Script Files

Hope For Hartford

Hope for Hartford follows Niyah Renee Brown, a High School Senior out of Hartford CT. Amid poverty, gang violence, and sex trafficking. Niyah finds herself struggling to keep faith not only in God, but in herself and her community. Lost hope pervades the inner city and seeps into the schools. She works to bring peace back to the community, starting on school grounds, while facing tremendous backlash by non-believers. This play focuses on one question: How far are you willing to go for your beliefs? Each decision Niyah makes is vital to the outcome of her story. Hope for Hartford: a students’ attempt at seeing better days."

  • Project Type:
    Stage Play
  • Genres:
    Drama
  • Number of Pages:
    57
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • First-time Screenwriter:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Writer Biography

Brittnee "Pickle" Johnson founder, playwright, director, and producer of Hope for Hartford the Musical and The Giving in 2017 has been dancing, acting, and directing in community theater for over 10 years. She has a bachelors in Psychology and a Master in Social Work. In 2009 to 2010, she was the stage manager for Desiree’s Baby by Kate Chopin and played a rape victim in Lifetime on The Streets by Gus Edwards at Johnson C. Smith University Arts Factory in Charlotte, NC. In 2012, she was an intern at the Penumbra Theatre’s Summer Institute Program in Saint Paul, MN where she performed and mentored teens between the ages of 13-18 using the passion for the arts to promote social justice and equality. In 2012 to 2013, Brittnee became the Youth Drama Director at the First Cathedral in Bloomfield, CT directing and writing original scripts for youth between the ages of 10-18 in the mission to make disciples through the performing arts. She also performed as a dancer in MaPeaches Production’s The Wiz in 2015. In 2017 Pickle showcased her first original piece Hope for Hartford the Musical with original music composed by local Greater Hartford artists, Tang Sauce, Ysanne Marshall, Chad Bowen- Springer, Mr. Qwes, and lead artist of the Funky Dawgs Aaron Eaddy. Pickle collaborated with local gospel artist Vanessa Willis to produce her Christmas production, The Giving. She’s a backup dancer for local artist in the Greater Hartford area including Grammy Award Winning Artist Charmagne Tripp, Ysanne Marshall and a former student at the University of Hartford’s Hartt Community Division Dance Department. Brittnee hopes to continue using her passion for the arts to bring awareness to promoting social change.

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Writer Statement

Through prayer and meditation, Hope For Hartford was inspired by my passion to promote positive change. I wanted by bringing awareness to the violence and poverty that is affecting our community. Through my work, I want to inspire people to follow their dreams, feel empowered, and unite to advocate for social change.

This play is dedicated to my friend and great artist, Jared Chatman who was killed two weeks before the opening performance.