About

For this exciting and unusual class, join two instructors--one a writer and one an actress, one accustomed to breathing life into a character through words and one accustomed to taking the writer's words and giving them life.  

Mining well-rounded and believable character is probably the most important element in fiction—every action and result will depend upon it. Developing unique and complex characters is a process of not only creation, but also of discovery. In this workshop the instructors will introduce a variety of activities that will help you do just this, thereby providing a toolbox that will take your fiction to new levels. By combining writing and acting exercises, you will give dimension to existing characters, develop new characters, and better view the world through the character’s point of view. Please wear comfortable clothes and bring a light lunch. Snacks and water will be provided.

Instructors: Warren Read is the author of a 2008 memoir, The Lyncher in Me (Borealis Books), and the 2017 novel, Ash Falls (Ig Publishing). His short fiction has been published in Hot Metal Bridge, Mud Season Review, Sliver of Stone, Inklette, Switchback and The East Bay Review. He has been in education for 26 years and is currently an assistant principal with the Bainbridge Island School District.

Dinah Manoff is a Tony Award winning actress. She has starred in a number of television series, including the classic Soap. Manoff is best known for her portrayal as Carol Weston, the character she played for seven years on the series, Empty Nest, and for the memorable Pink Lady, Marty Maraschino in the film Grease. Other films include Ordinary People in which she co-starred opposite Timothy Hutton as Karen his suicidal best friend and I Oughta be in Pictures opposite Walter Matthau. Manoff has also worked as a television writer and director. She is the daughter of writer Arnold Manoff and Oscar winning actress Lee Grant. Currently, Manoff resides with her family on Bainbridge Island where she writes, coaches, and teaches acting with the Northwest Actors Lab.