INTRODUCTION TO PLAYWRITING + STORYTELLING

INSTRUCTOR: Jessica Harris

DATE(S): Thursdays, October 14 - November 18, 2021 (six weeks)

TIME: 6:30pm - 7:30pm

LOCATION: TBD

COST: $20 per class, $120 total

AGE: 14+

COURSE DESCRIPTION: Have an idea for a story you’re just itching to write? Want to explore the craft of playwriting and try your hand at a new skill? Join SCAN and Jessica Harris for an Introduction to Playwriting and Storytelling. Over the course of 6-weeks, you will gain skills and tools to help craft your own 10-minute, one-act, and full-length plays. We’ll engage in writing activities and exciting prompts, and enhance our writers’ toolboxes by working and growing together. No experience necessary; just an interest in storytelling through scripts. Open to ages 16+.

INSTRUCTOR BIO: Jessica Harris is the Founder and Artistic Director of Empowered Players, a 501(c)3 arts education nonprofit in rural Virginia dedicated to uplifting the human spirit through access to quality arts experiences, youth empowerment, and community service. A veteran performer and director, she’s directed and produced a number of works locally including with Four County Players, the University of Virginia, and The Kennedy Center. Jessica holds a Master’s in Educational Psychology from the University of Virginia, where she also earned an Interdisciplinary B.A in arts nonprofit management & education. Her work centers on examining the intersection of arts, education, and social connection. Her TEDx Talk titled “The Transformative Power of Theater in Rural Communities” highlights her work, and she provides over twenty different programs for K-12 students year-round.