Frank Silvera Writers' Workshop and Atlanta Black Theatre Festival Launch Pilot Initiative to Elevate Playwrights

The Frank Silvera Writers' Workshop and the Atlanta Black Theatre Festival announced "A Partnership in Play," a new initiative to develop playwrights and expand opportunities for diverse voices in theatre, film, and television.

The program emphasizes hands-on craft development, mentorship, and industry exposure for emerging and mid-career writers. By centering artists from underrepresented communities, the partners aim to strengthen the pipeline in dramatic writing and help more stories reach the stage and screen.

"This partnership elevates talented practitioners who haven't had traditional academic pathways and gets their work seen." - Toni Simmons Henson, executive director, Atlanta Black Theatre Festival.

Erick Brooks is the first writer selected. A passionate playwright and an IT specialist by day, Brooks has spent more than a decade volunteering and working behind the scenes in theatres while writing at night and on weekends. Like many aspiring writers, he has faced the practical hurdles of getting new work produced: limited access to development resources, few industry connections, and the costs of creating market-ready materials. "A Partnership in Play" is designed to close those gaps with guided development and opportunities to present new work to industry audiences.

"Working with Erick was a joy. His discipline and heart sharpened the play every session." - Garland Thompson Jr., executive director, Frank Silvera Writers' Workshop.

Brooks's staged reading credits include the National Black Theatre Festival (2017, 2019), Women's Theatre Festival Memphis (2017), and the Atlanta Black Theatre Festival (2021). He is now developing "When the Fence Falls" with Frank Silvera Writers' Workshop, continuing his commitment to craft and character-driven storytelling.

By combining ABTF's platform for new work with the development expertise of the Frank Silvera Writers' Workshop, "A Partnership in Play" helps playwrights refine their scripts, generate marketable materials, and connect with producers and presenters. The goal is simple: provide dedicated writers like Brooks with the structured support and visibility they need to turn persistence into productivity.