A blue background with a white bird silhouette made of handwritten text, appearing to be in flight.

PAPER WINGS

IN-SCHOOL PLAYWRITING RESIDENCY

ABOUT PAPER WINGS

Paper Wings students write and perform their own work as part of two annual festivals: our Winter Mini Monologue Festival and our Spring 10-Min Playfest.

Working with Mx. TS Hawkins, students learn how to craft and perform original monologues and plays based on themes they want to explore. Kicking off Theatre Exile’s 29th season and the partner school's curriculum, these young creatives are writing on the theme of "the journey within"; examining what “health” and “wealth” mean to the human spirit for the world stage. Join these creative young minds on a pilgrimage you don't want to miss! 

At each partner school, students work directly with the Director of Education, TS Hawkins. After all the theatre games, world building, story sculpting, and community showcases, by the end of school year, the students will have the opportunity to become published writers & playwrights!

To stay immersed in the students’ creative process, check out last year's Commemorative Book, photos, videos, Literary Eagle & Radical Writers’ Room Award winners here on the theme of "Glitter, Glass & Grit: new voices of a future forward”! Past commemorative publications include Fearless (plays of a new tomorrow), What The Light Sees..., rADicAl ImAgInAtIoN (and other sorted pandemic musings), Words, Worlds, & Wonder, and Out of Isolation!


Like what you see? Feel free to email education@theatreexile.org to have your school become a part of the Paper Wings Playwriting Residency Program!

GLITTER, GLASS and GRIT - New Voices Of A Future Forward

GLITTER, GLASS and GRIT - New Voices Of A Future Forward

Cover of a book titled "Glitter Glass & Grit" featuring three animated characters, a boy with white hair and blue pants holding a sword, a girl with long dark hair and cat ears in a school uniform, and another girl with long black hair in casual clothing, against a glittery, light background.

Commemorative Book vol. V

edited by TS Hawkins, Director of Education

part of Theatre Exile’s In-School Playwriting Residency

ft. student work from Fanny Jackson Coppin

2024-2025 SEASON EVENTS

Event poster for Theatre Exile's mini monologue fest titled 'Expressions: art in motion & bloom,' featuring a paper airplane origami with handwritten text, and event details including dates, times, and streaming information.
Promotional poster for theatre exilé's annual 10-minute playfest titled "Glitter & Grit," featuring illustrations of three characters, event details, and information about the writers, curator, date, time, and artistic contributions.

2023-2024 SEASON EVENTS

Graphic promoting Theatre Exile's annual mini monologue fest, featuring words like camp, kaleidoscope, paper wings, parables, poems, and prose, with a paper bird illustration and event details for Friday, December 15, 7 pm streaming on YouTube, pay what you can, RSVP required.
Event poster for Theatre Exile's annual 10-minute play festival titled 'Fearless: Plays of a New Tomorrow', depicting a cartoon-style illustration of a woman with long brown hair, a red bandage on her nose, and a worried expression. The background features grey clouds and abstract arrow shapes. The event is scheduled for Friday, June 14th at 7 PM, streaming on YouTube, with a donation option, and RSVPs required. Student artwork by Isabella Negron.

2025-2026 SEASON EVENTS

ABOUT THE LITERARY EAGLE AWARD

The Literary Eagle Award was established in the Fall of 2020 by Education Director TS Hawkins to spotlight the youth voice(s) that exemplified exceptional participation and follow-through within Paper Wings! Awarded during the Fall and Spring sessions of the program, participating students have the opportunity to be voted on by their classmates. After all the student votes have been tabulated, the final numbers are reviewed by Theatre Exile’s Education Director and the partnering classroom teachers. The winner is announced during the culminating presentation; the Fall Monologue Fest and/or the Spring 10-Minute PlayFest.

Spring Literary Eagle Award 2025

Allison Horowski, Mylo Crookston & Jesus Sanchez-Allende
Runner ups: Emme Rivera, Elias Thompson, Ar'ree Hall & Simon Jeffries

Spring Radical Writers' Room Award

The Blooming BlueJays
Madizon Ramos-Castro, Mark Fordham, Nolan Brandsdorfer, Parker Tran, Marcos Soto Lorenzo, Finley Braun, Hazel James, Jesus Sanchez-Allende, Jorge Cabrera, Joshua Cortes Soto & Mylo Crookston

Fall Literary Eagle Award 2024
Sarah Buse-Morley, Nina Reber-Collins & Finley Braun


Fall Radical Writers’ Room Award 2024
The Radical Ravens - Carter Fisher, Elias Thompson, Emme Rivera, Ariel Studivant, Athena Pielak-Watkins, Faizah Hussein, Gabriel Wade, Jackson Hendler, Cullen Huth, Dylan Raisman & Felicity Graham

Spring Literary Eagle Award 2024
Evie SanMartin, Nikita Lin & Lucas Nguon
Runner ups: Desi Nutini, Rose Lutz, Nettie Parker-Thomas & Lucy Dipiazza

Fall Literary Eagle Award 2023
Zakeer Clark-Burnett, Summer Sok & De’Viana Davis
Runner ups: Charlie French, Samuel Rinde, Abdallah Boudissa, Nihal Ouchene, Sophia Jasmin, & Jenny Jv

Spring Literary Eagle Award 2022
Nayeli Perez Saloma, Sebastian Wolfson, Ishmael Savadogo

Fall Literary Eagle Award 2021
Johnny Dang & Ismael Boro

Spring Literary Eagle Award 2021
Julian Sankey & Kristy Do
Runner ups: Natalia Caro-Ceron, Summer Reid & Aleishai Beltran-Barbon

Fall Literary Eagle Award 2020
Denisha Thapa
Runner ups: Natalia Caro-Ceron & Hajra Khan

FEARLESS - PLAYS OF A NEW TOMORROW

FEARLESS - PLAYS OF A NEW TOMORROW

Graphic poster for Theatre Exile's annual ten-minute play fest titled "Fearless: Plays of a New Tomorrow" features a drawn woman with long curly hair, wearing ripped jeans and a purple shirt, holding a crutch, with a background of various symbols and a clouded sky.

Commemorative Book vol. IV

edited by TS Hawkins, Director of Education

part of Theatre Exile’s In-School Playwriting Residency

ft. student work from Fanny Jackson Coppin & Franklin Learning Center

WHAT THE LIGHT SEES...

WHAT THE LIGHT SEES...

Illustrated book cover with a person wearing glasses and a red shirt, surrounded by stars, lightning bolts, a rainbow, and a rainbow trail with text that reads "Paper Wings" and "What Light Sees." The background is blue with a textured pattern.

Commemorative Book vol. III

edited by TS Hawkins, Director of Education

part of Theatre Exile’s In-School Playwriting Residency

ft. student work from Fanny Jackson Coppin & Franklin Learning Center