Writing Your Revolution: Playwriting for Social Change. Reginald Edmund, Instructor

Registration opens on Wednesday, January 22, 2025.

 

IOWA SUMMER WRITING FESTIVAL

 

Spring 2025

 

Writing Your Revolution: Playwriting for Social Change  (Four-Week Workshop)

 

Reginald Edmund, Instructor

 

 

Dates/Time

Thursdays on Zoom, April 3–24, 2025

·      6:00 pm–8:00 pm Iowa/Central 

·      7:00 pm–9:00 pm Eastern 

·      4:00 pm–6:00 pm Pacific  

·      5:00 pm–7:00 pm Mountain 

 

Fee: $450

 

 

Course Description

 

Do you believe that theatre can change the world? In this workshop, we’ll explore the power of playwriting to raise awareness of social issues and promote social change. We’ll look at how playwrights have used their voices to address issues such as racism, sexism, and homophobia as we learn how to write plays that are both thought-provoking and socially impactful. 

 

We’ll start by reading and discussing some of the most important social justice plays ever written. We’ll do in-class writing exercises designed to help you find your own voice as a playwright for social change. You’ll have the opportunity to share your work with the class and receive feedback. We’ll also discuss the challenges and rewards of writing for social change. 

 

This workshop is for anyone who wants to use their writing to make a difference in the world. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced playwright, you’ll find something to learn in this course. 

 

Takeaways: 

 

• A deeper understanding of the power of theatre to effect change. 

• The ability to write plays that are thought-provoking and inspiring. 

• The confidence to use your voice to speak out against injustice. 

• A network of fellow playwrights who are passionate about social change. 

 

 

Instructor

 

Reginald Edmund is a playwright, dramaturg, and theater professional with extensive experience in new play development, artistic programming, and arts leadership. He is the Co-Founder and Managing Curating Producer for Black Lives, Black Words International Project, a global initiative that commissions and showcases plays by Black playwrights. His work with BLBW was recognized by the Gard Leadership Award in 2021. Edmund has held positions at several prominent theater companies, including as Resident Dramaturg at the Robey Theatre Company, Resident Playwright at Chicago Dramatists Theatre, and Playwright in Residence for Tamasha Theatre (UK). His play “Southbridge” was recognized with the Black Theatre Alliance Award for Best New Play and the Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award. Edmund’s nine-play series, “The City of the Bayou Collection,” has been developed at theaters in the US and the UK. He is also a published author, with works including Black Lives Black Words Anthology, Daughters of the Moon, Juneteenth Street, and Southbridge. Edmund is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in the arts. He is a sought-after speaker and workshop facilitator, and he has presented his work at numerous conferences and festivals. He holds an MFA in Playwriting from Ohio University and a BFA in Theatre-Performance from Texas Southern University. 

 

 

Registration & Fees

 

The fee for this course is $450. Payment in full is required to register.

Registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Class size is limited to 12.

 

Note: Your credit card payment will be processed by an external provider and will appear on your credit card statement as “UI Writing—Magid Center.”

 

Refund & Cancellation Policy

 

If you need to cancel your enrollment, please let us know as soon as possible. We can only offer full refunds if you cancel one week prior to the start of class. After that, before the start-date of class, we can offer a 50% refund. We cannot refund day-of cancellations, and we cannot refund or partially refund registration fees once the class has begun.

 

Terms & Community Policy

 

1.  The Iowa Summer Writing Festival is a program for adults. You must be at least 18 years old to enroll in Festival workshops.

 

2.  The Iowa Summer Writing Festival is a community built on an assumption of shared enterprise, in the spirit of mutual respect. We reserve the right to a) revoke the registration of or b) dismiss from the program any person who disrupts the learning/working environment of others. Participants in the Festival are subject to all University of Iowa policies governing conduct in our community, whether online or in person.

 

Questions?

 

Contact the Iowa Summer Writing Festival: iswfestival@uiowa.edu. Phone: (319) 335-4160.

 

Our small staff is out and about. If you phone and we miss you, please leave a detailed message!