On The Rise - Francis

Well as one of the actors who has been part of the Almasi staged readings since inception, I have obtained vast knowledge in acting, directing and playwriting. With such knowledge l have improved on my craft. Over the years l had numerous platforms to impart my knowledge to upcoming actors. This has contributed to the quality of show and standard of acting and writing of new local stories. One of the best experiences I had was during the inaugural Almasi African Playwrights Conference, which was conducted by Robert Egan of the Ojai Playwrights Conference where he worked with the upcoming writers on how to approach the further development of their work. I understood how a writer should approach their literal work and what would be needed to write a good script. This process made me appreciate the difficult journey a writer goes through till they have a final draft. The Voice Techniques workshop with Danai Gurira and Ross Maquard was also one of the best experiences I have had. I had had training in speech before but the one we had with Ross was different. It was presented in a manner we could clearly understand. His method of teaching allowed us to be comfortable within the space. It did not feel as if we are in class. On top of that l am a fan of Ross as an actor and l got an opportunity to have discussions with him on how l can improve my craft.