Hoffman Center Blog

Bryan Harnetiaux to lead playwriting workshop.

Playwright Bryan Harnetiaux will conduct a playwriting workshop from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 15, at the Hoffman Center in Manzanita. Registration will be limited to ten people.

Have you ever wanted to write a play, or possibly turn your short story or novel into a play? Here’s your chance. The playwriting workshop will focus on the art of playwriting, the process of playwriting, and the business of playwriting. It will also include a brief writing exercise designed to focus on the elements of playwriting.

Harnetiaux, a playwright-in-residence at Spokane Civic Theatre, has written over 30 plays, 13 of which have been published, including commissioned adaptations for Dramatic Publishing Company of the stories of Ernest Hemingway (The Snows of Kilimanjaro and The Killers) and Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (Long Walk to Forever).

Mr. Harnetiaux’s most recent published play, National Pastime (Playscripts, Inc., NYC) has received professional productions on the West and East coasts. His cycle of plays on end-of-life (Vesta, Dusk and Holding On ~ Letting Go) are now specially licensed for productions in clinical settings by Duke University’s Institute on Care at the End-of-Life and have been performed throughout the country; these plays have also enjoyed mainstream theatre productions. Harnetiaux is an associate member of the Dramatists Guild of America.

Harnetiaux’s play Vesta will be performed at the Hoffman Center on Friday, May 14, at 7:30 pm as a reader’s theater with local resident and national actor Liz Megan Cole directing and acting. On Saturday evening, Harnetiaux will read from his play National Pastime and answer questions at the Manzanita Writers’ Series.

The workshop is a program of the Hoffman Center and will be held at the Hoffman House Studios Classroom at 595 Laneda Avenue (next to the library). Admission fee is $50.  Click here to print the registration form.

Karen Karbo shared her extensive research on fashion icon Coco Chanel

Prior to Karen Karbo’s presentation on November 21st, I hadn’t thought much about Coco Chanel.  I had equated the designer with those little suits that Nancy Reagan wore.  But after the evening was over, I had a whole new picture of Coco Chanel.  She was a resourceful, innovative, and determined woman, whose story is an inspiration to anyone with an ‘impossible’ dream.

Karbo’s new book, The Gospel according Coco Chanel–Life Lessons From the World’s Most Elegant Woman, takes an unusual approach.  It’s not a biography, although you’ll learn all sorts of things about Coco’s life, but rather a sort of philosophy book.  On Style:  ”Anything that’s got simple lines, skims the body, is easy to move in, and affords the loading on of a lot of jewelry is Chanel.” Nothing quirky or trendy or cheesy.  And it doesn’t have to cost a lot.  I guess I can finally get rid of those uncomfortable, low-cut, acid-washed designer jeans.

On Self-Invention: “Chanel had several things going for her–not the least of which was the sting of necessity, which forced her to inventory her modest advantages and figure out how to leverage them.  Her list was short, but would serve her in good stead for the rest of her life:  a. Her looks, b. Her mind, including her powers of observation, c.  Her ability to gallop a horse through the forest.”

Okay, so maybe Chanel’s list was a little longer, but it was great fun listening to Karbo weave her tale.  Everybody loves to hear someone’s path from literal poorhouse to the glamorous world of Paris and fashion.  It certainly did a lot more for me than watching one of those horrible reality shows.  Not that I do.  Hey, I don’t even have cable.