Freshmen Emma Mcleod and Maya Mathur and seniors Katherine Wong and Paris Johnson participated in Hawaii’s first Play Writers’ Slam at the Kumu Kahua Theatre on Apr. 1.

The writing workshop helped students develop new playwriting skills. Directors Harry Wong, Robert St. John and Daniel Kelin led the workshop. Students from schools around the island had to write a one-scene play with the focus on sub-text, exposition and dramatic irony.

Students started the morning by doing free writing. Participants jotted ideas and produced a rough draft of a script. During the second half of the day, participants’ works were edited with the help of the Kumu actors who offered ideas and edits to enhance participants’ scripts.

After the writing was completed, the scripts that the students created were performed by the Kumu actors.

Of 15 scripts written by students, five scripts were chosen to be performed as opening acts at the Kumu Kahua Theatre’s production “All That Remains.” The scripts written by Wong and McLeod were among the scripts chosen to be performed.

Wong said, “It was an honor for my script to be featured and even though I was not able to watch it being performed, it was a great and interesting experience.”

Mathur said, “This was a fantastic experience. I think that our team was able to be so successful because of the collaboration of all of our talents.”

Students who participated in the writing workshop are working to share their plays with their schools.