The Austin Peay State University Department of Theatre and Dance welcomed two accomplished theatre artists to campus last week for a free playwriting masterclass, allowing students and community members an opportunity to learn directly from recognized professionals.
Hosted in the Margaret Fort Trahern Lab Theatre, the workshop was led by Padraic Lillis, executive and artistic director of The Farm Theater in New York City, and award-winning playwright and performer Gina Femia.
The session was part of APSU’s production of “We’re Okay, We’re Okay, We’re All Gonna Be Okay,” presented by the Department of Theatre & Dance with support from the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts and developed in collaboration with The Farm Theater.
The workshop centered on the creation of “one-minute plays,” a fast-paced writing exercise that helped participants trust their instincts and let character drive the story. Through this process, Lillis and Femia guided attendees in developing well-rounded characters with clear motivations, nuanced relationships and emotional depth, showing how even the shortest scenes can reveal intention and authenticity.
Aaron Wortman, an undergraduate in APSU’s Acting program, said the workshop encouraged a more organic approach to writing:
“The most valuable thing I learned was to let the people I create drive the story. To just let them talk and find out where they want the play to go. It takes the pressure off of writing the ending,” said Wortman.
Wortman added that being given sentence starters by Femia and Lillis made it easier to get words on the page, and that providing characters with traits, such as giving them a favorite sound, smell or meal, made them feel human. His favorite moment was crafting a monologue for the main character in his play.
“I enjoyed getting to write what she needed to say, even though that probably won’t be in the finished product,” said Wortman.
For attendees, the masterclass strengthened their writing process and unlocked new approaches to storytelling.
