Yesterday, Shaun Mitchell and I initiated another variation of "Scripted," a playwriting workshop that has evolved from Louisville to Bridgeport with what began from a student-generated idea and that is now a staple of the Central Playwright festival in Connecticut. Abu played the part of Deep Voice from Boy Meets Girl (Free to Be You and Me) and Julie played the part of High Voice. Our improvisational exercise made our summer crew happy and we were able to highlight the excellence of Mr. Mitchell's students, this year's LRNG Radio plays, and the importance of play for Improv-ing student writing.
In short, we laughed.
In short, we wrote.
In short, we got creative and let Lossine continue while Abu talked to his Alien friends back home.
Of all the workshops I do nation-wide, this one with Shaun Mitchell is one of my favorites. It means the world to me to see the evolution of where our 2003 work in Kentucky has evolved to a John Legend funded initiative in Connecticut. I love to see the way such writing has birthed itself into another generation of creativity.
What is more important, however, is how the playwriting exercise initiates possibilities to all the teachers who attend our program. I love seeing the sparks fly and the energy rise with the humor, the innovation, and the importance of dialogue and context.
In short, give me any venue for this presentation and I'll be there. If I can't, I'm sure Shaun Mitchell will be more than willing to lend his expertise. It truly is a remarkable testimony to bringing fun back to school.
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