BOLIVAR, Mo. – Southwest Baptist University Theatre hosted New York City-based playwright Chris Cragin-Day as a representative of The King’s College’s Study in the City program on Feb. 8.
Cragin-Day hosted an informational meeting about SBU’s partnership with The King’s
College, and then conducted a playwriting workshop in which she provided feedback
on student plays.
At the playwriting workshop, SBU Theatre students had the opportunity to submit 10 pages of an original script for review. Cragin-Day conducted a reading of the selections from seven plays.
“Even though I took a playwriting class last semester, I was nervous to have my work read by a professional playwright, but I’m glad I did it anyway,” said Sophia Marsh, a senior theatre major and English minor.
Each reading was followed by a feedback session. In addition to her feedback, Cragin-Day encouraged the student playwrights to ask their fellow students to comment on their work.
“I enjoyed the playwriting workshop,” said Ali Oldweiler, a junior theatre major and writing minor. “It’s really valuable to get insight from a professional who works in the field we are studying.”
The King’s College hosts the New York City Semester, which is a semester-long study-away program during the fall and spring semesters in the heart of Manhattan’s historic Financial District. Students interact with guest speakers, meet with professionals and learn how to practice their Christian faith within their industry.
“NYCT enables students to understand the life of the NYC theatre artist and the spirit of the NYC theatre community while interacting with theatre professionals in commercial and non-profit sectors,” Cragin-Day said.
Cragin-Day, who is an associate professor of English and theater at The King’s College, holds an MFA in Theater from Baylor University and a BA in Theater from Oklahoma Baptist University. Her work has been presented at such theaters as Burning Coal Theater, Eugene O’Neill Theater Center and The Civilians, as well as theater conferences and colleges and universities across the country.
For more information about SBU Theatre, contact Dr. Bethany Wood, assistant professor of communication arts and theatre, at (417) 328-1688 or bwood@SBUniv.edu.
*Published: 2-13-19