Popcorn Plays workshop: Gary Kirkham's playwriting workshops

About the workshop

Gary Kirkham brings an actor’s insight to the art of making dialogue leap off the page. Playwriting isn’t about words on paper — it’s about collaboration: actors, directors, and designers bringing a story to life together.

Part 1: December 6, 1–5pm

This workshop explores how to write scripts that inspire your collaborators. You will explore how to develop an ear for the “music of speech” and craft dialogue rich with subtext so actors can reveal the characters’ inner lives.

The workshop will be held in the second-floor community room at 44 Gaukel Street.

Part 2: January 10, 10am–4pm

In the second session, participants will bring in their scripts for a lively, hands-on workshop. Together we’ll read scenes aloud, (maybe even put it on its feet) and then explore what’s working, and discuss ways to strengthen structure, character, and dialogue. You’ll receive constructive feedback and a bit of dramaturgical guidance to help bring your play closer to the stage.

The workshop will be held at the first-floor flex space at 44 Gaukel Street.

Popcorn Play workshops are free to members of KWLT; non-members are welcome to sign up, but will be asked to pay $5 on arrival.

About Gary

Gary Kirkham is a playwright, actor, and collaborator who loves bringing stories to life with other artists. An artistic associate with The MT Space, he’s helped create shows such as AMAL, Body 13, Seasons of Immigration, and The Last 15 Seconds.

His plays — including Falling: A Wake, Pearl Gidley, Queen Milli of Galt, Rage Against Violence (with Dwight Storring), and Pocket Rocket (with Lea Daniel) — have been produced across Canada and around the world, and translated into several languages.

A former Playwright-in-Residence at the Blyth Festival, Gary continues to explore how stories connect us, most recently through an international video project with artists from Canada, Tunisia, Mexico, Russia, Palestine, and Iran.

About the Popcorn Plays

This summer we brought back an old KWLT tradition: the Popcorn Plays give participants an opportunity to try a little bit of everything, theatrically speaking. Each participant chose a short play to direct, with the cast chosen from among the other participants. We've been offering a series of workshops to give the participants some grounding in different aspects of theatre practice, and opening them up to our membership so that more people can join in the fun.

The 2025 Popcorn Plays programme is supported by the Arts Grant Fund and the Motz Family Endowment, both hosted at Waterloo Region Community Foundation.

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