About the PLAYnary

This year, the final plenary session at the Maker Educator Convening will consist of a collection of short plays, performed live by professional actors from the Pittsburgh area, and written by… YOU! Yes, you read that right. We’re thrilled that Marc Chun and Jessica Mele will be hosting a 24-Hour Playwriting Challenge at the Convening, providing a structured way for attendees to kick-start deeper conversations about equity, race, and social justice through theatre. We would like to thank the Benedum Foundation for their support of the PLAYnary this year.

24-hour Playwriting Challenge: Write a Play in a Day from Deeper Learning on Vimeo.

How It Works

The field of maker education has the potential to disrupt the education system towards more equitable outcomes, but has a history some have argued are rooted in gendered, white, middle-class cultural practices. These issues are complicated and complex. If you choose to participate in the PLAYnary, you will have the opportunity to interrogate these themes to (literally) start a dialogue about maker education and equity. In teams of 2-3 people, you will write a short play (5 pages) during this session, and will be supported through the writing and revision process by a team of playwriting facilitators and professional actors. Your play will then be performed by those same professional actors during the closing plenary of the conference.

Left: Actors Jackie Misaye, Maddie McGuire, and Christian Telesmar do a cold reading of a play. Middle: Actors Jackie Misaye and Christian Telesmar rehearse the draft of a play just written by a team of workshop participants. Right: Actors and novice writers take a bow at the performances from the “Write a Play in a Day” workshop at the Deeper Learning Conference in San Diego, California. All photos by Brent Spirnak

You do not need to have all of the answers or provide the perfect solutions in your plays! Rather, we will be using the plays to pose key questions about equity in maker education, and will discuss those questions in small groups with the audience. In order for you to “make” a play in a day, this special workshop will span two session blocks, with a working lunch in between. Participants do not need to have any background in playwriting, and should bring a laptop to the workshop. Most of all, be prepared to dive in, play, and have FUN!

About the Facilitators

About the Actors

Melessie Clark

Melessie Clark is thrilled to be participating in this year’s Maker Education Conference as a Social Justice Storytelling Coach. A Pittsburgh native and Point Park University alumnus with a B.F.A. in Musical Theatre, Melessie is a member of the Greensburg-Jeannette NAACP and was crowned National American Miss Pennsylvania 2014. This past summer, she was seen at the Benedum Center as Jan in Grease and Waitress #1 in Rock of Ages with Pittsburgh CLO. This fall and winter, Melessie will be performing in School Girls; or, the African Mean Girls Play and Little Shop of Horrors with Pittsburgh Public Theater. Other credits include The Wedding Singer and Gypsy (PCLO), A Sign of the Times (Goodspeed and Delaware Theatre Company), Dreamgirls (Alhambra Theatre), After Midnight (Norwegian Cruiselines), Dulcy (Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre), The Old Settler (New Horizon Theater) and An Octoroon (Kinetic Theatre).
Gregory Manley

Gregory Manley is a Pittsburgh-based applied theatre artist with a focus in immersive recreation and amphitheater. He is the director of City of Play, the owner of Heathside Cottage, the commissioner of the Circle Rules Federation, and a performer with the Mettawee River Theatre Company. He is a graduate of NYU’s experimental theatre wing, the College of Extraordinary Experiences, and Pittsburgh’s Civic Leadership Academy. He has received honors from the Borough President of Brooklyn and from Pittsburgh’s Northside Leadership Academy for his community building achievements. Past performance credits include, WarHorse North American Tour, Dance Cartel, and 600 Highwaymen. He has worked as a farmer’s market manager, a rickshaw driver, a camp counselor, a P.E. teacher, and a barista. He was born and raised in Oakland, California.
Jalina McClarin

Jalina McClarin is a local Pittsburgh actor, and she is thrilled to have this opportunity to work with Maker Education. Most recently, she played Stella in a Pittsburgh Classic Players’ production of A Streetcar Named desire, and in the middle of that rehearsal period she was a featured guest in the Dungeons & Dragons themed improvisational comedy show, Knights of the Arcade. Before that, she worked with folkLAB in devising and performing in the immersive experience, OTHER: a multiracial folklore. Other credits include: Osip in The Inspector General (Throughline Theatre Company), Venus in Milo de Venus (Non-State Actors), and various roles in the 2017 Young Playwrights Festival (City Theatre). Jalina has a background in psychology and research, but recently made a move into a community outreach and patron services position with Quantum Theatre.
Jackie Misaye

Jacqueline Misaye has been acting for her entire life. While she was in high school, she performed in community theatre and High school plays, ultimately winning best actress in Orange County. She was awarded a scholarship from the University of Southern California Theatre Department. During her time at USC, Jacqueline organized groups of college students to go to Elementary Schools in the area. These groups would spend time reading with students, helping them write short stories, and ultimately performing scenes they had written. Since graduating, Jacqueline has worked on over a dozen plays, including Kentucky (East West Players), Cowboy Mouth (New Collective), Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare By the Sea). This past fall, she had the privilege of starring in a production of Little Women, where she had the opportunity to work with the kids in the audience on breaking out of their shell and the art of storytelling. Her most recent film credits include General Hospital and Doug (a Zooey Deschanel music video).

Brenden Peifer

Brenden Peifer is an actor and playwright from Alexandria, Virginia. A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Brenden began acting in school shows at Pitt, credits include: Our Town (Dr. Gibbs), Much Ado About Nothing (Benedick), and Flyin’ West (Frank Charles). Before graduating, he began his professional acting career with theatre companies around Pittsburgh like Prime Stage Theatre (I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings), Bricolage (The Clearing), and FolkLab (OTHER). During his time at Pitt he received the Undergraduate Teaching Fellowship honor, for his assistance in the teaching of an exclusive course, “Theatre and the Black Lives Matter Movement”. Brenden can be seen next, making his City Theatre debut in the production, One Night in Miami.
Cesar Ramos

Cesar Ramos is an actor, arts educator, and social-emotional learning facilitator who has worked with upper elementary, high school, and professionals seeking to use the arts in their schools and organizations. As an actor, he has worked with notable companies Coeurage Theatre Co., East West Players, and L.A. Opera, along with working in commercials, indies, and features. As an arts educator he toured throughout SoCal schools with Kaiser Permanente’s Education Theatre and received certification as a Social Emotional Arts facilitator with UCLArts & Healing. Currently he is in two films touring the indie circuit and writing his next film project.
Markia Nicole Smith

Markia is thrilled to be working alongside this awesome group of artists and educators. Social Justice, along with education and art, is a huge passion of Markia’s. She is honored to be involved in this conference. Theatre includes: The Abduction Musical (NYMF), Avenue Q (Pittsburgh Musical Theater), We Will Rock You (Pittsburgh Musical Theater) and Hairspray (Meyerhoff Symphony). Training: Baltimore School for the Arts. B.F.A. from Point Park University.
Christian Telesmar

Born in Portland, OR and raised just 5 minutes across the river in Vancouver, WA, Christian continued his way north to Seattle for college at the University of Washington (UW). Although he had trekked his way through Pre-Med studies, his plan of pursuing medical school was short lived. After watching his first graduate acting performance his Senior year in college, he knew that’s where he was meant to be. Eventually, Christian graduated from the UW MFA Acting program in 2014 and currently resides in Los Angeles, California. His most recent work consists of playing Douglas in Theresa Rebeck’s Seminar at Chance Theater, Da’Ran in Leah Nanako Winkler’s Kentucky at East West Players and FBI Agent Keene on FOX’s Bones. Christian runs his online businesses out of Los Angeles, while producing, writing and directing freelance projects. He is excited to be fusing his many passions full-time – combining his love of art, business, and education together.