PAST PRODUCTIONS

"Pressed" is a creative address of the ongoing social pressures that society continuously pushes on today's youth including the pressure of modern beauty standards, trends, and choices. In this story, we witness four young adults persevere through a journey where they feel pressured to put others first, make the perfect choices, handle loss the way they are expected to, and much more, but how much can they take before they break?

For our Summer on the Block Program of 2022, the youth were provided with space to create an original production (surrounding many social issues in our country) that featured dances, poems, scenes and more, all created by our youth and staff.

For the Writer's Block InK Spring Program of 2022, the youth are offered a space to learn about the beautiful art and process of filmmaking. Working with the staff, the youth will experience hands-on learning of storyboarding, screenwriting and other filmmaking tools.

Writer's Block InK offers an internship to youth that want to be part of the Youth Empowerment Body. Guided by our staff, the Youth Empowerment Body, a youth council, helps plan and execute upcoming events, workshops and programs for Writer's Block InK. 

Writer's Block InK's 2021 Summer Program is a combination of virtual and in-person sessions. Working with our youth, Writer's Block will create a production about the trials and tribulations our youth go through that effect their every day academic life.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Writer’s Block InK will be transitioning to a digital summer program in which young people will be invited to be part of a virtual project addressing the social ills that plague us even more tremendously during the corona outbreak. Students will use creative arts as a tool through which to explore the impact of the virus on education, poverty, abuse, homelessness and social isolation. Participants will be assembled via Zoom to explore creative arts and workshop their own creations to be presented online at the conclusion of the summer through a YouTube stream to feature their work.

[Un]Documented explores the horrors of the immigration system in America through courageous poems, scenes and dances that were created by the Writer's Block summer cohort. The show sought to inspire the humanization of immigrant bodies and advocated for their "Americanness" in society that often plagues them with the label of "illegal".

​

Location: Mitchell College (Aug) and BP Learned Mission (Dec)

Students present the new improvisational skills learned during the 6-week Theater Improv prgram.

The year is 2070, and the America as we know it has disintegrated. A civil war in 2030 has left the nation broken and unrecognizable. There is no more unified government: the people have aligned themselves into tribes that are spread across the country. America No More follows the story of three tribes living in New London county as they try to reconcile their differences and address the gun violence that is ravaging the lives of many around them.....

​

Location: Interdistrict School of Arts and Communication,

190 Governor Winthrop Blvd, New London, CT 06320

This Writer's Block Ink original one-act play play follows several students as they reconcile the harsh reality that a member of their community has attempted suicide after being bullied. The students realize that their own actions and behaviors led to the attempted suicide of the individual, with their own roles in the tragedy. This show addresses bullying, cyber-bullying, disabilities, and communal responsibility. Followed by an informative Q&A Discussion right after. 

​

Location: BP Learned Mission, 40 Shaw Street, New London CT

A community caught in the web of incarceration.  A group of teens with hopes, ideas, and aspirations of escaping the cycle.  The Writer's Block Cast tackles the penetrating topic of mass incarceration through an original script, new musical composition, and imaginative dance.  Please join us for this special opportunity to witness the ripple effect... beyond bars.

​

Location: Interdistrict School of Arts and Communication,

190 Governor Winthrop Blvd, New London, CT 06320

ISAAC & Writer’s Block Ink presents DISPLACED: An Original Musical, Final production for ISAAC on the Block program.

​

Location: Interdistrict School of Arts and Communication,

190 Governor Winthrop Blvd, New London, CT 06320

Love is not a Weapon is a story of three homes that are collectively trying to maintain their stability in the face of domestic violence. This violence, in its many forms, is based on the true accounts from those who have experienced the effects of domestic violence. Love is not a Weapon is a show that brings light to painful realities, challenges stereotypes, and reveals the fact that domestic violence is apart of all the characters' household secrets. This is the 2016 Writers Block summer program's performance, written and performed by the student participants.

​

Location: Interdistrict School of Arts and Communication,

190 Governor Winthrop Blvd, New London, CT 06320

​

Social media is an intricate part of our lives, shaping who we are, our perception of life, and how we interact with one another. From cyber-bullying and cat-fishing, to depression caused by an overload of uncensored news stories, people allow their virtual realities to define their actual selves. Through the eyes of characters raised in the age of technology, get a look into how social media is shaping human opinion, interaction, and reaction to what’s trending. Join our characters on their journey of self discovery as they learn how to stop scrolling and communicate off the screen. Will their face to face interactions restore the human connection that has been lost or will they scroll deeper down the news feed? What lurks behind the digital mask…

​

Location: Oliva Hall, Connecticut College

270 Mohegan Ave Pkwy, New London, CT 06320

​

​

A very diverse group of characters - some are young, some are old, some are college educated, some are street smart - all have their own reasons for how they came to be at a homeless shelter and the significance it takes on for each of them is very different. They represent a variety of colors and cultures but come together to form a real community.

​

Location: Writer's Block Ink Community Arts Center

​

Inspired by the Judy Dworin Performance Project's "In This House," this play incorporates the history of New London's Hempstead House into a modern day story of a family who now lives in the Hempstead neighborhood. During the course of the play, ancestral family secrets are revealed and tear the family apart; however, learning more about their past allows the family to accept it and makes the family bonds stronger.

​

Location: Writer's Block Ink Community Arts Center

​

Inspired by Michael Bradford's original play "Migration," this is an exploration of race, religion, social and environmental elements that inspire the human spirit to act, react, re-enact, and move - "MIGRATE."

​

Location: Writer's Block Ink Community Arts Center

​

The Writer's Block journeys to the Harlem of the 1920's and 1930's and gives voice to the bravery and commitment of the Harlem Hellfighters, as well as the joy and tragedy of Zora Neale Hurston's personal story while celebrating the music and poetry of Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and Langston Hughes. The performance also highlighted the unlimited potential within each individual and the importance of striving to achieve your dreams.

​

​

Location: Writer's Block Ink Community Arts Center

​

While the drama club students at a local school prepare for a performance of Hamlet, and the central question "To Be Or Not To Be" plays out in the lives of the cast as they and their families learn that burying issues only makes them worse. As secrets are uncovered, their strength as individuals and their bonds to their families, friends and communities are tested.

​

Location: B.P. Learned Mission, 40 Shaw Street,

New London CT 06320

​

Students recount the history of the Writers Block Ink, reliving it's birth at the heart of New London, the inspiration and stories behind the founders, and the groups progression and growth. This high energy performance incorporated dance, song, poetry and rap to capture the spirit and energy of the organization and its students. 150 members of the local community witnessed this Writers Block Ink dedication and we thank the New London community for its support during the group's first 5 years.

​

Location: Writer's Block Ink Community Arts Center

​

Students at a local school learn the importance of honesty, community and compassion when they face the death of a beloved school counselor at the hands of a classmate. As the consequences of secrets and peer pressure lead to devastating and life-changing effects, the power of love, forgiveness, and friendship within families and communities is learned and reaffirmed.

​

Location: Eugene O'Neil Theater, 305 Great Neck Road,

Waterford, CT 06385

​

This song and dance revue begins when two children discover an old album in their grandmothers attic. As they view the pictures and ask questions, their grandmother takes them on a trip down memory lane that evokes the roaring 20's, World War I, Blues, Jazz World War II, the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam war, 80's, and 90's and ends with the events of 9/11 and the Iraq War.

​

​

Location: Connecticut College, 270 Mohegan Ave Pkwy,

New London, CT 06320

Two young Louisiana children who lost their mother and home to Hurricane Katrina are settling into life in New England when they here of the plight of the refugees in Darfur. Inspired by the charity that they've received and a desire to stop feeling like victims, they organize a variety show to raise funds to send to Darfur. The show explores the concept of home, the definition of the term and how it can evolve while increasing student awareness of national and international events that impact our lives and those of the global community.

​

Location: New London High School, 490 Jefferson Avenue, 

New London CT 06320

​

Written for our first extravaganza, this performance highlights the world of show business and the difficult challenges faced by those who are a part of the entertainment industry. Set at a 1980's award ceremony, it includes fictional characters such as Brittney Houston, Anna Mae, Mike Turner, and Michael Jackson, many of whom are struggling with life's challenges while striving for success in a difficult environment.

​

Location: Crocker House, 35 Union Court, New London CT 06320

Hope High School was a mainstay of the community for generations but time has not been kind. Performance on standardized tests are down, dropout rates are high and the school is badly in need of repair. The City Council must choose between investing in the youth by repairing the school or razing the school, sending the students to schools in other towns and constructing a mall. The community is divided on the issue and personal biases are brought to the forefront of the debate. In the midst of the debate, the school burns down and the community must influence the Council to reach a decision for the greater good.

​

Location: New London High School, 490 Jefferson Avenue, 

New London CT 06320

​

Students write about their personal experiences voicing everything from the hope-filled innocence of favorite things such as chocolate and bike riding, to the feel of pavement against the cheek as they pulled over and questioned by police for no clear reason. The Struggle is a gripping and challenging montage of the real-life experiences, concerns and perspectives of today's youth as they struggle to make sense of the world, their place in it and find a path towards their future.

​

​

Location: New London High School, 490 Jefferson Avenue, 

New London CT 06320

​

Chastity is a 15 year old girl who struggles with her appearance and is always trying to please others to fit in. Her mother has been deemed unfit so she lives with her father. She wants to be accepted and feel loved more than anything, but confuses love and physical intimacy. Her relationship with her father is strained, and he is too busy hustling and dating to truly realize her need for adult attention. Though her father has forbidden her from dating until she turns 16, Chastity has a boyfriend named Jay, who has big dreams for the future. Chastity must identify and address her issues and make a sound decision.

​

Location: Eastern Connecticut State University, 83 Windham Street,

Willimantic CT 06226

​

Center Stage explores the social dynamics of youth, friendships, peer pressure and suicide. Set at present day Block High (a small urban school), the production focuses on the interdependence of aspiring young hip-hop artists in a band called Versatyle. Dephinite, the leader of Versatyle, had an older brother named Street who was dealing drugs and gunned down the day he got signed to a major label. Dephinite is determined to make it big in honor of her brother's memory. Center Stage is an exploration of choices and group dynamics, illustrating the power of the individual and the group and the importance of friendships and faith.

​

Location: Mitchell College, 437 Pequot Avenue,

New London CT 06320

​

A lyrical journey through lives of urban youth constructed solely with spoken word poetry and rap to help students convey their story. The Battle is about their struggle. It's about Flow, a 16 year old black male trying to pave a way for himself and find his future - trying to find his flow. Will he join 70% of his peers and end up dead or in prison before graduation, or can he make it through the challenges of the street? Faith, Rippa, Spirit, Holla, Lyric, DJ Booty, Ice, Mind Control (aka M.C.) - are just a few of the characters whose names provide a peek into their roles and their souls.

​

Location: Connecticut College, 

Connecticut College

270 Mohegan Ave Pkwy, New London, CT 06320

​

An adaptation of Melba Pattillo Beal's personal account of school integration in the late 1950's, Warriors Don't Cry is the story of the Little Rock 9 - some of the first black students to integrate Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Student writers and performance poets from local schools reflected upon Melba's experiences in the late 50's and to create an original product that addresses and compares present-day issues of racism, poverty, and discrimination.

​

Location: Garde Arts Center, 325 State Street

New London CT 06320

​