For my grant project, I’m studying dramatic writing and learning about screenwriting and playwriting in order to strengthen my skills in the craft that I hope to pursue. This experience is helping me see what it is like to study writing in college so that I can make the most informed decision about my career path.
From July 10th to August 6th I will be attending the NYU Tisch School of the Arts to study dramatic writing.The grants money helped to pay for my tuition and during the program I attend screenwriting and playwriting classes everyday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. I’m taught by actual NYU professors that have written professionally. In fact, my screenwriting teacher, Joe Vinciguerra, is working on a movie script and teaching at the same time. So far I have written a three page screenplay and three one-page monologues. I also get to see two broadway shows each week. I’ve seen A Strange Loop by Micheal R. Jackson, and Hadestown by Anais Mitchell. Both plays gave me the chance to see real life examples of scripts coming to life on a stage. I’ve been learning about the basics of writing screenplays and basic story structures. This experience will give me the tools I need to separate me from other college applicants when I apply.
I am extremely thankful to Deerfield for making this possible for me. This is a very enriching experience and without it I wouldn’t have been able to take advantage of this opportunity. Below is a photo of myself in playwriting class as we worked together to edit our monologues and come up with ideas for our eight page plays.
-Chelsea Davis ’23
