“Under Edward's leadership, I've been both inspired and fostered in the art and craft of playwriting. Edward's insights, advice, and guidance on my first short play were a key factor in getting it produced in the TWS New Plays Workshop. The play would have been nowhere near as polished, tight, and successful as it turned out to be.

His intelligence on playwriting and theatre is only exceeded by his passion for us all to produce great work and be the best playwrights we can be. At every one of our sessions, his critiques of work in progress by members always leads to better writing. And while opening one's work to criticism can be wrenching, the process that Edward has instituted makes the experience more thoughtful and productive, without the bruising of egos that can sometimes occur.

Edward is truly an inspiration for me and I love being able to share my work with him and value his opinion and criticism immeasurably.”

• Joseph Petrolis

“Edward’s ability to draw out elements of a play, especially shortcomings or opportunities for improvement, are amazing. What reveals itself to me as only a feeling or itch, he is able to articulate and explain in clear and illuminating detail. That alone is a wonderful talent. Each session is deep, instructive and enjoyable. His leadership is a great benefit to the group and a bright point to me individually.”

• Gregory Von Dare Suchor

"My favorite moment in class is when Edward challenges the group with a small, large or cosmic theater question. He then gives us air and space to apply what we've learned and experienced. We take it far out but then flounder. That's the moment eyes are on Edward for guidance, wit, wisdom and wealth of knowledge. He never disappoints."

• Margo Rife

“Edward Pinkowski is an admirable mentor – a coach, editor and teacher. He has mastered the art of constructive criticism. While adept at pointing out ways to improve a piece, he remains thoughtful, kind and encouraging. Edward is generous in providing his suggestions, resources that may prove helpful, and gentle, succinct guidance.

Edward’s astute comments are invariably on target. Following his suggestions has resulted in improvements in works written by a number of playwrights, including me.”

• Mary Ellen Druyan

"From the first moment he took on his leadership role of the TWS Playwrights Workshop, Edward came prepared and spoke with the knowledge that he garnered from his education at Goddard College as well as his real-life experience in writing, acting and other aspects of theatre.

Edward’s moderation of discussions always follows rules to allow constructive comments with an emphasis on the positives. He asks questions of the writer rather than attempting to “fix” any issues or put his own stamp on anything. He is unselfish with imparting his knowledge and wisdom while guiding the writer to ask their own questions of the work just presented and how to make it better. As a member of the TWS Education Committee, he works to make sure that courses meet the TWS mission, has clear objectives and measurable success. His passion for the arts is infectious."

• Edward W. Wavak

“It's an honor to have known Edward for several years. He consistently leads and teaches with commitment, brilliance, and compassion from a place of deep understanding of the human condition.”

• Katarina Szabo

"In his short tenure, Edward has elevated our group to a formally-recognized educational group within the Theatre of Western Springs. He has linked the group to the theater’s Director’s Workshop, and has arranged for collaborative performances of our member’s works. In addition to leading discussions of our writing within our meetings, he is always open to one-on-one reviews of our work and is always constructive and encouraging.  Edward has a personality that makes him both a respected teacher and mentor. I believe this is a rare blend, and I for one cherish it."

• Michael Huth

"Edward is a prime example of an educator who can manage groups while using various teaching strategies that allow for all learning styles to feel fully engaged. This has not only promoted meaningful discussions within our group, but he has genuinely developed a love for learning amongst the playwrights.

Edward’s excellent communication skills keep one fully engaged during meetings, discussions or presentations. Whenever there is a moment to either work with or learn from him, various individuals, including myself, jump at the opportunity. Whether in a group or one-on-one, Edward has and will always go the extra mile to ensure the needs of those around him are met completely."

• Haruka Hitchcock

""When I first submitted my story for the TWS STORY SLAM, I felt like it was perfectly clear and poignant, and very close to being “ready to roll.'  Boy, was I wrong!  I can’t thank Edward enough for carefully dissecting, listening, and carving out the many areas that needed clarification, expansion, or exclusion. And he did it all with such expertise, patience, encouragement, - and above all, kindness.  My ego was restored!"

• Linda Cunningham

"Edward Pinkowski has taught me the craft and the art of playwriting during the past several years.  His dedication and commitment to learning and the education of those who have been under his guidance has always been an important part of his success as a teacher.

His knowledge of playwriting and his effective and enthusiastic manner of teaching has allowed me to progress from having no previous playwriting knowledge or experience to having completed over a dozen plays.  Many of those plays have been successfully produced."

• Jack Calvert

"I was thrilled to be chosen to work with Edward for the Theatre of Western Spring's STORY SLAM.  Although I had heard of him at TWS, I never met him before his well-directed workshop.  Through his temperate and enveloping positivity, I developed my story beyond what I envisioned.  I now feel more comfortable and better prepared for creating more pages in the future."

• Julie Tomek Campo

"Working with Edward on the TWS Story Slam project helped me refine my story in ways I hadn't considered. He shared his feedback in a nonjudgmental way and guided me through the editing process.  I found a stronger through-line, removed the editorial distractions, and honed in on the elements that made my story better."

• Gonzo Schexnayder

"I met Edward Pinkowski when I took a playwriting workshop which he conducted through a local theatre. I was very impressed with his professionalism, knowledge, choice of materials, and the way he conducted the class. He would always put the students at ease, any criticism was presented positively and with specific suggestions for possible improvement where appropriate.
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I am proud and happy to serve as his assistant for the last several years, and to know that I was instrumental in recruiting Edward to become our Chairperson and Leader. He has organized the group into a truly educational as well as an enjoyable and productive entity at the theatre. The group has attracted and gained several more talented members since he has been in charge. Under his leadership, our group has collaborated with other theatre groups as well as community groups and participated in projects in which many of our members have won contests with their work and had their materials produced.

Even during the pandemic, where in-person activities are limited, he has kept the group alive and productive using online meetings and internet productions of our work.

Edward Pinkowski as an excellent teacher, a mentor, and someone who I am proud to know as a person."

• Judy DiVita

"I recently had the privilege to take part in an educational storytelling workshop taught by Edward Pinkowski through the Theatre of Western Springs.  He was guiding a group of actors through the creative process of writing their personal stories, ultimately to be performed on stage by each writer.
 
He was experienced and knowledgeable about the mechanics and techniques of writing for the stage, but also extremely empathetic, aware of each performer’s long journey.  Mr. Pinkowski’s ability to understand what the writers were searching for in their personal copy gave us confidence to navigate difficult terrain.
 
He was respectful of our time and schedules for our weekly classes, and he also made time after the sessions to work personally with those of us who wanted to improve our copy.  He is a good teacher with unique intuition and sensitivity.  I am honored to give Mr. Edward Pinkowski a big thumbs up."

• Thom M. Serafin

"Working with Edward has had an amazing impact on my writing.  He is a very engaging and thoughtful leader of our Playwright's Group, both challenging and encouraging us in our quests to become better at our craft.  He is a strong, effective communicator and, more importantly, a compassionate listener.  As one of the workshop leaders of our Story Slam, his guidance allowed me to reach further into a personal story and color it in a way I never thought possible."

• Janet Venzon

"I very much appreciated the opportunity to have been part of the Playwrights Workshop at the Theater of Western Springs.  In his role as group facilitator, Edward guided us in presenting, and collaboratively, evaluating our written scenes in a way that elicited insights and clear ways we could move them forward to completed works.  A valuable learning experience."

• Linda Christianson

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