ABOUT

Gwen has always had an interest in drama from the early days in Virginia clowning around the house entertaining family members, writing her first skit for the church youth group, then joining her high school’s Thespian Club and performing in the spring production. Gwen carried that creative spirit with her to Bennett College where she took a theater course as an elective and loved it.

Gwen picked up another couple of drama classes at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro on the way to attaining her BS in sociology from Guilford College. During those years of marriage, raising two children and working full time, Gwen also found time to write and perform. She was eventually led to establishing the dance ministry followed by the drama ministry at her church. Presently, as Director of the Liturgical Arts Ministry, Gwen continues to write scripts, provides drama coaching and directs their dramatic performances during the year.

Now retired from the banking industry, Gwen enjoys using her dramatic talents to teach others (young and the young at heart), introducing the concepts of theater to those with interests beyond stage performances and implementing programs to assist with healing. She finds it very rewarding when workshop participants begin to open up to the drama exercises and become more confident in stage presence and in telling their stories.

In her most recent dramatic role as Lena “Mama” Younger in Community Theatre of Greensboro’s production of A Raisin in the Sun, Gwen’s talent was embraced by a community of performers as well as an outstanding Director.

Armed with an Associate in Fine Arts (AFA) degree in theater from Guilford Technical Community College, Gwen has expanded her reach into the community. She has directed for the City Arts Drama Center and has had one of her plays produced there. The Plaid Players of Burlington, NC also produced one of her plays. Gwen was commissioned to write an historical drama for a theater group in Winchester, KY and has since written a number of historical monologues based on stories from the African American slavery era, and monologues of men and women of the Bible.

Based on her belief that the elements of drama can be beneficial in everyday life, Gwen has developed the program, Drama for Living, in pursuit to prove just that.