The Swarthmore Theater department is proud to be hosting a workshop led by one of our own for this year's Garnet Weekend.

Each year, the Swarthmore community comes together for Garnet Weekend, a series of lectures, workshops, and activities that provide current students, parents, and alumni with opportunities to connect with each other on campus. A few marquee events include the President's Address from Swarthmore President Valerie Smith, a tour of the fall foliage in the Scott Arboretum, and Hip Hop at 50!, a panel discussion featuring musical legend Chuck D of Public Enemy. 

The Swarthmore Theater department is hosting a workshop taught by Nell Bang-Jensen '11, the current Artistic Director of local powerhouse Theatre Horizon. Since graduating, Nell has directed and produced at many of Philadelphia's major institutions, including Philadelphia Theatre Company, the Wilma, Pig Iron, and the Painted Bride. Before joining Theatre Horizon, she served as Associate Artistic Director of Pig Iron Theatre Company and was on the artistic staff of the Wilma Theater for three years. Among many other awards, Nell is a participant in the Leadership U: One-on-One program, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and administered by Theatre Communications group; a national fellowship given to eight individuals who TCG believes are the core and future of theater.   In October 2018, American Theatre magazine named her one of six "theatre workers to know" across the nation.

We're so happy to welcome Nell home to Swarthmore to lead this workshop on Community Engaged Theater. This one-and-a-half-hour workshop will be an exploration of how theater-making can be rooted in community and real-life stories, and will include both a talk from Nell and some group activities. Nell will introduce the group to her artistic practice of community-engaged new play development, and guide us through some methods of making art with specific communities and people's lived experiences. The workshop is open to all, and designed to welcome anyone from seasoned professional theater-makers to interested parents with no prior background in theater. 

Space in the workshop is limited, so register now to guarantee your spot! We're happy to welcome everyone participating in Garnet Weekend to stop by the LPAC building to check out our facilities, learn about Nell's work, and connect with the Swarthmore Theater community.