As the festival dramaturg, you’ve been working with the writers of most of the plays in the festival, helping them hone and refine their scripts. What’s that process been like? and how would you compare the experience to other dramaturgy you’ve done or other festivals you’ve worked on?

I love dramaturging new work. It’s always a real joy to witness a playwright creating something from nothing. Every writer is an individual and every play is so very different. At NotaBle Acts there are playwrights from all levels of experience, exploring all kinds of wild terrain (literally and figuratively!). I’ve been exposed to some wonderfully imaginative and engaging artists through NotaBle Acts, which is inspiring.

You’re based in Edmonton, so this is your first experience of NotaBle Acts. How would you compare the experience to other dramaturgy you’ve done or other festivals you’ve worked on? How would you describe the festival to someone who’s never attended before, or to one of your colleagues from outside the province?

I think the main difference from the dramaturgy work I’ve done before is the breadth of form and the variety of plays. There are fully staged one acts, readings, site-specific shows, and ten-minute plays. Each type of play has asked for a different approach, so I have needed to adapt and stretch in new and surprising ways. How would I describe the Notable Acts Festival? Well…The NotaBle Acts Festival is action-packed and there is something for everyone. Be ready for anything!

The other part of your work as the festival’s Artist in Residence is that you’re one of the 16 playwrights having a new play staged at the festival. Tell us a bit about your work in progress, Amber Hope Porter?

Amber Hope Porter is a play about a sixteen-year-old girl struggling with unforeseen changes in her life, changes that are unwanted and that she is unable to control. She finds understanding and solace in an unlikely friendship and discovers that human connection can be complicated, even if it does make the world feel a little less lonely.

What’s it meant for you to have the writing time and workshop opportunity for the play that the festival has made possible?

Time is a writer’s best friend. Time allows me to think, imagine, and develop the play I am writing. I am grateful for the many hours that being a writer in residence with NotaBle Acts has given me. I’ve been able to really immerse myself in the new work that I am creating. The workshop and reading opportunity allow me to put what I’m writing to the test as actors read what I’ve written aloud and an audience receives the work for the first time. It’s what it’s all about!

Any favorite discoveries about Fredericton or New Brunswick so far?

Picaroons! Great for fresh air and dog watching. Also, I love the trail along the river. I’m enjoying the many cafés in the city. Oh! And the Dali painting at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery was a treat. Lots to see and do in this fair city.