Margot Connolly is a playwright and librettist originally from Pleasantville, NY. Her plays include Belfast Kind (Winner, JPP's Jewish Playwriting Contest, Patty Abramson Prize Finalist), Quiz Out (Princess Grace Finalist, 2019 Kilroy’s Honorable Mention), The Twitch (Princess Grace Finalist), and Tough (Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival.) Her work has been produced and developed through The Jungle, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Repertory St. Louis, Primary Stages, Williamstown Theatre Festival, the Playwrights Center, the Jewish Plays Project, and The Juilliard School, among others. She's the recipient of an EST/Sloan commission, a former Core Apprentice at the Playwrights Center, and has been a finalist for the Jerome Fellowship, the Emerald Prize, and the Princess Grace Award. She received her BA from Bennington College, her MFA from the University of Iowa’s Playwrights Workshop, and is a recent graduate of the Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights’ Program at Juilliard.
SEMINAR DESCRIPTION
It is easy to misinterpret or feel baffled while creating stories around a teenage character. However, right now, there is a renaissance of plays about compelling teens with powerful stories. In this seminar, Margot Connolly will lead students in discussions about how teenage girls are depicted in contemporary plays and dissect what makes these characters so complex and dynamic. Through in-class character development exercises, students will build their equally compelling teenage characters with stories that resonate with today’s audiences regardless of age.
This class is for you if you:
- Are writing about a teenage character and feel they’re underdeveloped.
- Are interested in a different approach to character development.
- Have an interest in theater for young audiences.
- Are interested in learning more about Margot Connolly’s work and approach to writing.
What to expect:
- In-class writing exercises.
- Look at existing examples of compelling teenaged characters and stories.
- Leave with the beginning of a compelling teenaged character (who could grow into something more!).
From Margot
Thinking about teenagers has encouraged me to feel hope for the future, be more kind to my past self, and inspired me to fight for a better world that these teens can inherit. I hope this class can help you find some of the same hope, kindness, and inspiration!
Margot Connolly
The playwright
based inBrooklyn , NY
Margot Connolly is a playwright and librettist originally from Pleasantville, NY. Her plays include Belfast Kind (Winner, JPP's Jewish Playwriting Contest, Patty Abramson Prize Finalist), Quiz Out (Princess Grace Finalist, 2019 Kilroy’s Honorable Mention), The Twitch (Princess Grace Finalist), and Tough (Lanford Wilson New American Play Festival.) Her work has been produced and developed through The Jungle, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Repertory St. Louis, Primary Stages, Williamstown Theatre Festival, the Playwrights Center, the Jewish Plays Project, and The Juilliard School, among others. She's the recipient of an EST/Sloan commission, a former Core Apprentice at the Playwrights Center, and has been a finalist for the Jerome Fellowship, the Emerald Prize, and the Princess Grace Award. She received her BA from Bennington College, her MFA from the University of Iowa’s Playwrights Workshop, and is a recent graduate of the Lila Acheson Wallace American Playwrights’ Program at Juilliard.