Find Your Voice in Teen Playwriting

Kristina Leach had been lobbying to start a playwriting class for teens for several years. Finally, the here-and-now happenings of the world, along with her unique talents, made it all possible.

Teen Playwriting, the newest offering in SCR’s kids and teens acting classes is open to 14-18-year-olds of all levels of experience and will introduce students to all things playwriting. Fall session begins Sept. 5, with Teen Playwriting beginning on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 9 a.m. In her ebullient style, Leach will teach students basic play structure (plot, character and conflict), the art of storytelling and creating believable, meaningful dialogue—all with the goal of leading students to find their voice on the page.

Just like she did at their age. And now is the right time to add this class to SCR’s lineup of classes.

“We’re coming out of a dark time and after dark times, there are renaissances. I feel like some of the best voices that could be coming out of that dark time are the younger voices and that’s what I’m excited about now,” she said.

“This (age) is where my light turned on with playwriting, in high school. I want to see where their heads are at in terms of telling their stories and I want to help.”

Leach taught the adult playwriting class for several years, a transition from her earlier duties working in the SCR Artistic Department, where “I read scripts all day.” A move to Los Angeles made it difficult to continue that in the pre-pandemic, pre-Zoom era, so she switched to teaching a one-hour playwriting demonstration during Summer Acting Workshop.

That honed her teaching style for teens, where she’d turn them loose with several writing prompts, such as writing five things that make you happy, five that make you sad, etc. Then, Leach would flip a switch and have them write lists of, well, anything. That, she said, triggered ideas that often sent her students off and creating.

Expect more of the same with Teen Playwriting. Students will write something every week, with the goal of having something to share at the end of the 10-week class. And Leach has ambitions for more.

“I think there’s a certain amount of appreciation that’s needed,” she said. “In school, you’re given a play in English class to read. It’s rare that the play is then seen unless they show you the movie version. That is not the way to experience plays. Plays are meant to be seen on stage or experienced in a reading. I’m trying to find a way to be informative to create an appreciation in playwriting while also practicing the craft.

“I would love to show them parts of A Raisin in the Sun, then we could go see it as a class. In order to be a good playwright, you have to see things and you have to read plays all the time and figure out ‘What was the playwriting trying to say and am I getting that?’ … I’d like to create a world here where we’re talking about ideas.”

Leach encourages her students to understand what goes into harnessing those voices, fleshing out those characters and understanding the essential nature of conflict every good play has.

“I know what to help them with to unlock their potential, to help them figure out what to say. If they say ‘I’m not sure where to go from here,’ I’m able to help them figure it out. The answer to that question is ‘Always try it and see. Try it.’ The worst-case scenario is it didn’t work and you try again. The best-case scenario is you unlocked your story.”