Scene Writing Residency at Johnston Elementary

I had an absolutely JOYFUL time leading a scene writing residency for the 4th graders at Johnston Elementary in Asheville. The curriculum combined creative writing and theatre, culminating in original scenes written and performed by the students.

Yes, the kids learned about story structure, dialogue, script formatting, and foundational theatre technique.

More significantly, they learned about working together, creative problem solving, communication, resilience, and the value of seeing a project through from start to finish.

Every child participated.

Every child took risks.

Every child was successful.

 I feel emotional about how aligned this project was with what I love most about arts education. Thanks to Arts AVL and their Arts for Schools grant for making this possible, the staff at Johnston for their support, and Playground Stage for help with costumes and props.

My hope is to expand this project to more schools.

”The future belongs to young people with an education and the imagination to create.”