Friday, April 24, 2009

Letter from Crenshaw

April 24, 2009

To: Writers Guild Foundation
Adam Huss
Fred Rappaport
John Warren
Kendell Shaffer
Kirby Timmons
7000 W 3rd St.
Los Angeles, CA 90048

Visiting Artists,

This letter serves as expression of sincere gratitude for your contributions to the students of Crenshaw High School. The Writers Guild Foundation High School Workshop was a huge success because of your efforts. As professional writers, you exposed students not only to the craft of writing but also to your profession. Collaborative projects such as this broaden the academic scope of educators’ work and deepen student learning.

Students of urban schools have unique stories, and this program extended them the opportunity to validate their experiences. Additionally, through the process of expressing their stories, students exit the workshop with a fuller acceptance of their journeys. Final products yielded scripts ranging from the gritty reality of abandonment to the creative fantasy of a talking guitar spreading havoc in the life of a teenager. These biographical narratives and extraordinary tales are not only entertaining, but they offer themes from which the authors and their audiences will gain a more mature consciousness.

The culminating event brought these students and their scripts together with professional actors, where their dialogue came to life; it was rewarding for the students, writers, and teachers. All involved appreciate your efforts in coordinating the event. Know that the students are directing their scripts for production in order to share with other students and staff on campus. Additionally, these scripts offer the first contribution to a library of student writings for use in future drama classes.

Thank you again for your dedication and enthusiasm in your work with Crenshaw students. The Crenshaw community remains hopeful that the Writers Guild Foundation will extend similar opportunities in the future.

Respectfully,

Greg Calvert, Drama Teacher

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Derick McConico, Crenshaw High School Student

April 2009, to instructor Fred Rappaport:

Hi Fred, this is Derick McConico and I was involved in one of your WGF workshops about 2-3weeks ago. I must say that I had a lot of fun working with you and others from the program. It helped me tell a story that some people might not relate to unless they can go through it. I learned to write a screenplay and format it in a way that didn’t make me mad and want to give up. I think this program has a positive effect on kids that want to be someone and not follow the negative stuff around them.