Michelle Tyrene Johnson, Finalist

I have to admit, I’ve never been a huge fan of the dramaturg experience. Too many that I’ve come across spend more time trying to deconstruct your play to turn it into something that you weren’t trying to write than in seeing the play you created. But not Professor Denise J. Hart. Not even close.

From my first session with Prof. Hart, I felt the full force of her respect for my play “40 Acres and a Laptop” which is probably the craziest play I’ve ever written. And I’ve written my share of stories bending time and space. 

Prof. Hart created the best thing that a playwright needs - a safe space. It was a safe space from the questions she asked me about my play and then through all the sessions we had about it. I always felt her genuine liking for the play and her desire to make it stronger, tighter, and in better alignment with my vision of the play I wrote. 

Our sessions never felt strained or uncomfortable. Rather I felt each session and “homework” assignment left me feeling inspired and invigorated to sharpen the story. 

Also, a program that allowed me to fly out for a public reading at Howard University made the experience even better. Because that’s the real test of a play’s strengths and weaknesses, how it holds up before an audience. 

My being able to also have one-on-one time to discuss, not just the trajectory of the play, but of my career was the full circle bonus of this opportunity. Because, let’s face it, it’s just not easy for a Black woman playwright of a certain age to be treated as if my work and my future are as bright and worthy as a youngster coming out of a nationally recognized MFA school or platinum playwriting program.

Yekta Khaghani, Semi-finalist

I was honored to be a semifinalist in Professor Hart’s Play Lab. I am an Iranian-born, New York-based playwright, actor, and theater educator. My journey in theater began 25 years ago in Iran, where I worked with prominent theater makers. In the four years leading up to my immigration, due to socio-political constraints, I became part of an underground theater group. Those experiences were transformative, reinforcing my belief that theater is not just about entertainment—it is about disruption, reflection, and cultivating change through storytelling.

After twelve years away from my homeland and like-minded artivists, my experience in Professor Hart’s Play Development Lab was a powerful reminder of that artistic resistance and community. The depth of care and attention she brought to our conversations and play development sessions was unparalleled.

I did not have the opportunity to attend an academic program in the U.S., so I continue to refine my craft through constant writing, learning, and lived experience. Developing my play under Professor Hart’s guidance felt like an intensive semester in an MFA playwriting program.

I hope more students and artists will have the opportunity to be nourished by Professor Hart’s guidance, fostering a generation of playwrights and theater makers who create authentic stories that challenge perspectives and envision a world rooted in social justice and hope for change.

On Friday September 29, 2023 at Howard University, Al Freeman Environmental Theatre Space, dramaturge, Denise J. Hart moderated the "Never Thought it Would Last" dramaturgy talkback for the production of Ryhme Deferred written by Kamilah Forbes.  

Guest panelists were Coordinator of Art History, Dr. Melanie Harvey,  Coordinator of Fashion Design, Elka Stevens, Hip Hop archivist Tim Jones, Hip Hope Cultural Curator Priest and actor Greg A. Reid. Priest and Reid were original members of the team who supported the creation of the play at Howard University.