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The Alchemy of Astonishment Workshop

  • Available as a one- to three-day master class, a one-on-one personal coaching session, an extended residency to create a show, or as a lecture/presentation followed by a conversation with the audience.

My book, The Alchemy of Astonishment: Engaging the Power of Theatre, is based on my PhD research. I asked people to send me stories about the most unforgettable moment they had ever seen in a theatre performance. After collecting nearly one hundred stories and analyzing them I discovered that they all had something in common. I was able to develop a practical theory to explain what it was about the staging that made them so astonishing. I then collaborated with graphic designer Kit Maloney to create a deck of teaching cards designed to help people make a theatre performance, storytelling, or public lecture unforgettable for their audiences. The face of each card has the name of its staging strategy and an iconic image to help remember it. On the reverse is a brief description of how it works and suggestions for how to implement it into a scene or show.

In this learn-by-doing workshop, you will have a chance to work with the cards, to learn the theory, and to practice this innovative approach to creating a performance.

Click on below to see an interview with Will about the book and cards

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