Jamie Olah
grow your artistic practice THIS SUMMER!
Jamie is thrilled to partner with The Newport Theatre and Bramble Theatre Company to offer continuing education classes for theatre and performing artists in Chicago.
Course Description
Want to make people laugh? Write a farce. From plays like Noises Off and The Play That Goes Wrong to The Servant of Two Masters, this action-packed comedic form uses physical comedy, two-dimensional characters and improbable situations to leave ‘em rolling in the aisles. In this writing workshop, you will learn the building blocks of farce, analyze how they are employed within a dramatic structure, and apply these principles to your own writing. The course will emphasize sharing work that you have written outside of class. You will also practice giving and receiving constructive feedback and edit your material based on classmates’ responses.
The course is designed to benefit theatre artists who are interested in exploring the mechanics of comedy, challenging themselves as writers, and growing in community with others. Creators of all theatrical disciplines and experience levels are welcome.
Workshop Description
Inspire audience investment and invigorate your next cabaret, burlesque, drag, clown, puppetry or dance performance with the Hero’s Journey narrative structure! Join award-winning playwright, screenwriter and performer Jamie Olah to explore this universal storytelling framework. In this three-hour writing workshop, you will learn the components of the Hero’s Journey and identify its use in multiple movement-based performance examples. Then, you’ll apply these principles to your own creative practice and complete the workshop with an outline for a new, original act.
No prior writing experience required.
All styles of performance welcome.
Hero cape and mask optional!
News
CONFERENCE
Jamie will present "Laughter as a Weapon: How to Write Satire" at the 2025 Association for Theatre in Higher Education annual conference in July.
PRODUCTION
Jamie’s 10 minute play The Ascension of Maxi was presented as part of the Women in Theatre New Play Festival at Duluth Playhouse on June 6th.
PRODUCTION
The Great Snail Caper, Jamie’s 45 Minute Comedy for Young Performers, was performed by the students at Audubon Elementary School in Chicago in June.
PODCAST APPEARANCE
Jamie made her second appearance on the Theatrical Shenanigans podcast on May 25th.
NEW PLAY DEVELOPMENT
With the help of a Frank-Ratchye Further Fund Grant from the STUDIO for Creative Inquiry, Jamie traveled to Union College to workshop her new one-woman play in April.
CONFERENCE
Jamie attended the Sloan Film Summit in Los Angeles in recognition of her award-winning screenplay Cloud Club in May.
