By Akua K. Adoo, Publications & Communication intern

Award-winning playwright Michael Hollinger seeks to demystify the creative process for writers, emphasizing the constant negotiation between design and discovery. He believes that his responsibility as a teacher is to reveal the “messy” process of creation and revision on the way to a finished work.

The Scholarship@Villanova series featuring Professor Hollinger continues on Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 4:30 p.m. in Falvey Memorial Library’s first floor lounge.

Professor Hollinger describes the writing process this way: “Students tend to focus on the canonical works that are universally accepted and worthy of our attention. In doing so, they often forget to look at these works in their early formative stages. This poses a problem for students who are trying to generate their own work,  such as plays, stories and poems, measuring their creative output by the standards of the classics.”

Several of Professor Hollinger’s plays premiered at the Philadelphia’s Arden Theatre Company, including “Opus,” “Red Herring,” “Incorruptible” and “Tiny Island.” In addition, his plays have been produced throughout the United States, including New York City, in London, Paris, Athens and elsewhere in Europe.

According to his colleague Dr. Shawn Kairschner, “He is quite warm, funny and personable, and has a cornucopia of stories about all aspects of theatre-making.”

Associate Artistic Director for the Villanova Theatre, Michael Hollinger has been teaching at Villanova University for 15 years and is an associate professor of theatre.

This Scholarship@Villanova event, the second in the series sponsored by Falvey Memorial Library , is open to the public and is approved for Augustine and Culture Seminar (ACS) co-curricular credit.