How does place shape our personal stories and the stories we tell? Through readings from dramatic literature we will explore how place helps shape both personal and fictional narratives and the way specific places are defined and perceived. We will investigate and challenge the assumptions made about the South as we envision our role in the evolution of modern Southern identity. Using personal interviews and story- circles we will engage with community members to learn how immigrant culture, history, and geography have shaped their personal and political narratives. Through guided writing exercises, students will create their own personal narratives as well as narratives based on interviews and local exploration. The course will culminate in a devised theatre piece, performed by students, that incorporates the personal and the fictional while reflecting on the discoveries made about ourselves and others. Open only to new first-year students.