in-school workshops

Each year from November through April, participating schools are assigned one of our teaching professional playwrights, to lead up to 3 full-day, in-school, workshops which teach students how to write a play. In the workshops, the group explores a dynamic curriculum built upon the principles of playwriting. The playwrights utilize performance, improvisation, and unique writing prompts to teach young writers to creatively examine ideas, structure, conflict, and setting. By the end of the workshop phase of the program, students have generated a 10-minute play, engaged in cold readings of their work in the classroom, and received critical feedback from Teaching Playwrights and their peers.

"Students worked really hard because they were so interested! Students felt that their ideas were valued and that their concerns, struggles, and sense of self were recognized in the process of writing the plays.

Several students who have not expressed an interest in school were inspired to write more than they have in two years of Middle School."

- Casey Dearborn, Language Arts teacher, Lamoille Union Middle School, Bristol VT

"The workshops shifted their focus from writing either for themselves only or for their teachers to writing for an authentic audience. This program gives the kids who participate a great opportunity to hone their writing and have a "real" experience that is actually related to academic work."

- Susan Tribou, teacher, Lothrop School, Pittsford, VT