Join the phenomenal Julie Ganey & Arlene Malinowski—who are writing the first comprehensive solo show text book ever!—for a one-day solo intensive in an incredible setting: Ragdale in Lake Forest, IL.
Solo shows are one-person performances in which the artist writes and tells either true, personal stories, or character-driven stories in long form for the stage. This intensive is for those solo artists who are interested in developing an entire solo show for the stage, or who have already started the process of creating one.
During this one-day intensive, writer-performers will be guided with prompts and questions to allow for reflection and a comprehensive examination of their work and goals. This will be followed by writing time, instruction, pertinent advice, and tips and tricks for creating a one-of-a-kind performance.
The morning will be spent exploring, discussing, and writing. Then, guests will have a healthful lunch provided by Ragdale's private chef, which will be followed by more writing activities and instruction in the afternoon, along with a walking meditation on the buclolic Ragdale grounds.
Solo Intensive is one of a series of all-day workshops which precede Story Jam's Write & Tell storytelling retreat at Ragdale. For more information about the entire retreat, and the week prior to the retreat, please visit Story Jam Studio.
For an additional fee, guests may request dinner and overnight stay at Ragdale by emailing: [email protected].
About the instructors:
ARLENE MALINOWSKI
As actor and playwright, Arlene views her solo work as an artistic extension of the social justice work she has been committed to for the last twenty-five years. She has been performing her five critically acclaimed solo shows across the country: including “What Does the Sun Sound Like”. Aiming for Sainthood” and “Kicking the Habit” at Millennium Park, Pritzker Pavilion, St Louis Center of Contemporary Art, National Center on Deafness, Minneapolis Arts Center, Palmdale Arts Centre, Ojai Solo Series, HBO Workspace, Victory Gardens, and colleges nationwide. These works are an exploration of disability in our culture through the lens of her family’s and her own disability. She believes that these experiences have allowed her a view of a culture and ethnocentrism from a unique perspective. Her short plays have been produced at the United Kingdom’s UK-60 Festival, NY Playsmiths Theater, and Chicago One Minute Play Festival several years running. Silenced was produced by Collaboration 2016.
She is the recipient of Fellowship-3Arts/UIC Department of Disability in the Arts and Culture. Nominee for 3Arts Award Award. Recipient of Millennium Park’s In the Works program, sponsored by The Boeing Company Charitable Trust. Her solo work has been honored with an LA Theater Ovations Award, LA Garland Award, and LA Weekly Award. Her plays have been a finalist in the Heartland Competition, a Semifinalist for the Blue Ink Award from American Blues Theater, and a Semi-finalist for the O'Neill Playwrights Conference.
As an actor, she has appeared in “Love Person” at Victory Gardens, “The Music of the Spheres” at the Goodman Theatre, "Pancake Breakfast" with the New Colony and "Erasing the Distance" in Chicago. Favorite roles in LA include “The Crucible," “Lovers and Other Strangers,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest” with Deaf West, and the critically acclaimed “Solos in Harmony” and “In A Different Voice." Her work was named among the 5 best solo shows in Chicago by Windy City. Her Television credits include guest starring on CSI, ER, The Practice, The X Files, Any Day Now, The Division, Diagnosis Murder, and the CBS movie, Sweet Nothing in My Ear.
She is Artist in Residence- 16th Street Theater, Berwyn Illinois and Quad Cities Arts Program, Rock. Associate Artist-16th Street Theater 16th Street Theater, Berwyn, Illinois Resident Playwright- Chicago Dramatists.
As a teaching artist, Arlene has taught acting and solo writing/ performing at Chicago Dramatist, Victory Gardens, the College of the Canyons and in Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco as well as in theaters and colleges nationwide. She is on Faculty at Chicago Dramatists and developed the Solo show & Storytelling curriculum at Chicago Dramatists theater which includes Fundamentals Classes, Work in Progress classes, Page to Stage, Producing and Advertising Solo show & Live-Lit event and Performing Skills for Solo & Storytellers. She teaches private classes in “Writing Rooms” and coaches writers and performers across the country.
Her solo students have performed on small stages & large performance venues both here and abroad. They have been honored with Garland Awards, special recognition at Edinburgh Fringe, NY Fringe, Atlanta, Minnesota, Elgin, Chicago Fringe, LA Weekly Nominations, FEM Finalists, Windy City’s Best Solo Works, and numerous Jeff recommended and “Critics' Picks.” Her writers have published books, and their work has been included in anthologies, magazines, podcasts, anthologies, online and featured at Live-Lit events.
JULIE GANEY
As an actor, Julie has worked in Chicago for over 20 years, at venues such as Victory Gardens, Northlight, Chicago Dramatists, Shattered Globe, Drury Lane, and 16th Street Theatre.
As a writer, she leads storytelling and personal narrative direction with 2nd Story, a collective of story-makers and story-lovers working together to build community through the power of storytelling. Her original solo shows "Good Enough," "The Half Life of Magic" and "Love Thy Neighbor…till it hurts" have been produced by Fillet of Solo at Lifeline Theatre, Next Theatre in Evanston, and 16th Street Theatre in Berwyn, Illinois.
As a teaching artist, Julie creates performance pieces and stories with collaborators ages 5 to 85. She is the Education Director at Lifeline Theatre, and she has designed programs for kids on everything from bullying prevention to etiquette.
At the Goodman Theatre, Julie teaches storytelling and performance to adults as part of the GeNarrations program, and she is also adjunct faculty at The Theatre School at DePaul University.
Through Wavelength, an award winning comedy ensemble that performs for educators, Julie has created and led professional development workshops for teachers and executives all over the country which focus on communication skills, storytelling, and improvisation. Her many years with Wavelength have taught her the value of bringing a sense of humor to everything she does.
Through The Morten Group, a national consulting firm based in Chicago, Julie expertly helps companies build communities of diversity, racial equity, inclusion, and access.