We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Sharna Jenkins. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Sharna below.

Sharna, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Too often the media represents innovation as something magical that only high-flying tech billionaires and upstarts engage in – but the truth is almost every business owner has to regularly innovate in small and big ways in order for their businesses to survive and thrive. Can you share a story that highlights something innovative you’ve done over the course of your career?

Over the course of twenty-plus years, I feel my approach to introducing live theater to kids and teens was one of the most innovated things I’ve done. MY anti-bullying assembly has been welcomed by Schools, Churches and after school centers. I created a traveling group of actors called Theater in Motion… we took pride in bringing theater, to young people. Our approach was different each time we performed because we believed in bringing the audience/students into the experience.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a writer, director and contributor to any community that welcomes creative help for kids and teens. In my student life every school I’ve ever attended was focused on the arts. I am a graduated of LaGuardia High School. Although I was a vocal major and studied opera my entire four years in School, theater became my first love. In the early nineties I wrote, directed and produced my first play…Sleeping Generation. As the years went on, my writing focused on young people and issues they face on a daily basis. Once I loved to Long Island from Harlem where I was born and raised, I started a local theater group called Theater in Motion comprised of Middle School and High School students from all over Long Island. We prepared and preformed original plays written and directed by me. We traveled to Schools, churches and youth organizations like the youth division of the NAACP to perform our various thought provoking productions. One of our productions “The Hallway” my original play that focused on bully and teen suicide, was one of my longest running travel productions. My very last production “Like me Love me Love you” was an off Broadway production I ran for four years on 44th street in New York’s theater district as well as on a small college tour,
My film making took a more prominent role once my theater productions slowed down. My ten episode series “Sisters Keeper” received a five star rating and wonderous reviews on Amazon prime during its year long run on the streaming platform. It is currently streaming on Tubi. I have since written quite a few feature scripts. My newsiest film short “Waiting” was featured in the Newark international film festival, the Harlem international film festival and most recently the AAWIC (African American women in cinema) . “Waiting” won the peer award and will be featured in a virtual screening July 2025. Over the course of several years I have also spent my time creatively working on other projects with other creatives. I would read and critique scripts for first time writers, My most recent assist was with a beautiful project called Laundry. This beautiful short is making a thunderous mark on the film short circuit. As set designer and associate producer, I feel honored to be a part of the beautiful true story. I am currently working on a new film short called “No Labels” a story for men about their mental health in toxic relationships and in daily survival in society. I have lot of stories to tell and visions to share.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I consider myself a writer for the actors. I write to give them creative room and visions. I am also driven to create conversations among humans young and old. I love when people in the room talk and share based on work that I have written. It’s important for me to generate these conversations, get people thinking and ultimately communicating. in healthy ways.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I have had quite a few moments within my writing career of having to pivot to ensure my mission of sharing a message would not be quieted by lack of support or understanding. The beginning of writing career was focused on young people and their mental growth. I spent the first fifteen years of my love of writing, creating stories that focused on the world they were surviving in on a daily bases. My first play “Sleeping Generation” no one wanted to invest in a production that expressed real serious emotions teenagers were feeling, so I had to make personal sacrifices and fund the production myself. My plays “The Hallway” and “Four hours equal a lifetime” were all funded by me because people were more inclined to sponsor sports before theater. I had to pivot when we lost our rehearsal space for the production “Four Hours equals a lifetime” by asking my family if we could open our home to twenty teens from all over Long Island so I could continue to rehearse and give the teens a theater experience. My family became a part of the mission.
My film projects have had bumps where I had to pivot, be creative and use my own home to film to save on cost, time etc.
It is never easy to get productions done whether its a live theatrical production or a film when you don’t have a solid team of resources, however it can be done! Being resourceful, being able to pivot on a last minute notice and stay positive, that is what creative determination is all about. I am determined to tell stories that make people think, feel, and most importantly communicate.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Amsjscript
• Facebook: Amsjscript
• Linkedin: linktr.ee/amsjscript
• Youtube: @amsjscript

Image Credits

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