Instructor: Jim McManus
Tuesdays, September 30 – December 9, 2025 *skip week of Thanksgiving
5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
Location: Merritt 5118
Join Playwright James McManus (Cherry Smoke, Radioman, Love on San Pedro) in exploring Community-Based Theatre (CBT), a unique form of documentary theater that engages the local community in the creative process of making a play. Through in-class writing exercises, discussions, lectures and story circles, the course will cover the basics of writing for the stage and creation of a theatrical community collaboration from start to finish.
Working with other class participants and community members, the ultimate goal is to begin the development of a CBT project detailing the six-decade history of CVCC and to present the play in Lynchburg. Come have fun and learn how to create community-responsive art that engages and amplifies local stories and the people who have lived them.