Seven Devils New Play Foundry
  • Home
  • what we do
  • who we are
  • The Plays
    • Post Development Developments
  • the conference
    • Past Conferences
    • visit mccall
    • Submit
    • internships
    • frances starr todd fellowship
    • High School Program
  • Support

Day 19 - A special thanks to Judy Anderson and Audrey Swanson!

11/27/2020

0 Comments

 
Yesterday's post was dedicated to the nearly 100 McCall-Donnelly High School Playwrights we've worked with over the past 20 years, so it seemed only fitting that today we'd honor Judy Anderson and Audrey Swanson, the two amazing drama teachers who have kept this partnership alive and thriving! 

In 2001, the intrepid ​Judy Anderson was already teaching the only High School playwriting class in Idaho, so the partnership with Seven Devils seemed like a perfect match. Working with Judy, we designed a program that would give those drama students with a particular interest in writing and a strong work ethic, the opportunity to actively develop the plays they'd been writing in class with a professional director and mentor and a cast made up of professional, student and local actors.

From the beginning, Judy made it clear to the students that participating in Seven Devils wasn't a prize for good classwork, it was an opportunity to do more work with professionals who expected you to show up on time and ready to go. She challenged students to dig deep and write about the things that mattered to them. For the community, the student plays quickly became a window to students' dreams, fears, ambitions and concerns. The talkbacks following student plays fueled exciting and sometimes surprising cross-generational discussion.

When Judy retired in 2014, we didn't quite know what to do. Judy not only taught a kick-ass playwriting class, she also cast student actors and helped to sort out scheduling for students, many of whom had jobs (and all this nearly always during finals week!)

Imagine our joy when Audrey Swanson stepped onto the scene! She jumped into the Conference feet first, and with some support from long-time Devil Amy Rush, got the students up to speed and in a new and exciting groove. One of the amazing and unexpected gifts of this moment was the opportunity to revisit the program as a whole and figure out how to find a path forward that matched Audrey's teaching style and sensibility. 

We were thrilled to find exciting new ways to work with Audrey when the pandemic shut down McCall-Donnelly High School in the spring. 

When you support Seven Devils, you help to make this amazing program possible!
To donate go to: https://www.sevendevils.org/support.html

Thank you!!!
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    SUPPORT SEVEN DEVILS TODAY!

    DONATE NOW!

    Authors

    Seven Devils Playwrights Conference Family and Friends

    Archives

    December 2020
    November 2020

    Categories

    All
    Abigail Griffith
    Alpine Playhouse
    Amy Rush
    Amy Saltz
    A.P. Andrews
    Audrey Swanson
    Bev Nightengale
    Brian Watkins
    Charlie Nightengale
    Christopher Curry
    Dana Parker
    Dano Madden
    David Garrison
    Devils Advocates
    Donors
    Duane Kelly
    Elise Forier
    Featured Playwrights
    Gayle Dixon
    Gay Smith
    Gratitude
    Jacqueline Crowley
    James McLindon
    James Still
    Jeni Mahoney
    John Lewinski
    Judy Anderson
    Karla Miller
    Kathleen Cahill
    Larry Loebell
    Lynn Lewinski
    Maggie Rosenthal
    Mara Lathrop
    McCall
    McCall Donnelly High School
    Michele Raper Rittenhouse
    Patrick Gabridge
    Randy Reinholz
    Richard Brockman
    Samuel Brett Williams
    Sarah Jessup
    Sheila McDevitt
    Skip Mericer
    Student Playwrights
    Tira Palmquist
    Tom Coash

    RSS Feed


Picture
Vertical Divider

CONTACT US:  
​
paula@sevendevils.org

  • Home
  • what we do
  • who we are
  • The Plays
    • Post Development Developments
  • the conference
    • Past Conferences
    • visit mccall
    • Submit
    • internships
    • frances starr todd fellowship
    • High School Program
  • Support