Join Us Live November 30 & New FSWW Online Workshops!
- Garland Thompson
- Nov 19
- 4 min read
FSWW's PLAY READING SEASON OPENER!
THANKS FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT!
ARE YOU READY!
Join us live Sunday, November 30 @1:00 PM PST/4:00 PM EST for FSWW's Season Opener, Queen Opal's Walk For Freedom, presented by FSWW, Zoomcatchers and Trail to Juneteenth.
QUEEN OPAL'S WALK FOR FREEDOM is co-written by award-winning playwright, Dr. Janice L. Liddell, and director, Byron C. Saunders, with the musical score written and conducted by the Award-Winning Composer and Musician, Walter Bland Jr.
This musical production chronicles Dr. Opal Lee's life story beginning with her first memory and attendance at a Juneteenth Celebration as a little girl. The incredible story is told in song and dance through the inspiration given to Dr. Lee. Her motivation to organize a grassroots civil rights movement and to march from Fort Worth, TX to Washington, DC to demand America's honor and respect are the reasons we annually celebrate JUNETEENTH as FREEDOM DAY across America.
There will be a moderated critique session following this reading!
Join the conversation!
Watch the entire FSWW Play Reading series here.
Fall Celebrations!
Join us for We Are FSWW, Fall Celebrations & Fundraiser!
Come learn more about the Frank Silvera Writers' Workshop, its history, people, readings, workshops & more!
When: Sunday, November 23, 2025
Where: Zoom online
Time: 1:00 - 3:00 PM PST/4:00 - 6:00 PM EST
Free registration!
Can't make it, no problem!
Watch our November 2 event here.
FSWW ONLINE WORKSHOPS!
The Self-Tape Conversion Code: From Tape To Callback with Xavier Mikal
Create Industry-Ready Self-Tape Reels Without a Costly MFA Degree!
In 6 live sessions over 8 weeks, you'll have a finished, submission-ready audition reel trained by a working actor and MFA professor for $600, not $60K!
Follow our proven self-tape setup and shooting checklist
Use industry-standard framing, lighting, and audio techniques
Receive detailed feedback from your instructor and peers every week
Create casting-quality auditions with basic equipment you already own
Master slates, reader direction, and multiple takes like a pro
Duration: 6 Weeks | December 6, 2025 - January 24, 2026
3-5:30 PM EST / 2-4:30 PM CST / 12-2:30 PM PST
Format: Live Online Classes + Discussions
Meet the Instructor
Xavier Mikal: Working Actor, Director & MFA. Professor X doesn't just teach acting—he books roles, directs productions, and trains actors. His Credits: Lead role in THE PACT, a 12-episode limited series (Telly Award winner, streaming on YouTube). Featured in SHIRLEY starring Regina King (Netflix). Multiple film credits streaming on Amazon Prime and Tubi. Stage credits include August Wilson's KING HEDLEY II and Martin Luther King Jr. in Katori Hall's THE MOUNTAINTOP (performed at the International Black Theatre Festival).
His Teaching: Master of Fine Arts in Theatre from University of Louisville (where he also taught as a professor for 2 years). Currently teaches Acting for Camera at Trilith Studios—one of the largest production facilities in North America where Marvel films, Black Panther, and major Netflix productions are shot. 8 years teaching experience across all age groups at Alliance Theatre, University of Louisville, and Trilith Studios.
Why this matters: Xavier knows what casting directors want because he's auditioning for the same roles you are. He knows what works on camera because he's directing actors on professional sets. And he knows how to teach because he's spent 8 years helping actors at every level master their craft. You're not learning theory from someone who left the industry to teach. You're learning current, working techniques from someone actively booking roles and training professional actors.
Click here to learn more.
What Makes A Good Play with Professor Vera Katz
Decode Any Script's Hidden Structure Like a Broadway Director
Learn a clear, repeatable method to analyze any play with confidence
Use Aristotle’s essentials and Vera Katz’s 5 C’s to understand dramatic structure
Receive insightful guidance and group discussion each week
Strengthen your instincts for theme, language, rhythm, and atmosphere
Apply everything you learn through live readings, scene work, and hands-on script evaluation
Duration: 6 Weeks | November 29, 2025 - February 15, 2026
3-5:30 PM EST / 2-4:30 PM CST / 12-2:30 PM PST
Format: Live Online Classes + Discussions
About Professor Katz
Vera J. Katz is a Professor Emerita from Howard University in the Department of Theatre Arts where she taught both acting and directing for 32 years. For 24 years, she was also a faculty member of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in acting.
She has directed more than 50 productions, originally working under the producer, Joe Hyman, long-time collaborator with the famed playwright-director-author, Moss Hart, on Broadway.
She holds a BFA in Theatre Arts from Brooklyn College, an MFA in Directing and Acting from Boston University, and has studied Film at both the University of Southern California and the University of California/Extension.
Vera has taught such notables as Debbie Allen, Anthony Anderson, Chadwick Boseman, Corey Hawkins, Taraji P. Henson, Isaiah Johnson, Jayme Lawson, Phylicia Rashad, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Fredericka Whitfield, Lynn Whitfield and Isaiah Washington.
Click here to learn more.
Stay tuned for more updates!
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