University of Minnesota
center for writing
writing.umn.edu


Center for Writing alumni—Sara Marsh

read another alum's response

11 Questions for Center for Writing Alums

  • Sara MarshYour name: Sara Marsh
  • Your email: sara@darkstormy.org
  • When did you work with us?  2003 - 2005
  • What was your role? Writing consultant
  • What education and/or occupation(s) have you pursued since working with us? I am an actress (stage, voiceover, and film), and I have started my own theater company, Dark & Stormy Productions (www.darkstormy.org), which is focused on developing the 18- to 35-year-old live theater-going audience by producing compelling, exciting, professional productions in unconventional stagings in nontraditional spaces that engage audiences of all ages.

Reflections on your center experience:

  • Did your work with us influence your educational or occupational choices? If so, how? Yes. Working with young adults in the center has greatly influenced the mission of my theater company; that is the audience we are trying to develop. Our goal is to create programming that is meaningful and exciting to them, so that they understand they are a critical part of the audience-to-artist connection and community. The lack of attention to this live theater audience demographic is a nationwide problem, and the survival of the art form depends on cultivating the next generation of theater-goers.
  • What are the most significant abilities, values, or skills that you developed in your work with us? The ability to connect, and the electricity that happens when something clicks—whether it is a paper, a play, a concert, whatever it may be—and you feel a sense of community. I found that students were energized and, as a result, thrived when that connection with the consultant and the material was made. The fun of that connection has stuck with me, and I have been able to develop meaningful professional relationships as a result. And being a writing consultant for two-and-a-half years made me a much, much better writer.
  • In your personal and professional life today, how do you find yourself using what you learned from working with us? The ability to connect. I believe it's the key to success. And in addition to making me a better writer, getting at the heart of what a student was trying to say in a paper, distilling the ideas down to the core, taught me how to pare my own ideas and tasks down to those that are most vital, so I'm able to look a situation and figure out (quickly) what specific things I need to do to move forward.