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Join us for an afternoon of free workshops and discussions about playwriting and theatre making with notable local creators!
Event Details
A Day of Play features a series of workshops presented by local playwrights Rebecca Bossen, Ian Finley, Lormarev Jones and Allan Maule. This event will culminate in a panel discussion about “The Craft of Theatre and Its Importance in the 21st Century.”
- Date: November 9, 2025
- Location: City of Raleigh Museum, 220 Fayetteville Street, Raleigh, NC 27601
- Cost: Free and open to the public
Workshop Timeline and Descriptions
1 p.m. – "How Plays Work, or The Story of My Tattoo"
Presented by Ian Finley
Discover the secret language of storytelling: dramatic structure. All great stories, from action packed movies to Shakespearean dramas are all built on the same bedrock foundation. Once you understand those pillars, you will be able to build a play with the best of them, no matter your subject or style.
2 p.m. – "How to Write Compelling Characters with Dramatic Arcs"
Presented by Allan Maule
It's no secret that the best play scripts usually have great characters, but what makes a character great? Great characters go through rich dramatic arcs that force them to undergo internal change—so they are not the same at the end of the story. In this playwriting workshop, we'll talk about how to create compelling characters in your play scripts, then place them in dramatic situations that compel them to grow. By the end of the workshop, you'll be able to map out the dramatic arcs of your characters and ensure they actually change, creating a richer and more memorable play.
3 p.m. – "Finding Your Voice(s)"
Presented by Rebecca Bossen
Learn to create clear, distinct voices for all of your characters! How people speak reveals so much about their personalities and life experiences. Explore how vocal rhythm, word choice, and dialect can bring your characters to life.
4 p.m. – "Devising through Viewpoints: An Introduction to Physical Storytelling"
Presented by Lormarev Jones
Ever notice people in conversation and make assumptions about what their relationship might be? Or what they’re discussing? Spatial relationships give us a lot of information about character, connection, and conflict. Observe and analyze the ways bodies intersect to create narrative and how you can use Viewpoints exercise to collaboratively develop new work with an ensemble.
5 p.m. – Panel discussion: "The Craft of Theatre and Its Importance in the 21st Century"
About the Playwrights
Rebecca Bossen
Rebecca Bossen is a playwright, actor, voice and dialect coach, and theatre educator. Writing credits include: Iced Coffee Five Cubes, The Blood Beneath (with Mike Wiley), Benchmarks, Nothing More, Delilah Lee, Blue Straggler, The Deepest Dark, Shards of Light, and 27. Grants and honors: Illinois Arts Council Fellowship, Ella Fountain Pratt Emerging Artist, O’Neill National Playwrights Conference finalist. Rebecca is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild of America, Inc.
- Website: www.rebeccabossen.com
- Instagram: @rebecca_the_boss
Ian Finley
Ian Finley holds an MFA in Dramatic Writing from the Tisch School at New York University, where he received the Harry Kondoleon Award for playwriting. He served as Resident Playwright for Burning Coal Theatre Company, from 2004 through 2012. In 2012 he was named the Piedmont Laureate in the field of Playwriting and Screenwriting by the arts councils of central North Carolina. He is the author of The Nature of the Nautilus (winner of the Kennedy Center’s 2002 Jean Kennedy Smith Award), Native (recently adapted into the film The Problem of the Hero, streaming on Amazon Prime), The Greeks, 1960, Jude the Obscure, and the Our Histories cycle of site-specific plays.
Lormarev Jones
Lormarev Jones is a multi-hyphenate theatre artist; she received her MFA in Theatre from Sarah Lawrence College. Her credits as a director include Justice Theatre Project, Raleigh Little Theatre and Playmakers Repertory's Summer Youth Conservatory. Her choreography credits include many theatres and high schools in the Triangle, including Cardinal Gibbons, Research Triangle High School, and many others. She is a Certified Intimacy Director with Intimacy Directors & Coordinators, as well as a deviser, playwright, and solo performer. Her solo play My Geriatric Uterus won the David C. Herriman Artist's Pick Award at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival. Lormarev is currently the Director of Theatre at Meredith College, her alma mater. You can find her complete CV and follow her on Instagram.
- Website: lormarevjones.com
- Instagram: @ladyjonesbury
Allan Maule
Allan Maule is a Durham-based playwright, writer, and creative words guy who’s always glad to be teaching. Favorite productions of his plays include The Weight of Everything We Know (Theatre Raleigh and CATG 2022 NC Playwright's Lab), EverScape (NYC Fringe 2015 and Sonorous Road Theater), Two Late (Carrboro Arts Center 10x10 Festival), Objectively (Open Doors Festival), and Framing the Shot (Sonorous Road Theater). Allan also worked as a video game writer and voice director on the MMORPG Fallen Earth and the serious games DI2050 and Uptick. He is a graduate of Duke University and holds a masters in performance studies from UNC Chapel Hill.
- Website: allanmaule.com
- Instagram: @maulerballer