Behind the Scenes with Michael Kinghorn

Michael Kinghorn has spent the bulk of his thirty-year career writing, directing, and developing new plays. He has led the literary departments of three major regional theaters: The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, The Alliance Theater in Atlanta and Arena Stage in Washington, D.C, where he served as script consultant on dozens of new plays by distinguished and emerging playwrights.

He will lead the workshop “Acting For Playwrights” on April 1st,at The Writer’s Center here in Bethesda. Acting for Playwrights is a sampler for writers interested in acting. The Carousel editor, Abdul Ali, caught-up with Michael Kinghorn via email about the upcoming workshop.

How will "Acting for Playwrights" benefit playwrights or those writers who have yet to experiment with acting?

Playwrights and writers will leave the workshop with a concrete experience of several techniques we use for training actors. In short, I will give participants an opportunity to "sense" how actors learn to approach their craft--from impulse to action.


You've worked in professional theater for over 30 years. In your experience, what is the single most important characteristic for a successful actor and playwright to have?

I would say that the single most important characteristic for an actor or playwright to have is a curious and open mind. This allows one to see past one's own assumptions while developing a set of artistic values.


What specifically can participants expect when they take your course?

Participants can expect to be engaged in a series of exercises and improvisations that will allow them to glimpse the world of acting from an intuitive and non-intellectual perspective, yet in a safe, creative environment.


Will you be in attendance at our Open House on March 14 12 noon?

I can't commit to the open house event at this time, but I will try to make it after checking schedule and other commitments.

To register for this course, you may call the Writer’s Center at 301.654.8664. For more information about this course, you may email me at thecarousel@writer.org

Signing off,

Abdul Ali

Behind the Scenes: Abdul Ali

As part of its makeover, this blog is going to be doing a semi-regular feature called "Behind the Scenes." In this feature, Writer's Center staff will discuss what they do at the Center and what it's like to work for a small nonprofit. Hint: it's deeply rewarding, but it's also challenging. Not to mention humbling.

Abdul Ali, Managing Editor of The Carousel, seems like the perfect way to begin. After all, our new and improved Carousel was published last month. We're pleased with how it turned out--though we know there are some things we missed (yes, there are typos, and we deeply regret those) and things we'd like to do better next time. But overall, this is what we wanted: a consolidated brochure/newsletter that brings you interesting content plus the workshops. One neat, tidy package. Abdul is a big part of the process that brought the publication to life, and here he is to talk about it:


It all starts with an idea. Let’s take travel, our next issue’s theme, for an example. The floodgates open and I think of all the ways the notion of Travel can connect with The Carousel, The Writer’s Center, and the writing life. It becomes an overnight obsession. That’s right, sweaty rashes, no showers, just brainstorming until the balloon pops. As writers, we tend to see things in layers. Of course, I do. When I think of travel, there’s the physical act of traveling and there’s the mental flight our minds make when we engage a work of literature.

Most of what I do is quite routine until it quietly builds into a supernova, a crescendo. As the deadline looms, emotions erupt, hair falls out, my eyes turn colors (not from alcohol, I promise.) Most of the routine comes in the form of following-up with authors, lots of back and forth e-mails, tracking down potential advertisers. It can sometimes be mind-numbing.

But then there are those moments—twilight ones--when an idea you have for an article or column pops out of the ether, flows through your mouth at a staff meeting, and everyone is on your bandwagon. You immediately e-mail a writer who you know is perfect for this assignment. And, they say “of course, I’d be happy to do it for free” and the rest is a wrap.

Aside from the hours that go into making The Carousel happen. A lot of it is collaborative, such as the design portions, or the conversations that make certain decisions definitive, the editing, the proofing, etc. Or the interns who make great pains to help me with this publication. It’s heartening to see members with a Carousel rolled up under their arm. Or, letting me know what they thought about a particular article. Because so much of what I do is in a vacuum, it’s lovely to hear outside voices. I’ve even created an e-mail account for this reason. It all begins with an idea so if you have any or would like to see yours into print, drop me a line, thecarousel@writer.org