A Playwright in Non-Residence
by Sandy Asher and Patrica “Patch” Clark
INTRODUCTION
It took only a quick exchange during an AATE COVID-inspired virtual meeting of the High School Network to bring East Carolina University theatre professor Patricia “Patch” Clark and Pennsylvania playwright Sandra Fenichel Asher together and launch them on an unexpected adventure.
“I’m available for virtual classroom visits,” Sandy announced from her little rectangle on the Zoom wall.
“I want you to visit my classes,” Patch replied via the chat feature.
A burst of creative interchange followed that the two firmly believe benefits educators, students, and artists — and does not require a pandemic to exist. Long-distance, but with shared goals, the two arranged a wide variety of “Meet the Playwright in Non-Residence” exchanges. What unfolded next was a conversation about their semester-long (and ongoing!) partnership.
THE CONVERSATION
SANDY: I made that initial statement on Zoom because I was feeling isolated and wanted to make myself available to educators and their students in a meaningful way. What were you thinking when you sent me that chat message, Patch?
PATCH: I was so excited to be able to offer my students an opportunity to work with you, especially given the constraints of the pandemic. What a special “light” this would offer to their sometimes very dark rectangle boxes on ZOOM. You became, in essence, our contact with the outside world of creativity and playwriting! Ahhh..the light!
SANDY: East Carolina University supported you in making this a paid “non-residency,” right? That was much appreciated and really freed us up to dig deep and come up with a series of meaningful interactions. At the same time, there was no worry about travel, housing, and per diem. And we had the luxury of an entire semester, rather than the usual days or, at most, a week or two together.
PATCH: The experience of a non-residency/residency brought about numerous advantages that might not have been possible had our experience been limited to an in-person, on-site residency.
SANDY: Have you had playwrights-in-residency there, Patch?
PATCH: We had an author-in-residence, Chester Freeman, author of Runaway Bear, (Pelican Publishing, 1993), whom we worked with to adapt his book into a children’s musical for the stage which was subsequently performed for the surrounding schools at Wright Auditorium on the campus of East Carolina University. Mr. Freeman also traveled with Theatre Education and Theatre for Youth students to the elementary schools to work with classes in adapting favorite books to the stage and to share his journey as an author. Sandy, however, was our first playwright-in-residence. Because this was during the time of COVID, all sessions were held virtually.
PATCH: Sandy, what other types of residencies have you experienced?
SANDY: I’ve done everything from one-day in-class playwriting workshops to a once-a-week, after-school workshop with Drury University students and at-risk 5th graders that lasted for three semesters, thanks to a giant grant from 3M Corporation. In between, my residencies have been tailored to the needs of the hosting institution. Generally, three to five days, with in-class playwriting workshops plus rehearsals and performances after school or in the evening of whatever play of mine they happen to be working on. Since the pandemic, I’ve spent an hour or so visiting several classrooms online and dropped in virtually on rehearsals as well. Residency options are limited only by our imaginations!
PATCH: Right! Together, we developed a shared vision and dedication. Despite the physical limitations COVID presented, our energies and determination were both strengthened and renewed by your virtual “presence” throughout our rehearsal process and in our playwriting and theatre for youth classes. Students really appreciated your insights and guidance and looked forward to the dates when you would be joining us. Perhaps the sheer confinement of everyone — students and faculty were located at home rather than on campus together — made the presence of our virtual artist-in-residence even more special and important in reaching an outside world of shared theatre.
SANDY: That was absolutely true for me as well! You had already started work on your Zoom production of A Woman Called Truth. When I first met the cast, I felt it was important to have “the talk” about my being a white woman writing about a black woman. I told them the history of the writing of the play and about previous productions and encouraged them to feel free to express their feelings about any of that. They seemed very accepting, but I couldn’t help but wonder if they talked more openly with you after that meeting.
PATCH: Again, this was during an extremely unsettling time of both an unknown cure or remedy for the illness and the disruptive and violent social events taking place in our country. Your presence brought about a calming sense of focus. There was also a sense of security through our shared vision, and the ability to express ourselves and find our voices both through your heart-warming and moving play, A Woman Called Truth, and through your mentorship in developing young playwrights, whose voices were desperate to be heard. A Woman Called Truth was shared virtually with audiences across the county and as far away as Japan and Poland.
PATCH: This online production provided a vehicle for thought and discussion at a time when it was most needed in our classrooms, libraries, and homes. My students were unaware of the story of Sojourner Truth and were inspired by her work and journey. We were also able to share excerpts and online techniques in a state-wide Cultural Arts Live Virtual Conference, thus reaching schools, teachers, teaching artists, and administrators beyond our school and online classroom.
SANDY: You shared the Zoom recording and extensive teaching guidelines for free! That, too, was supported by the University, yes? I was thrilled by the performances, the clever and deeply-moving use of the medium, the work that went into the guidelines, and the generosity of the entire undertaking. In addition, it was such a privilege to read the students’ own scripts and have conversations with them that lead to revision, and then attend their brilliant performances! As if all of that had not been enough, they then took on my radio play Fidelio and turned it into a multi-media production. And, as a bonus, I got to witness the University stage productions of Lysistrata and Doctor Doolittle. We were separated by over 400 miles and a pandemic, but I felt as if we were together through it all. You and I became friends as well as colleagues, and your kids became “my kids.”
PATCH: The additional experience for students involved in the Theatre for Youth and Playwriting classes was truly inspirational as they worked with you to continue to develop ideas, scripts, characters, dialog, and plots for the dramatic stories they wished to share. The most helpful approach was to decide upon focus points for each meeting and explore topics and ideas together so that each session had a designated and meaningful experience for all participants. Secondly, there was a sense of extended partnership and shared appreciation for the work of everyone involved. An atmosphere of safety in which to create was always present and strongly practiced. Finally, we established a schedule throughout the semester that included goals to work towards in between each of the shared sessions and checkpoints for progress, thus ensuring a sense of dedication and accomplishment for each of the students and the class as a whole.
SANDY: All culminating in a wonderful announcement you shared with me recently. Let’s close with your sharing it here.
PATCH: One of the student-written scripts, Untitled, which is centered around the summer protests of 2020, recently received a URCA award (Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity) to produce her play during the spring of 2022. What began as an online mentorship then continued to be developed into a face-to-face rehearsal process and live performances.
SANDY: Talk about a happy ending! Thank you, Patch, for making room for me in all you do and continue to do for your students.
CONCLUSION
Virtual collaboration with a playwright-in-residence offers numerous opportunities for national and global partnerships that might otherwise be cost and/or travel prohibitive for schools and universities.
We all need one another! That is how we grow, as artists and as educators. It is nourishing — and a lot of fun, too!
Some benefits to this type of partnership include:
- Scheduling flexibility that can span longer than one week or semester
- Individual help and mentorship from the playwright
- Visitation to numerous classes for group work
- Time for student playwrights to grow in their work
- Opportunity for student playwrights to consult with the playwright during future sessions
- On-going partnerships with and engagement between schools, universities, and professional playwrights
Some suggestions for virtual collaboration which we found helpful:
- Plan for each session. Devise an outline of goals you would like to accomplish for each session.
- Assign writing to participants to share at the following session.
- Allow time for everyone to make a contribution to the group and thus feel like they have a virtual voice in the room.
- Remain flexible and celebrate backup plans!
We are open to future collaborations and are happy to answer any questions about past collaboration experiences and future possibilities.
Now it’s your turn! What do you think? Comment, react, share.
SANDRA FENICHEL ASHER’s plays have been produced nationally and abroad. AATE has honored her work with Distinguished Play Awards for A Woman Called Truth, In the Garden of the Selfish Giant, and Jesse and Grace: A Best Friends Story (all Dramatic Publishing), the Charlotte B. Chorpenning Playwright Award, and the Sara Spencer Artistic Achievement Award. Author of over two dozen books for young readers, including the acclaimed picture books Too Many Frogs! and Chicken Story Time, Sandy has edited several anthologies, among them American Heartbeat: True Stories Told in Scenes and Monologues. Visit Sandy at http://sandyasher.com.
PATRICA “PATCH” CLARK is the Coordinator of the Theatre Education and Head of the Theatre for Youth Programs at East Carolina University. She is the founder and Director of the ECU Storybook Theatre and has directed over seventy children’s theatre productions. During the summer of 2012, she traveled to the Kurdistan region of Iraq with the YES Academy to work with children and theatre. She also directed the Off-Broadway premiere production of Katmandu at the John Houseman Studio Theatre. She is the author of Intergenerational Arts in the Nursing Home (Greenwood Press) and co-author of Seniors on Stage (Praeger Press). Recipient of ECU Achievement in International Service and Engagement Award (2019), Board of Governors Award for Excellence in Teaching (2017), Distinguished Professor for Teaching Award presented by the UNC Board of Governors (2013–2014), Scholar Teacher Award (2012–2013), and ECU Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Teaching (2011–2012).
