Welcome!
Hi there! I'm Denise J. Hart, a multi-hyphenate scholar and creative raised in the midwest. I'm a bit of a globe trotter, which means I'll work pretty much anywhere a story takes me!
As a professor at Howard University I've helped shape the lives of hundreds of young people through my role as area coordinator for writing for stage and screen with a focus on playwriting and TV Scriptwriting, in the Department of Theatre Arts.
While you're here, please check out my work: research, playwriting, TV Scriptwriting/Play Development and Production dramaturgy and directing. Plus, Student Success to see how my former students are making an impact in the world!
For fun I love family history and genealogy. Check out my 30 second ancestory.com commercials - One which focuses on Howard University and Two which focus on my family's role in post Black Reconstruction!
Scroll down to learn about the projects I'm working on and where I'll show up next in the world. Hey, you never know, maybe we'll bump into each other!
Cheers,
Denise Joy, MFA
Playwriting Master Classes
Dec. 7, 2024 FREE
Playwrights take inspiration from many sources including existing literary works as was Michael Wilson when he adapted A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, on stage at Ford’s Theatre from November 21, 2024 through December 31, 2024.
With entire worlds and characters brought to life in our imaginations, how does the playwright transition the written text into spoken dialogue for a three-dimensional medium?
In this 3-hour Master Class session, Playwright and Dramaturg Professor Denise Hart will take writers through techniques and prompts that transform chapters into acts and lift characters from the page to the stage.
Prior playwriting experience is encouraged but not necessary. Participants are encouraged to select a novel to base their work on.
Howard Players Theatre History Archive is a publicly accessible digital humanities research project that documents the Howard Players theatrical production from 2019-1909.
This research repository makes public for the first time a comprehensive digitized snapshot of the evolution of the Howard Players theatrical production spanning more than 100 years.
March 2025 reading of "40 Acres and a Laptop" by 2024/2025 Play Development Lab finalist Michelle Tyrene Johnson.
Program Review Chair, Department of Theatre and Performance
Recent Projects
Memberships
