That Uppity Theatre Company - VSA arts Playwright Discovery Program

James Grimmaud and Helen Lynch's 3rd period Freshmen English Class 2005-2006
VSA arts Playwright Discovery Program participants

Uppity continues its work with the VSA arts Playwright Discovery Program. This past season marked the company’s second year in helping local schools create scripts for consideration in this national competition.

VSA arts is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1974 upon the belief that the arts play a vital role in the lives of all people. VSA arts serves to communicate the power of the arts as a means to positively shape the lives of people with disabilities.

The VSA arts Playwright Discovery Program is open to students in 6th-12th grade and challenges students of all abilities to take a closer look at the world around then, examine how disability affects their lives and the lives of others, and express their views through the art of playwriting.

To be eligible, students most complete and submit a one-act play, created individually or in groups. Winning entries are presented at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.

Last year, Uppity enlisted the help of two teaching artists to pilot the program in Merri Ellen Brooks’ 8th grade class at Hancock Middle School. The lead teaching artist during the program’s inaugural year was Jeremy Sher; he was assisted by Johanna Elkanna.

During our second year working on the project, Uppity’s Assistant Director, Sarah Shimchick, and Independent Teaching Artist, Jackie Masei, worked with students at Roosevelt High School. These students were members of James Grimmaud and Helen Lynch’s third period Freshman English class.

The students worked with Jackie and Sarah from October through March. From the beginning, the class decided that they wanted to create one script, with everyone contributing in their own way. During the early sessions, students played a variety of theatre games, focusing on character and plot development. Guest speakers from Uppity’s DisAbility Project shared with the youth their perspectives on disability culture and theatre. Their insight proved useful with the actual writing of the script.
Based loosely on the family member of one of the students, “Jamal’s Ways” is the story of a little boy with Cerebral Palsy and his struggle within his family, especially in his interaction with his older sister. Much of the dialogue for the one-act was created through improvisation. The class was also exposed to some simulation exercises to help them better understand what it might be like to have Cerebral Palsy and how it would affect them in completing everyday tasks such as eating breakfast.
The script went through many rewrites as the students became more familiar with terms such as subtext and conflict and as they discovered new examples of scripts and came across other writing devices they would like to implement. Their completed script was submitted to the VSA arts Playwright Discovery Competition for consideration.

The following information has been excerpted from the VSA arts Playwright Discovery Program Resource Guide.
The Benefits of Teaching Playwriting

The art of playwriting is perhaps our earliest form of entertainment and education. Playwriting teaches language skills and improves literacy—from grammar and vocabulary to handwriting and spelling. One can develop critical thinking skills, while constructing character and plot. Also, the opportunity to express oneself in a creative medium can build knowledge of new subject areas, such as disability issues.
Playwriting can also be used to teach social skills. Whether writing a play together, providing constructive criticism to fellow playwrights, or performing in a play, collaboration and cooperation are imperative to the project’s success.
A less tangible but equally vital aspect of teaching playwriting is the opportunity for personal exploration. The theme of disability can elicit discussions on such topics as prejudice, civil rights, and the definition of disability itself. This theme can have great importance to teenagers, as they struggle with issues of personal identity and physical appearance.

Two Uppity teaching artists are working with students at Roosevelt High School as part of the VSA arts Playwright Discovery Program. This is the second year that Uppity is working with the St. Louis public school system to implement this program.

Last year That Uppity Theatre Company partnered with eighth grade students of Hancock Middle School, providing free playwriting workshops to create scripts for submission to the 2005 Playwright Discovery Program. [For further information on our work at Hancock Middle School see our Fall Newsletter.]

The VSA arts Playwright Discovery Program is open to students in 6th-12th grade and challenges students of all abilities to take a closer look at the world around them, examine how disability affects their lives and the lives of others, and express their views through the art of playwriting. To be eligible, students must complete and submit a one-act play, created individually or in groups. Winning entries are presented at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.

The following information has been excerpted from the VSA arts Playwright Discovery Program Resource Guide.

VSA arts
VSA arts promotes the arts for children and adults with disabilities, strengthening the human spirit and improving the quality of life for everyone.

VSA arts believes that the arts play a vital role in the lives of all people. They give us a universal language through which we enhance education, communicate experiences, and unite diverse cultures. VSA arts serves to communicate the power of the arts as a means to positively shape the lives of people with disabilities.

(Left) Jenisha Spurlock (Right) Miguel Pendleton hard at work on crafting the final scenes of their original one-act

Playwriting can also be used to teach social skills. Whether writing a play together, providing constructive criticism to fellow playwrights, or performing in a play, collaboration and cooperation are imperative to the project’s success.

Desiree Watkins (left) Alicia Williams (right) listening to class discussion about ideas for the play.

A less tangible but equally vital aspect of teaching playwriting is the opportunity for personal exploration. The theme of disability can elicit discussions on such topics as prejudice, civil rights, and the definition of disability itself. This theme can have great importance to teenagers, as they struggle with issues of personal identity and physical appearance.

Playwright Discovery Program
The VSA arts Playwright Discovery Program challenges students of all abilities to take a closer look at the world around them, examine how disability affects their lives and the lives of others, and express their views through the art of playwriting. Through playwriting, students can advance their awareness and understanding of disability by exploring the experience of a person with a disability.

Andrew M. Branham
So far, I have been working on a project about a boy who has a disease called Cerebral Palsy. Jamal has had Cerebral Palsy all his life. He has tightened muscles and has to be in a wheelchair.

Also, my name is Andrew M. Branham. I am 15 years old and in three months I will be 16 years old. I have lived in St. Louis for about 10 years.

If we win this project, we will get a trip to Washington, D.C. If we go, we get to watch our play being staged at Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Plus, we get to eat with real actors from the center. Plus, we get to fly on a plane there and back.

Gena Griffin
My name is Gena Griffin. I’m fourteen years old. I’m currently in the 9th grade. I go to Roosevelt High School. Last year, I was in Jefferson City and I went to Thomas Jefferson. Then, I transferred to Normandy when I first moved here. I’m turning fifteen on June 18th.

I’m very interested and excited by the play. It was fun writing it and a good way to interact with my peers in my class. I’ve never wrote a real play, but when I was in Jefferson City, we had short plays and had to tell the moral of the play.

I learned just because you a disability doesn’t mean you’re stupid or you can’t do things “normal”/”regular”/”other” people can do.

It’s difficult to write a play, but it’s also fun. It takes hard work and dedication and you have to focus and work together to make the best play. I learned that I’m capable of writing a play and I have lots of good, creative ideas, and I work well with other people that want to work.

Miguel Pendleton
Hi, my name is Miguel Pendleton. I am a student at Roosevelt High School. I am 14 years old. I was born on June 8, 1991. I am the only girl out of five and I have four older brothers. My mother is a worker at Missouri School for the Blind (MSB). But about me, I write poetry and books. I am very interested in writing this play. I am very interested because it helps me and I am also learning about people that I never even paid attention to. People who are around me everyday. Writing this script, I hope it’s given me and my class a great opportunity to win the competition.

I have been working with three women who have encouraged my classmates and I in everything we have done. They are so caring and encouraging that they give us hope and faith that we can really do this and win. But it’s not about winning this competition, it’s an opportunity that my classmates and I deserve and hope to have because we do not only write, but we talk and have fun while we’re doing so.

Tiennessia Smith
Hi, my name is Tiennessia Smith. I am fifteen years old and I am pleasant student at Roosevelt High School. This is my first year so I am freshman. During this school year, my third period class and I have been chosen to write a play on someone that lives with a disability. Helping, writing, and reading this play has really opened some doors for me. I have experiences a lot of things, but this is the best. The best accomplishment and achievement of my freshman year. I really do enjoy my time I have doing this play and I hope that my classmates and I are going to not only win, but become mature while doing this play.

Jenisha Spurlock
My name is Jenisha Spurlock. I was born and raised in St. Louis in Missouri. I was born and raised by a black African mother and a blessed mother names Angela Austin. I was born August 6, 1991. I am now fourteen years old. I love to have fun, go to school, learn, get an education, and have fun with my friends. Well, I had fun doing and working on this play. I learned about playwriting a whole lot and I learned about different kinds of disabilities. I think this playwriting is interesting and you learn more about disabilities and how playwriting works.

Jonathan Taylor
My name is Jonathan Taylor. I am a freshman at Roosevelt High School in St. Louis, MO. I am 15 years old and I like to do stand-up comedy. I am connected to the community of disabled people because my cousin has cerebral palsy. He was born with it. I enjoy working with the project because it helps me to learn more about disabled people. When I graduate from high school, I want to go to college to be a businessman.

Marissa D. Thomas
My name is Marissa D. Thomas. I was born and raised in St Louis, MO and my birthday is February 24, 1991. I am a Pisces. What I like to do in my spare time is to talk on the phone, go outside and sit on the porch, or go over my friend’s house. When I’m at home, I go to sleep or watch TV or eat all day. What I know about playwriting is that it can’t be a regular play. It has to be special because it might go a far way. People might want to borrow it some day. What I think about going to Washington, DC. I think it is neat because you get to do something that you will never get to do such as travel outside of St. Louis, MO. You’ll never know what you could do in Washington, DC. You could have the time of your life. Washington might be great. Well I would just have to go to Washington, DC.

Desiree Watkins
My name is Desiree Watkins. I am a student at Roosevelt High School. My third period class and I are writing a play on a disabled person. Doing this play is a great thing for me because I get a chance to learn about people that I never really paid attention to. I enjoy doing this and hopefully this gives me and my classmates an opportunity to have fun. I really enjoy this play because I get to add my input.

Alicia Williams
My name is Alicia Williams. I’m now in the ninth grade and I go to Roosevelt High School. My first year has been okay but things at home aren’t really what I expected but I’m just living the life. I’m a fifteen year old with three sisters just trying to have fun. We may fight but we still love each other.

You ask me do I have any past theatrical experiences but that’s not possible because I never went to a school that has stuff like that, but I think it would be really cool to do something like that. And that answers the question is there past scriptwriting, the answer is no

The play has all it needs. It don’t need any more anecdotes to mix with it. It’s good the way it is.

What I learned about disabilities is that you might not be “normal”, but you should never judge a person until you get to know them. Every person needs a friend.

What I learned about playwriting is that it can be pretty boring at times. It takes thinking and imagination to get what you want to achieve and you can do with your peers and may a good playwright.

I learned from writing this play is that if you know some people with disabilities, don’t make fun of them. Just ask how they’re doing or feeling about their disabilities.

Thank you first of all. I’ve enjoyed working on this project with you two. Thank you for taking time out of your busy lives. Also thanks for helping us rowdy, hyper kids.

I also wanted to thank you two for the cereal and popsicle sticks. J And playing Big Booty and all the theatre games with us.

I appreciate everything you two have done for the others and me. Even though most of them said they didn’t like it, they did.

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Dear Jackie & Sarah,

Thank you for everything you did for me, like bringing us food, cake, Frosted Flakes, and whatever else you did.

I also want to thank you for helping us with our play about Jamal and for just putting up with us. I know we are bad, but thanks for everything.

Finally, I want to thank you for the Wednesday you came even when you had something to do like pay your bills, or go to another job. I really want to thank you and I hope you remember us.

Love always,
Tiennessa Smith
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Dear Miss Jackie & Sarah,

Thank you for all of your time, your support, and including us in your project. Thank you very much. You also taught us how to work together. I thank you so very much. All of the things you did for me and how you helped me was nice.

Sincerely,
Jenisha Spurlock
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Dear Miss Jackie & Sarah,

I want to say thank you for helping us with the project.
Sincerely,
Terry Davis
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Dear Ms. Jackie and Ms. Sarah,

Thank you for including me in this project. You helped us a lot with the writing the play and we owe our thanks to you. You also helped us learn to work together.

Thanks for spending your time with us on this project. If we win, we owe our thanks to you for giving us a lot of these great ideas. Thank you. You also taught us important life lesson when we did the activities we did. Well, thank you very much.

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Dear Jackie and Sarah,

I’m writing you a letter to say thank you for spending your time with us. I wasn’t here the whole time, but thank you. You taught me how to care for handicapped people, so thanks again.

Your friend,
Jonathan Taylor
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Dear Ms. Jackie and Ms. Sarah,

I have enjoyed working with you two intelligent, pretty, and educated people. Writing that play was amazing and a great experience. I love to write myself, so writing this play gave me some ideas of writing myself. You two ladies were great to work with and if I go to Roosevelt High School next year, it will be a pleasure to work with you two again. Not only did I enjoy writing, but I also loved the games and decisions of the play. I have learned a lot about others and plan to continue. Thank you for giving my classmates and me an opportunity of doing something so wonderful in high school. We thank you and will see you soon.

Sincerely,
Miquel Pendleton
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Dear Jackie and Sarah,

Jackie and Sarah thank you for letting us be in the program. It was boring at first, but then I started to like it because the games were very fun. And you and Sarah taught us a lot. We found that writing a play can be so much fun, no wonder there are a lot of movies out there. It can make you be so excited. The best thing about you coming was when you brought the food. That was good, but I really hope for the best. I hope that we win. If we do, it’s all because of you guys.

Sincerely,
Alicia Williams
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Dear Jackie and Sarah,

Thank you for helping our class write our play. I hope we win. Thank you so much. You really helped me improve my writing skills. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Ebony Wallace
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Dear Jackie & Sarah,

Thank you for your time coming every Wednesday dealing with us and our bad behavior. You let us think about how people feel that are different from us. Like people that can’t walk or can’t talk. They have a hard time doing things. You want us to feel how hard it is for them. We learned a lot about disabled people and how hard it is for them. And I had fun learning about these people that are different from me. We had to think hard to make this play. I really liked writing this play.