Towne Street Theatre Alumni Playwriting Workshop

PC: Vince Ybanez

Written by YS Alum and Alumni Engagement Intern Miracle Wright-Lindo

This summer, in partnership with Towne Street Theatre (TST) we had a hybrid five-week Intro to Playwriting course for our alumni. Towne Street is a Black female-led theater company that offers a safe haven for a variety of artists so they may freely develop and experiment with theater without limitations. YS and TST both have a mission to inspire and educate others while allowing them to be themselves. Nancy Cheryll Davis, the Founding Artistic Producing director of TST, wanted to offer opportunities for youth to gain the knowledge of playwriting, acting, and directing. We were so excited to work in partnership with a fellow community organization while supporting our alumni, and we look forward to more partnership events to come. 

Each alum had the opportunity to work independently along with the support of Dara Frazier. Dara is an award-winning author, Off Broadway dramatist, journalist, artist, and filmmaker. She’s also a writer with TST and has worked on HBO, MTV Disney and Nickelodeon productions. Daras goal was to teach the alum as she taught the adults “to stretch creative boundaries” as well as encourage them to expand their thoughts. 

PC: Vince Ybanez

Dara gave everyone creative control. During a Q&A session, alumni talked about their motivation for writing their plays and their experience at the workshop. Alumni had the opportunity to collaborate on projects and provide feedback to each other. They chose different themes, like friendship, love, jealousy, and revenge, and  each alumni’s personality was showcased in what they presented. 

PC: Vince Ybanez

In the final performance, performers from Towne Street Theater brought the pieces to life. We’re glad that our Young Storytellers alumni have opportunities to continue learning storytelling skills so they have the freedom to express themselves. Watch a piece of the performance here!