Playwriting course inspires Gipson’s mainstage production

As an English and theatre major, Holli Gipson had interests in all forms of creative writing. She enjoyed Cornell fiction writing courses with Professor Glenn Freeman, but it was a playwriting course with award-winning guest artist Keith Huff that kindled her passion for dramatic writing, in particular.

Huff’s encouragement sparked her to write Peach Blood, a play about the eventful life of a woman trying to chart a future independent of a haunted past. In December 2006, the play became the first student-written work ever produced for Cornell’s mainstage season.

“The playwriting class was extremely interactive and productive,” she says. “Keith would have us simultaneously read plays while we wrote our own 5-10 page scenes. He was very attentive to everyone’s work, which is an incredible resource because he is a wonderful playwright and gives positive criticism.”

Huff encouraged Gipson to keep writing while at Cornell, and gave her advice on graduate school and a possible career in the field. Gipson finished writing Peach Blood during a free block while recovering from knee surgery, making the most of Cornell’s flexible One Course At A Time (OCAAT) schedule.

“I believe OCAAT helped with the development of the play because I wasn’t trying to juggle a bunch of classes and Peach Blood,” she says. “It gave me more opportunities to focus on both the writing and production of the play.”

Gipson plans to pursue graduate studies in playwriting, but hopes to first complete a two-year stint in the Peace Corps.