It鈥檚 going to be a busy two months for Estevan鈥檚 newest writer in residence.
Lampman author Maureen Ulrich is up for the challenge though and said she鈥檚 excited to work with different facets of the community on various workshops lined up this summer.听
鈥淚鈥檓 really looking forward to it,鈥� Ulrich said.
鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to meeting with people to talk about their writing, I鈥檓 looking forward to working on the play and having some feedback and input from some of the local kids into the content and characters and I鈥檓 really looking forward also to the notion of working on a play on my own.鈥�
Ulrich is known penning the Jessie Mac triliogy and numerous plays that have been performed in the area.
Part of the residency鈥檚 terms involve writing a play for the Souris Valley Theatre鈥檚 Act 3 Theatre Camp as well writing a play for herself that likely won鈥檛 be performed.
For the Act 3 play, though, she plans on bringing in some help from local students at the schools she鈥檒l be visiting, and getting them to help brainstorm ideas and characters.
She wrote the Act 3 play last year as well, she said, called Game of Phones, and this time around they鈥檒l be doing Game of Phones 2 the Canadian Edition.
The plays involve time travel, so the Canadian Edition will have time travel exclusive to Canadian History for the last 150 years starting with the John A. MacDonald and the Charlotte Town conference.
Ulrich has workshops lined up at Lampman School, Spruce Ridge School, Westview School, Sacred Heart/ Sacre Coeur School and Weldon School in Bienfait where she鈥檒l spend 45 minutes helping the Grade鈥檚 6 to 8 students with writing.
Her residency is through the Saskatchewan Cultural Exchange and the organization will be paying her for the months of June and July to complete 20 hours of facilitating in the area as well as 20 more hours working on her own material.
鈥淚鈥檓 also doing some work with the (麻豆传媒AVeast) Newcomers (Services), so I鈥檓 doing some adult workshops where we鈥檙e just going to basically write about their experiences coming to Canada; immigration experiences,鈥� she said.
鈥淚鈥檒l also be working with Newcomers with some kids in an after school program, they鈥檝e got five or six kids that are going to come in after school and I鈥檓 going to work with them on their literacy.鈥�
Playwriting classes with Metochos Ministries Lutheran Bible Camp is another thing on the agenda for Ulrich, where she鈥檒l attend a weeklong writer鈥檚 retreat, then she鈥檒l head to some seniors鈥� homes in Lampman as well as Creighton Lodge and Hillview Manor to work with residents on memory writing.
Then in July she鈥檒l be available Thursdays at the Estevan Public Library to do critiques on the work of anyone who鈥檚 interested, they just have to register, get a time slot and provide the piece in advance, after which she鈥檒l meet, give constructive criticism and try to point the writers in the right direction.
Ulrich mentioned the critiquing is for ages 15 and up, since she鈥檚 doing the workshops for younger people at the schools, and wants as many different people to benefit from her residency as possible.
鈥淚鈥檓 just looking for them to give me a short segment like 1,500 words and I鈥檒l critique that. I鈥檓 not available to do entire manuscripts, because that鈥檚 time consuming,鈥� she said with a laugh.
She added poetry isn鈥檛 really in her wheelhouse, though she鈥檇 give critiquing it a shot, but admitted there鈥檚 a good chance any poets who might show could be more advanced in the genre than she is.
鈥淪o it鈥檚 a pretty busy schedule for the two months,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a really wonderful opportunity and I hope people will take advantage of it.鈥�
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