LUMS YOUNG WRITERS WORKSHOP
Guest Workshop
Playwriting Workshop
Instructor: Ali Junejo
The nature of a screenplay or a script, as opposed to other long-form writing, is that it reaches its final state through a completely different medium which speaks a completely different language. Oftentimes we are only able to consume it in that state—on screen or on stage. But it usually starts as a whole bunch of dialogue interspersed with actions and descriptions: that's a script—the awkward, versatile, and snazzy cousin of the novel.
We're going to unpack the ideas/subjects that make you curious and try to find ways to turn that into stories and characters. Interestingly enough, characters tend to write themselves once you show them the way - in this workshop, we're going to learn to not take ourselves too seriously, put ourselves in needlessly difficult positions, and ask ourselves questions that we're terribly uncomfortable with so that we can give our characters a foundation to find their own way.
About Ali
Ali Junejo is a prolific writer, actor, and director from Karachi. His notable contribution to the performing arts includes the play Both Sit in Silence For A While, a dark comedy which he wrote, directed, and performed. This play was well-received in Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad and was translated into Dutch for performances in the Netherlands by Studio Antigone. The sequel to this play, Both Storm Into The Room: Breathless, Enraged, and Unforgiving Yet Seemingly Unaware Of Who Is Chasing Whom, is another dark comedy slated for upcoming performances in Lahore. Junejo is also in the pre-production phase of his directorial debut film, Would I Lie To You, for which he wrote the screenplay based on a story by Joshinder Chaggar and Sunil Shanker.
In theater, Junejo has been an active participant for nearly two decades, portraying a wide array of roles in plays by esteemed writers such as Samuel Beckett, David Mamet, Peter Shaffer, Reginald Rose, Edward Albee, Nick Payne, and Bee Gul. His performances include leading roles in Urdu adaptations of notable plays like Glengarry Glen Ross, Equus, 12 Angry Men, and The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? as well as in original productions such as Bedroom
Conversations. In the cinematic world, his performances in films like Next Scene and the critically acclaimed Joyland have been lauded, earning him Best Actor awards at the São Paulo International Film Festival (2022) and the Palm Springs International Film Festival (2023). He also features in Maya, which is currently in post-production.
As a director, Junejo has helmed productions including Eugene Ionesco’s The Bald Soprano and has co-written and directed original plays such as The Man on a Black Horse and The Portrait of Rumi, showcasing his versatility and creative prowess in both writing and performance.