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Meet THe Team
Ari Aster’s 2019 venture into surrealist folk horror, Midsommar, has become a cult classic and a prime example of a spring/summer horror film. This class will examine scenes from the screenplay and clips from the film, and discuss the film’s use of classic folk horror tropes and its twisting of elements commonly seen as non threatening: daylight, community, and family. We’ll also discuss how it uses gender and race to create a sense of dread in a modern audience. The class will include generative writing prompts for creating our own spring horror stories.
This class is ideal for screenwriters, playwrights, and prose writers looking to examine the structure of the folk horror genre. Writers will be able to apply our exercises and discussion to their current works in progress.
• In-Class Writing Lift: Light
• Homework: None
• Workshopping Drafts: None
Jennifer Rumberger is a New York based playwright and essayist. Her recent productions include The Locusts with the Gift Theatre in Chicago, Night in Alachua County with Wildclaw Theatre and Open Blue Sky at Stella Adler/ Tisch School of the Arts. Jennifer’s work has been developed or presented in New York, Chicago, Houston, Miami, and Florida. She was a recipient of the 2021 Illinois Arts Council Fellowship Award and a 2022 Tennessee Williams Scholar at the Sewanee Writers’ Conference. She is an adjunct professor at Northwestern University and performs her essays and nonfiction at live storytelling events. She received her MFA from Northwestern University.
"Jennifer is, in a word, awesome. She did a great job of making everyone feel welcome and guiding us through the subject matter."
