Teaching

For all inquiries , guest artist and cv requests, please contact me directly at kirarockwell@gmail.com

Recent Appointments:

My Teaching Philosophy in Brief:

Supporting other playwrights in their artistic journey is one of my greatest joys. Whether in a collegiate setting, a community theatre hall, or a multi-generational gathering space, my expertise as a teacher is rooted in embodied, trauma-informed, healing centered writing practices which prioritizes emotional safety, mutual respect, and taking students seriously, striving to meet students where they are while challenging them to take bold creative risks in the classroom and beyond. My courses often integrate the Liz Lerman Critical Response Process to foster a sense of artistic kinship and ensure that critique is generative, specific, and student-centered.

Guided by progressive pedagogies like Craft in the Real World by Matthew Salesses and The Anti-Racist Writing Workshop by Felicia Rose Chavez, I reimagine traditional workshop models to prioritize trust, equity, and individually responsive practices. I curate intersectional syllabi, in both identity and form, encouraging students to interrogate narrative ownership, voice, and representation. My classrooms celebrate risk-taking and foster authentic creative expression, equipping students to craft point of views that resonate both artistically and socially.

In addition to my teaching, I remain an active playwright. I have been developed with institutions such as Actor’s Express, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, and The Kennedy Center, among others. This ongoing pursuit allows me to bring real-world insight into the collaborative nature of theatre-making and prepare students to enter the field with both academic craft and professional preparedness. It enables me to share resources with students to further their career outside of the classroom by connecting them with festivals, awards, and grants. My proximity and direct access to the theatre landscape makes it easy to invite leading contemporaries into the classroom as guests.

Ultimately, I frame the classroom as a collaborative incubator, guiding students not only in the mechanics of theatre and film, but also in cultivating a love of the creative process.

Guest Artist Credits Include:

What I’ve Taught:

Dramatic Writing for the Stage and Screen • Play Analysis • Intro to Playwriting • Advanced Playwriting
Weekly Workshops • Three Hour Seminars • One-on-One Consulting • Mentorship and Coaching • And More

Student Testimonials

  • “The class was a well of inspiration. Kira alternated between reading short scenes, having us discuss them and then providing generative interesting prompts for us to dig into with free writing time. I wrote 1200 words, felt inspired, learned more about my characters and setting, and enjoyed hearing what others had generated. Kira provided thoughtful unique feedback to each student. No improvements necessary! I would jump at a chance to take a class with Kira again.”

    Former Student

  • “Kira always made space for us to tell our stories from our own cultural perspective. She also made sure to include diverse points of view in the readings and materials we discussed in class.”

    Former Student

  • “Kira is an amazing instructor. She did a great job of building a sense of community in the classroom right off the bat. I felt comfortable from the first few minutes of the first session. I learned a ton of invaluable material in such a short amount of time. The class is well structured with each session building and expanding upon the previous one.”

    Former Student

  • “Kira is a great teacher- adaptive, thoughtful, playful and her advice was very helpful. I definitely felt encouraged by her- what a wonderful class!”

    Former Student

  • “This class was awesome! Kira was very well prepared and thoughtful about how to get the most out of our time together. I left with a really great toolkit to continue exploring playwriting."

    Former Student

Meet Your Instructor:

Kira Rockwell is a playwright and educator. Currently she teaches Dramatic Writing for the Stage and Screen at Georgia State University. Previously with Brandeis University, Wheaton College, as well as theaters, and writing centers across New England.

She is an Artist Fellow in Dramatic Writing with the Mass Cultural Council, a Recipient of Judith Royer Excellence in Playwriting Award, an Elliot Norton Nominee, and more.

Selected plays include OH TO BE PURE AGAIN (Actor's Express); THE TRAGIC ECSTASY OF GIRLHOOD (Boston Playwrights’ Theatre); and WITH MY EYES SHUT (Original Works Publishing). Her work has been developed with The Kennedy Center, NNPN, Great Plains Theatre Commons, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, among others. Rockwell holds a BFA in Theatre Performance and an MFA in Playwriting from Boston University.

Through a trauma-informed, healing-centered lens, she aims to nurture communal spaces that disrupt passivity and empower agency.

For all inquiries, guest artist and cv requests, please contact me at:
kirarockwell@gmail.com