This semester, Columbus Academy’s Playwriting class gave students the chance to do more than just read plays–they got to meet the mind behind one.
Taught by Mr. Farrenkopf, the one-semester elective is offered every other year to juniors and seniors who are interested in writing for the stage. In his class, students read and analyze plays, write short analytical essays, and ultimately craft their own ten-minute play to submit to MadLab Theatre’s Young Writers Short Play Festival, a local competition that gives young playwrights the chance to see their work performed by professional actors. “Knowing they’re going to submit something motivates the students,” Mr. Farrenkopf said. In past years, Academy Students Amelia Connick and Ted Liu even had their plays selected for production.
On Friday, October 10, Farrenkopf’s class connected with Rob Ackerman, a professional playwright and Academy alumni from the class of 1976. Ackerman, who worked for Saturday Night Live as a prop master for film and video, has written numerous award-winning plays including Tabletop and Volleygirls. Ackerman joined the class over zoom for a conversation about the creative process of playwriting.
Ackerman’s visit came after the students read his play, Back Talk, which he recently directed at the Abbey Theater in Dublin. “The kids got to read the play and then go and see the play, and then today they had a conversation with him,” said Farrenkopf. “It was great. He was inspiring, interesting, funny, and weird–kind of scattered, loopy, but brilliant.”
During the discussion, students asked questions about their own writing, such as how to know when a play is finished. Ackerman told them that a play is done when it feels complete; that is, ”When the characters have changed and the audience has gained an insight.” He also said, “A play doesn’t exist on the page, which is like “reading” Beethoven’s Fifth. You have to hear it out loud. If it’s too great on the page, it won’t work on the stage because it’ll be too literary.”
Junior Ari Worly, one of the students, said he found Ackerman’s visit relatable and motivating. “It was really interesting because I’ve never actually written or published a play before,” he said. “It was cool to see an accomplished playwright and hear about his experiences and struggles.”
Ari asked Ackerman how to create conflict in a play and appreciated his advice to keep writing and have others act it out to discover new ideas. “I think it’s a really good class and I’d definitely recommend it, even if you’ve never written or read plays,” he said. “It’s a great creative outlet.”
For Farrenkopf, that sense of discovery is what the class is all about. “Every student ends up finding their own voice,” he said. “And when they get to see how a professional approaches the same challenges, it makes the process feel real.”
As Ackerman reminded the class, playwriting isn’t about perfection–it’s about persistence. And for these students, the chance to write, revise, and share their work proves that every great play begins to shine one draft at a time.
