Three writers.
One play.

Richard Winters, drawing on his decades of experience as a Drama and English teacher in California public high schools, hosts a series of off-campus improv/writing workshops with a small group of his Drama students. The plan: write a comedy based on a funny story he used to tell at parties — about the time a careless comment to a disruptive student sparked an investigation into his conduct and classroom management style, and led to an official reprimand, and one of his worst-ever days at work.

Kerri Yund, a former student of Richard's, stays with the project, and the writing continues. The forcible outing of Hope to her father in adherence to district policy is Kerri's suggestion, based on similar policies which exist in many states where right wing Christian nationalists have infiltrated local school boards. The tone of the play turns darker. It's no longer a comedy. Although Kerri's family does not closely resemble Hope's family, Hope's storyline is heavily influenced and informed by Kerri's lived experience witnessing students taking refuge in the place where they felt safest — in Richard Winters' Drama class. After high school, Kerri went on to edit the FEM at UCLA, and is now a First Grade teacher in Sacramento. She credits Richard as a major influence in her decision to become an educator.

Gary Wright, long-time friend and theatre colleague of Richard's, and a seasoned writer with play commissions from Foothill Theatre Company, Sacramento Theatre Company, Arizona Theatre Matters, and the Palo Alto Childrens' Theatre, comes aboard to lead the next phase of the work. From here on, the mission is character development, and experimenting with different variations of the second act. We wrote a lot of endings we didn't like. The second half got very complicated and very dark for a while there. Finally, simplifying and focusing Act Two on everyone finding their power and pushing back against oppression was Gary's idea — inspired by yet another funny story from Richard's long and eventful teaching career.