The Writers Room

Since 1974, Humanitas has honored and empowered screenwriters whose work explores the human condition in a nuanced, meaningful way. We champion screenwriting projects that explore the human condition, as we believe the act of acknowledging our common humanity can be transformational for audiences. A strong desire to identify and nurture new generations of screenwriters dates back to Humanitas’s founding and led to the creation of annual programs like the New Voices Fellowship, College Screenwriting Awards, and Industry 101. 

Thanks to generous support from The Muriel Pollia Foundation, Humanitas is continuing The Writers Room, a TV writing workshop for high school students. The Writers Room offers students an introduction to TV writing and the opportunity to act as the “staff” of a TV “writers room,” working together to pitch, outline, and draft a teleplay of a pre-existing series. The Writers Room Workshop concludes with a table read in front of an audience. The 2025-26 Writers Room is offered in person at Hollywood High School throughout the school year. 

THE WRITERS ROOM 2025-26

The Writers Room begins in the fall with workshops taught by teaching artist Spiro Skentzos, and a 5-part guest speaker series exploring topics that relate to voice, structure, and character. 

In the spring, the TV-writing workshop offers students an introduction to TV writing and the opportunity to act as the “staff” of a TV “writers room,” working together to pitch, outline, and draft a teleplay of a pre-existing series. 

The Writers Room Workshop concludes with a table read in front of an audience of the students’ peers.

THE WRITERS ROOM SPEAKER SERIES

The Speaker Series is supported by a number of partner organizations including Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB), The Writing Pad, UCLA Extension, Young Storytellers, and Think Tank for Inclusion & Equity (TTIE). 

• Week One - Improv with Upright Citizens Brigade! (Partner: Upright Citizens Brigade)

  • UCB instructors Karen Baughn and Frank Garcia-Hejl kick off the speaker series with improv exercises, introducing students to the “yes, and” basics and how that attitude can be applied in a writers room.

• Week Two - Writing Your Heart & Mini-Scenes (Partner: The Writing Pad)

  • Writers and The Writing Pad instructors Brett Paesel (Transparent) and Nina Fiore (The Handmaid’s Tale) lead students through writing exercises that encourage their unique voice and perspective.

• Week Three - Structure in Screenwriting (Partner: UCLA Extension Writers' Program)

  • UCLA Extension instructors Jessica Gonzalez (Diary of a Future President) and Camille Corbett (Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!) breakdown how stories are structured, how this plays out in the work of a writers room, and how the basic building blocks for film and television are different.

• Week Four - Character (Partner: Young Storytellers)

  • Young Storyteller instructors Pilar Alvarez and Jess Doss join the class to explore, through discussion and writing exercises, how a writer uses their own perspective to shape characters. 

• Week Five - Telling Stories You Want To See (Partner: TTIE)

  • Speakers Barret Helms and MW Cartozian Wilson from TTIE join the class to discuss the work of their organization, authentic representation in film and television, and the process of bringing to the screen the type of stories you want to see even when that story is different from what the marketplace typically offers.

BENEFITS OF THE WRITERS ROOM

In addition to writing instruction, this collaborative, creative process offers students the unique opportunity to practice interpersonal communication, compromise, teamwork, active listening, conflict resolution skills, and the ability to receive feedback and offer constructive criticism.

Spiro Skentzos

Growing up speaking Spanish, Greek and English at home, Spiro developed an early interest in language, which inspired him to write. His first foray into screenwriting was as a young boy, writing scripts for his Star Wars figures, where they battled his sister’s giant, menacing Barbie dolls—and he’s been writing ever since. 

He won Best Original Screenplay at the Ohio Independent Film Festival for his first feature script. The prize money was enough to cover one month’s rent at the time, and more importantly encouraged him to keep writing. 

His professional TV writing career began in comedy, writing episodes of ABC’s George Lopez; then he co-created and co-wrote the animated sci-fi/zombie web series Chadam, a cult-fav based on the eponymous character. He’s a graduate of The NHMC Writing Program, the PGA’s Power of Diversity Program, and NBC’s Writers on the Verge Program, which ultimately opened the door for him to spend two seasons writing and producing on NBC’s Grimm. In addition, he’s written on the CW’s Arrow—and sold three pilots. He’s currently developing projects for producers.

To help inspire the next generation of writers, Spiro created and produces the “Intro to TV Writing” panel at San Diego’s Comic-Con, currently in its twelfth year.