In an engaging presentation held at the Morgan University Center, students, professors and theater fans all had the opportunity to “find their yawp.”

The event, conducted by Austin Peay State University Theatre professor Darren V. Michael, brought fresh viewpoints to playwriting. Titled “When Struggle Becomes Voice,” viewers learn why Professor Michael writes and why he thinks we should, too.

Professor Michael opened the discussion by sharing his journey in theater, detailing the inspirations and challenges he faced along the way. Michael is an actor, director, writer and professor with two decades of experience and numerous produced plays. He explained to the audience that inspiration to build stories can come from anywhere.

Throughout the presentation, Professor Michael treated attendees with snippets of his work and each story’s inspiration, with research students Chan Murrell and Jackson Bryan assisting in the readings.

After the presentation, the audience could ask questions, which led to an insightful Q&A session. One attendee asked Michael for advice on handling writer’s block, to which the professor responded, “You have to ask yourself, at this moment, ‘what can the characters do?’ and the answer is—anything.”

Attendees left with a newfound perspective on writing. Professor Michael said, “Writing is freeing; you can put anything on the page.”

Aside from theatre, Michael is currently working on a children’s book titled “I Think My Parents May Be Monsters.”