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Playwriting is a key element in the theatre classroom. Whether ten-minute one acts or full-length plays, the act of creating a show from the ground up allows students a greater sense of ownership than any other types of productions.
From the 45-minute one acts created collaboratively for Alabama's Trumbauer Festival, to the ten-minute one-acts created for the Vermont Young Playwrights Festival, to the original, full-length ghost stories A Shadow on the Wall and I'll Tell You a Secret, I have worked with students on original works for over ten years now, and value it above almost all other experiences in the classroom- the creativity of students is a constant inspiration.
Above: The Addison Independent's coverage of Never Before Scene (2022) Below: an angry confrontation in I'll Tell You a Secret (2025).
Top: PALS (2015); Bottom: Martin Thurber, Boy Wonder (2016)
Amelia the Brave (2013)
Deeds Not Words (2017) In 2016, I was awarded a Funds for Teachers' grant to study the suffrage movement in the UK and the US. Although my original focus was on Emmeline Pankhurt in Manchester, I discovered the fascinating story of Lady Contance Lytton, a suffragette who hid her aristocratic identity in order to be arrested and document the abuses of detainees. The play would go on to be named Best in Show at the Alabama Trumbauer Theatre Festival; leading actress Rachel Ponder was named Best Actress for her portrayal of Constance.
A Shadow on the Wall (2023)
Below: Never Before Scene allows our technicians to take the stage at least once during the evening. Here, ART Tech students rehearse The Godfather of Speech by technician Max Carpenter (2024).
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