2007 WRITERS’
RETREAT – JAMAICA
The 2007 Writers’ Retreat – Jamaica will provide instruction from leading industry experts. At this year's
conference, August 15 - 20, 2007, you'll learn how to get a book contract, write for stage, screen, television,
cable, and even top magazines, or find literary agent representation. If you want to write books or for the
stage/movie/television industry, this is the one writer's conference you must attend. Learn from published
authors, journalists, and seasoned pros that are on the New York times’ “Best Seller” list, have appeared on
numerous television and radio shows, including “Today”, "Nightline", and "Dateline"; and major studios,
stages, and radio news shows. You will be given inside information you need to succeed in a career of
writing.
The 2007 Writers’ Retreat – Jamaica: Instructors (Alphabetically)
While training in the theatre, she assisted many prominent theatre directors including Tom Hulce and Jane
Jones on the premiere of another Pulitzer Prize winner, The Cider House Rules, at The Seattle Repertory
Theatre; David Saint on Travels With my Aunt, also at SRT; Steven Hollis on the premiere of Tennessee
William's Notebook of Trigorin, starring Lynn Redgrave at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park; and John
DiFusco on both the 10th and 20th anniversary productions of Tracers.
Che'Rae has directed the West Coast premiere productions of several new plays including Chesapeake, by
Lee Blessing for Venice Theatre Works; Freak of Nature by Ken Hanes at The Road Theatre Company; Back Bar
by Steve Simon and Jose Gregorio, both at the Lee Strasberg Theatre; Fixing Frank by Ken Hanes at the
Celebration Theatre (which is now a feature film); Pandora's Trunk at Los Angeles Theatre Center starring Kim
Fields and at the National Black Theatre Festival starring Tanya Pinkins; co-authored and directed Fish
Stories, which premiered at the HBO Workspace and went on to the Duplex Cabaret in New York; My
Brooklyn Hamlet at the Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival; From Bonkers to Botox, at the 2005 Aspen
Comedy Festival, and the Stella Adler Theatre (which was just optioned by Universal TV); Nothing to See
Here starring Carlos Alazraqui at the Comedy Central Space (based on his character from Reno 911); and
Flying StandBy by Alexandra McHale at the John Anson Ford Theatre. She is currently developing a After All
That Happened with John DiFusco ("Tracers") with John Densmore (The Doors) on percussion. She has also
directed for Cincinnati Opera Outreach, Disney/ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop, Highways Performance
Space, and the Los Angeles Edge of the World Theatre Festival.
In addition, Che'Rae has donated her time to her artistic community by serving on the board of several non
profit organizations such as The Road Theatre Company, Venice Theatre Works, and The Los Angeles
Women's Theatre Festival. She is also a member and facilitator of the Lincoln Center Director's Lab, West
which is held annually at the Pasadena Playhouse.
She has been on the faculty at UCLA Extension, and has taught acting and writing workshops at various
institutions such as Catholic University, The Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University (co-taught
with Cynthia Hogle), The University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music, and California State
University, Fullerton, The Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival, The California African American Museum,
The Susan McIntyre Playwrights Festival, The Lankershim Arts Center, and The Learning Annex. She has an MFA
in directing from The University of Cincinnati, College Conservatory of Music and a BA from California State
University, Northridge.
She is the founder and Producing Artistic Director of The Los Angeles Writer's Center, which serves
playwright's in the Los Angeles by providing them with public reading series, which is co-produced by Syzygy
Theatre Company and The Attic Theatre and Film Center. http://www.cheraeadams.com/
adult, and women’s interest. Her third book will be published by Simon & Schuster Summer 2007.
She work has been published in the Drumming Between Us, a journal of African American love poetry;
Tough Love: Cultural Criticism and the Familial Observations on the Life and Death of Tupac Shakur
(Alexander, 1996); The Supergirls Handbook, Black Love (Beyond Baroque Books, 1999) and Catch the
Fire: A Cross Generational Anthology of African American Literature (Putnam, 1998). Ms. Adams has
taught at UCLA and West LA College for over seven (7) years. Additionally, she has taught workshops
at University of Kentucky, Antioch University, and Pasadena City College.
Water (2002). Her fourth novel, pockets of Sanity is expected in 2007. In 2003 she received the
"Creative Contribution to Literature" award from the Zora Neale Hurston Society and All of Me received
a 2001 Honor Book Award from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. Also in 2001
she was recognized with an Iowa Author Award from the Public Library Foundation in Des Moines.
Berry's research is in the area of African American Cultural Criticism. Her focus is a conceptual theory
called racialism that explores the influence of the mediated racial images and messages. Published
widely in academic circles with numerous articles based on her research in the area of media, youth
and popular culture, she is working on a non-fiction book based on her research called I Used to be a
Rap Music Fan: Racialism and the Media.
She has co-authored two other non-fiction book projects with S. Torriano Berry, an associate professor in
Film at Howard University, The Historical Dictionary of African American Cinema (Scarecrow Press, 2007)
and The 50 Most Influential Black Films (Citadel 2001). Mediated Messages and African-American Culture:
Contemporary Issues (Sage, 1996), also a non-fiction book, won the Meyers Center Award for the Study
of Human Rights in North America in 1997.
Each summer, Berry teaches a one-week workshop on novel writing, at the University of Iowa Summer
Writers Workshop. She also conducts several seminars: Weight and Wellness: Challenging Myths,
Racialism and the Media, Words That Set You Free, I Used to be a Rap Music Fan, and Success in the 21st
Century.
For more information visit Venise Berry's web site at: http://www.veniseberry.com/
He has written, produced and directed THE BLACK BEYOND, an anthology series of horror, science
fiction and supernatural shorts, as well as THE LIGHT & WHEN IT'S YOUR TURN, two half-hour dramatic
made-for-TV movies produced through the Minority Advisory Board of WPVI-TV 6, Philadelphia, PA.
Anansi Writer's Workshop at World Stage in Leimert Park; he is currently being featured in the new film
documentary entitled, "LEIMERT PARK: The Story of a Village in South Central L.A".
Cosby Program), and a finalist in the 2004 Disney Writing Fellowship. After being a staff writer for NBC™s
drama MEDICAL INVESTIGATION, Sylvia looks forward to additional writing opportunities in TV and film, as
well as novels.
For more information contact: Jennifer Williams, Author/Retreat Director e-mail:info@jamaicawritersretreat.org jennifer@jamaicawritersretreat.org web: http://www.jamaicawritersretreat.org/ http://www.lawriterscenter.com/ Telephone: 310.339.5515 169 N. Holliston Ave., #10 – Pasadena, CA 91106-1919 info@lawriterscenter.com Che’Rae Adams-Producing Artistic Director |
Instructors
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Che'Rae Adams ,Director and Dramaturge, has been
developing and directing new plays for almost two
decades. She has been the Development Executive with
Playhouse Pictures Studios, Co-Artistic Director of the
award winning Road Theatre Company, partner in Two
Girls Productions (helmed with casting director Caroline
Liem), and Managing producer for the Los Angeles
Women's Theatre Festival.
She has worked in development for Playhouse Pictures
Studios, Showtime Networks, Alliance/Atlantis Film & TV,
First Lady Productions, and Melba-Jake Productions. Her
love for new work began while assisting the Staff Producer
at The Mark Taper Forum where she worked on the writing
workshop of the Pulitzer Prize winning Angels in America,
Part II: Perestroika. Also for the Taper, she coordinated the
1991 Taper Lab Series and Mentor Playwright's Reading
Series where she directed the first reading of Alice Tuan's
Dim Sums.
developing and directing new plays for almost two
decades. She has been the Development Executive with
Playhouse Pictures Studios, Co-Artistic Director of the
award winning Road Theatre Company, partner in Two
Girls Productions (helmed with casting director Caroline
Liem), and Managing producer for the Los Angeles
Women's Theatre Festival.
She has worked in development for Playhouse Pictures
Studios, Showtime Networks, Alliance/Atlantis Film & TV,
First Lady Productions, and Melba-Jake Productions. Her
love for new work began while assisting the Staff Producer
at The Mark Taper Forum where she worked on the writing
workshop of the Pulitzer Prize winning Angels in America,
Part II: Perestroika. Also for the Taper, she coordinated the
1991 Taper Lab Series and Mentor Playwright's Reading
Series where she directed the first reading of Alice Tuan's
Dim Sums.
Venise Berry is an Associate Professor of
Journalism and Mass Communication at the
University of Iowa in Iowa City. She received
a BA (1977) in Journalism and an MA (1979) in
Communication Studies from the University of
Iowa. Her Ph.D. was awarded in 1989 in Radio,
TV, and Film at the University of Texas in
Austin. Her professional media career began
in radio news but has expanded into
teaching, media research and criticism, as
well as fiction, script and non-fiction writing.
She is the author of three national bestselling
novels: So Good, An African American Love
Story (1996), All of Me, A Voluptuous Tale
(2000) and Colored Sugar
Journalism and Mass Communication at the
University of Iowa in Iowa City. She received
a BA (1977) in Journalism and an MA (1979) in
Communication Studies from the University of
Iowa. Her Ph.D. was awarded in 1989 in Radio,
TV, and Film at the University of Texas in
Austin. Her professional media career began
in radio news but has expanded into
teaching, media research and criticism, as
well as fiction, script and non-fiction writing.
She is the author of three national bestselling
novels: So Good, An African American Love
Story (1996), All of Me, A Voluptuous Tale
(2000) and Colored Sugar
Jenoyne Adams is Author of the critically-
acclaimed, nationally bestselling novel
“Resurrecting Mingus” (The Free Press/Simon &
Schuster, February 2001) and Selah’s Bed (The
Free Press, 2003). A former PEN USA West
Emerging Voices Fellow, Jenoyne has been
featured in programs at the J. Paul Getty
Museum, the Essence Music Festival, the National
Black Arts Festival, the Mark Taper Auditorium,
the Schomburg Museum and the Los Angeles
Times Festival of Books. Articles on Adams and
her work have been featured in Essence, Heart
and Soul, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today and
various other national outlets. She is a literary
agent for Levine/Greenberg New York and
represents literary/commercial fiction, young
acclaimed, nationally bestselling novel
“Resurrecting Mingus” (The Free Press/Simon &
Schuster, February 2001) and Selah’s Bed (The
Free Press, 2003). A former PEN USA West
Emerging Voices Fellow, Jenoyne has been
featured in programs at the J. Paul Getty
Museum, the Essence Music Festival, the National
Black Arts Festival, the Mark Taper Auditorium,
the Schomburg Museum and the Los Angeles
Times Festival of Books. Articles on Adams and
her work have been featured in Essence, Heart
and Soul, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today and
various other national outlets. She is a literary
agent for Levine/Greenberg New York and
represents literary/commercial fiction, young
Steven Torriano Berry is an Associate
Professor that teaches courses in
television, film production and script
writing at Howard University. He is an
award-winning independent filmmaker
who has created and executive
produced: BLACK INDEPENDENT
SHOWCASE, 1991, WHMM-TV 32,
Washington, DC, a 13 part series of
independent films and videos, and
"BLACK VISIONS/SILVER SCREEN: Howard
University Student Film Showcase," 2004,
a ten part series of student works for
WHUT- TV 32, in Washington, DC.
Professor that teaches courses in
television, film production and script
writing at Howard University. He is an
award-winning independent filmmaker
who has created and executive
produced: BLACK INDEPENDENT
SHOWCASE, 1991, WHMM-TV 32,
Washington, DC, a 13 part series of
independent films and videos, and
"BLACK VISIONS/SILVER SCREEN: Howard
University Student Film Showcase," 2004,
a ten part series of student works for
WHUT- TV 32, in Washington, DC.
Sylvia Franklin, Writer/Producer and President –
Organization of Black Screenwriters
Ms. Sylvia Franklin has spent the last decade
honing her writing, producing, programming,
marketing and analytical skills in virtually every
facet of the media. A generalist, this native
Chicagoan has worked in television news for the
CBS affiliate WBBM-TV, production on several
independent films, as a writer/producer for cable,
research analyst in advertising, media consultant
for various corporations and as a script
coordinator for several network hour dramas,
including FOX™s PRISON BREAK, NBC´s LAS VEGAS,
CBS CITY OF ANGELS, and ABC´s CUPID and
DANGEROUS MINDS. In addition to having worked
with David Milch (HBO™s DEADWOOD) as a
participant in his drama writing workshops for
television, she was also a 2002 Guy Hanks and
Marvin Miller Writing Fellow (also known as the
Organization of Black Screenwriters
Ms. Sylvia Franklin has spent the last decade
honing her writing, producing, programming,
marketing and analytical skills in virtually every
facet of the media. A generalist, this native
Chicagoan has worked in television news for the
CBS affiliate WBBM-TV, production on several
independent films, as a writer/producer for cable,
research analyst in advertising, media consultant
for various corporations and as a script
coordinator for several network hour dramas,
including FOX™s PRISON BREAK, NBC´s LAS VEGAS,
CBS CITY OF ANGELS, and ABC´s CUPID and
DANGEROUS MINDS. In addition to having worked
with David Milch (HBO™s DEADWOOD) as a
participant in his drama writing workshops for
television, she was also a 2002 Guy Hanks and
Marvin Miller Writing Fellow (also known as the
Michael Datcher is a New York Times Best
Selling Author of “Raising Fences: A Black’s
Man’s Love Story”. He is currently Associate
Professor at Loyola Marymont University, Los
Angeles, CA. and has taught at UCLA and
West LA College for over 7 years.
Additionally, he has taught workshops at
University of Kentucky, Antioch University, and
Pasadena City College. A poet and critically
acclaimed journalist who has written for the
Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and
The Baltimore Sun, and has appeared as a
guest analyst on numerous television and
radio shows, including "Nightline" and
"Dateline". He lives in Los Angeles, where he is
the director of literary programs at the
Selling Author of “Raising Fences: A Black’s
Man’s Love Story”. He is currently Associate
Professor at Loyola Marymont University, Los
Angeles, CA. and has taught at UCLA and
West LA College for over 7 years.
Additionally, he has taught workshops at
University of Kentucky, Antioch University, and
Pasadena City College. A poet and critically
acclaimed journalist who has written for the
Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and
The Baltimore Sun, and has appeared as a
guest analyst on numerous television and
radio shows, including "Nightline" and
"Dateline". He lives in Los Angeles, where he is
the director of literary programs at the
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |