Oren Safdie
Theatre
Specialities: Creative writing, Musical Theatre, Non-fiction writing, Screenplay writing
Contact Info
Email address
Website address
Resides in
English Montreal
Social Media
Experience working with
Student In
- Secondary 1 & 2
- Secondary 3 & 4
- Secondary 5
- CEGEP
- Senior Citizens
Lifelong Learners
- Adult Learners
I regularly explore the following Broad Areas of Learning/Themes in my work
- Media Literacy
- Citizenship and Community Life (Identity & Belonging)
Listed in the Quebec Culture in the Schools Repertoire
- No
I have experience working with
- University of Miami, Douglas College in Vancouver, and California School of the Arts
I can facilitate virtual creative experiences
- Yes
Travel
- I am available for travel within the same day
- I am available for travel overnight
- An extended residency is an option
I am a playwright, screenwriter, essayist, and teacher living between Montreal and California. My approach to teaching is that students already know how to write. They know plot. They know character. They already have their own voice. All I do is provide exercises and feedback to show them how to write the play thy already knew how to write. My philosophy is that the biggest barrier to being a successful writer is ... themselves.
Creative Approach and Experiences Offered
For the past 5 years, I have taught Playwriting, Screenwriting, Personal Narrative, Comedy & Visual Storytelling at the University of Miami, Douglas College in Vancouver, and California School of the Arts - the premier performing arts high-school in Los Angeles. My method is to quickly demystify the "art" of writing, and to show how each student already possesses the skills they need to write compelling drama. My first exercise is to have students write down typical dialogue from the family dinner table without thinking about plot or even writing down the character names. I then show them how each of their scenes have their own unique voice, conflict (or potential for conflict), and differentiation between characters. My next lesson builds on this, guiding the students to take their dialogues and crafting them into stage worthy 10 minute plays by introducing external conflict into the forum.Video
Bravo! Arts & Minds
Idea City