Bloodworth-Thomason, Winnie Holzman, and David Rambo

· ASCAP Presents Reshaping The Color Purple: Stephen Bray and Michael A. Kerker

· La Jolla Playhouse: Amanda Green, Bobby Lopez, Stephen Schwartz, Peter Parnell, and Doug Wright

· Women Writing Women: Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Carol Hall, Winnie Holzman, Julia Jordan, Lisa Kron, and Georgia Stitt

· ASCAP Presents Celebrating Stephen Schwartz: Michael A. Kerker

For more information on events or to register, please go to www.dramatistsguild.com

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