BASKING RIDGE, NJ — American Theater Group, in partnership with the Sieminski Theater, will offer a free Summer Theater Workshop for adults and high school and college students, funded by a Somerset County 2026 Local Arts Program Grant.
The program, led by actor, playwright and Emmy Award nominee Jason Odell Williams, will teach the fundamentals of playwriting and theater producing. Participants will draw on their own lived experiences to develop original 10-minute plays, culminating in a staged reading performed by fellow workshop members.
"These workshops will offer students a unique hands-on guide to the art of playwriting, character creation, and stagecraft through group writing exercises," said American Theater Group Producing Artistic Director Charlotte Cohn. "As students read and discuss their work with each other, they will gain a deeper understanding of how theater is developed and produced."
The six-week workshop series will run from July 27 through Aug. 30, with classes meeting Mondays from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Sieminski Theater, located at 8000 Fellowship Road. A final presentation of the students' work is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 30. Those interested in registering can email boxoffice@sieminskitheater.org or call 908-580-3892.
"This generous Somerset County grant will also expand our venue's programming and access, while simultaneously fulfilling our long-range plan to establish the Sieminski Theater as a co-presenting house, one which develops original works," said Sieminski Theater Executive Director Patricia Yannotta.
Williams is an Emmy-nominated writer and producer, playwright and novelist. His play "Church & State" was nominated for Best New Play by the Off-Broadway Alliance and the L.A. Ovation Awards and won the 2019 Henry Award for Best Play, running for more than 100 performances off-Broadway at New World Stages and going on to more than 80 productions nationwide.
His other works include "Destroying David," "Handle with Care," "On the Market," "Baltimore in Black & White," "Someone Else," "America in One Room" and "Make 'Em Laugh," a play for high schools with more than 30 productions in three years.
He recently co-wrote a new musical, "The Sound," with Cohn and composer Christian Douglas; it was a semifinalist for the 2025 National Music Theater Conference at the O'Neill Theatre Festival and had a full production at CenterStage at the JCC Rochester in May.
The Sieminski Theater, a 257-seat venue on the campus of Fellowship Village, is located at 8000 Fellowship Road in Basking Ridge.
Have a correction or news tip? Email sarah.salvadore@patch.com
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Basking Ridge, NJ Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.