KENNESAW, Ga. | Nov 14, 2025

When faculty from different disciplines bring their creative strengths together, the result can be transformative - for students, for programs and for the stories that unfold on stage.

This fall, a powerful collaboration between the Robert S. Geer Family College of the Arts and the Norman J. Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences has given Kennesaw State University students a rare opportunity: to perform a brand-new play written by one of their professors, guided by another. 
 
The play, Broken, was written by Will Carter, Lecturer of English in the Radow College, and is being developed this semester by Professor Jacqueline Springfield’s Acting II class in the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies. The class will present a public staged reading of Broken on November 20 in the Onyx Theatre, followed by a talkback with the cast and playwright. 
 
A Story of Family, Forgiveness and Healing 
 
Set in Roswell, Ga., Broken is a contemporary family drama that begins after a tragic car accident leaves a young man with a traumatic brain injury. What follows is a portrait of a family trying to rebuild — physically, emotionally and spiritually — in the wake of the incident. 
 
“It’s about how we put ourselves back together,” said Springfield. “The title refers not only to what’s happened physically because of the accident, but also to how relationships have been shattered and what it takes to mend them.” 
 
The material, she explained, is ideal for her students: “We study plays that are contemporary, relatable and grounded in real emotion. These are the kinds of scenes they’ll encounter in professional auditions and regional theater work. Broken is rich with the kind of character development and relationship dynamics that help young actors grow.” 
 
When a Living Playwright Walks into the Classroom 
 
For Carter, the experience of watching his work evolve through collaboration has been both humbling and deeply rewarding. Broken began as his MFA thesis nine years ago and has recently evolved to its current complete form. Drawing on his own experience as a brain injury and stroke survivor, he wrote the play not from the patient’s perspective, but from that of the family members whose lives are forever changed around the event. 
 
“It’s not my story, but it’s a human story,” Carter said. “And what Jacque and her students have done is bring that humanity to life.” 
 
When Carter visited the Acting II class, students were able to ask him questions about his process, characters and even the lines themselves. “To have a living playwright they can talk to and interpret alongside is incredibly valuable,” Springfield said. “Most of the time, the playwright is long gone — or long out of reach. But Will was right here, and he was so generous in allowing students to explore their own interpretations.” 
 
That access has been transformative for students. 
 

Photo by Jacqueline Springfield

“It means so much to tell a story that the writer himself is still shaping,” said Anthony Newkirk, who plays the role of Richard, a father wrestling with his son’s accident and his own failings. “If there’s something that doesn’t make sense to me, I can ask the person who created it. That’s powerful.” 
 
For Nick Smith, who portrays the injured boy’s uncle, the process has felt both professional and personal. “We had a day where Professor Carter came in and answered all our questions,” he said. “Hearing his story, and how much of himself he put into the writing, changed the way we approached it. It made it real.” 
 
Through the class’s character-building exercises, like “character interviews,” where students answer questions in character to deepen their understanding of motivation and backstory, Smith said he’s learned to find “the humanity behind every line.” 
 
Collaboration Across Colleges 
 
The partnership between Springfield and Carter grew naturally from a shared commitment to storytelling and student engagement. Springfield first encountered Broken at a reading organized by Carter’s playwriting group in the English department. From there, the two faculty members saw an opportunity to merge disciplines. 
 
“It just made sense,” Springfield said. “Theatre students needed meaningful, contemporary work to perform. Will’s play offered that, and in turn, it gave his writing a new life on its feet.” 
 
Carter echoed that sentiment. “I’m grateful beyond words,” he said. “Jacque’s class has handled this work with so much care. It’s been an example of what happens when talented people across colleges say yes to collaboration.” 
 
What began as an experiment between two professors has evolved into something larger — a model for what interdisciplinary education at KSU can look like. Students are gaining practical, real-world experience in creative collaboration, while faculty are finding new ways to bridge academic silos and enrich the arts and humanities together. 
 
“Opportunities like this don’t come around often,” said Newkirk. “It’s been an honor to be trusted with this work.” 
 
For Carter, Springfield and their students, Broken has become much more than a play; it’s a testament to what happens when faculty see each other not just as colleagues, but as collaborators. 

A public reading of Broken will take place on Wednesday, November 20, at 7 p.m. in the Onyx Theater. The performance will be followed by a talkback with playwright Will Carter and the student cast. Admission is free and open to the public.