Connecting first-year writers with Ithaca’s theater community
The Hangar Theatre, Ithaca’s largest regional theater company, is an important and nationally renowned part of the local arts community, regularly attracting talent from Broadway, television and film. Originally established with support from Cornell and Ithaca College, the theater and its current artistic director, Shirley Serotsky, are now partnering with Emily Foster, lecturer of English, to strengthen ties between Cornell students and the performing arts community through a new first-year writing seminar focused on literary humor and comedy writing.
Students in the course will analyze how humor works in literature while developing their own comedic writing, engaging directly with theater professionals and performers at a performance lab held six times during the semester at the Hangar Theatre. Throughout the course, students will attend productions, interview theater staff and volunteer with show setup or breakdown to gain a broader understanding of theater operations and artistic practice. The semester will culminate in a public reading of students’ original comedic pieces on the Hangar’s mainstage, giving beginning writers the opportunity to share their work with friends, supporters and the wider community.
Emily Foster, Department of English, College of Arts & Sciences
Community Partner: The Hangar Theatre