On Monday, April 23, Choate Alumnus Geoffrey Fletcher ’88 arrived on campus to speak with students and faculty about his journey as a screenwriter. During his visit, he was able to speak to the student body during school meeting, and meet with students and faculty from RISE, CALSA, Arts Concentration, Fringe Festival, and screenwriting class. He spoke in depth about his time at Choate and the obstacles that he was presented with, and he was able to provide his own perspective on the world of cinematography.
Mr. Fletcher enrolled at Choate as a new fifth former, having transferred over from Waterford High School. At Choate, he was an avid athlete, on both varsity baseball and football teams, as well as a distinguished scholar. Mr. Fletcher received his undergraduate degree in Psychology from Harvard College and went on to receive a Master of Fine Arts from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. He has been behind the production of many films such as Precious, Room 8, and Violet & Daisy as either a screenwriter or director. Currently, he is working on a screenplay set to release this year called Trial By Fire.
In his inspirational speech, Mr. Fletcher talked about his own experiences, from successes to rejections, as well as how they have shaped his life. For most, if not all, of the audience members, the message that he conveyed was both inspirational and candid. His focus on failure allowed for many to take away an important moral about difficult times in one’s life.
“He knew what rejection was, but he had a passion to do something and he did it, and I think that was the message that he gave,” said Ms. Monica St. James, Director of Alumni Relations. Niki Gummadi ’21 commented, “He delved into his struggles and emphasized how they had helped him rather than just focusing on the highlights of his career, which was very commendable and respectable.” Shamari Harrington ’18 also noted that the speech was “very relatable, especially regarding how Choate teaches you to accept failure and the fact that things are not always going to be effortless and that you have to learn how to persist and never change your target, but rather adapt your path.” Not only were the students and faculty able to gain valuable insight and life lessons from Mr. Fletcher’s talk, they were also able to see his love for cinematography. “You can tell just how much effort and dedication he puts into his work, I thought that was really inspiring,” said Supriya Chang ’21.
In his meetings with Fringe Festival, Arts Concentration, and Playwriting/Screenwriting students, Mr. Fletcher was able to provide helpful feedback for each of the budding writers and actors. When Mr. Fletcher visited the screenwriting class, he was able to listen to the “overnight shorts” that the students had written and join in on the discussions.
He reminded the students about how “screenplay is about what you see and hear rather than a narrative that has backstory or psychological reflections,” according to Ms. Doak, the screenwriting teacher. “He also emphasized the importance of writing from the inside out, to create a script that comes out of something inside of you, that you then consider moving it towards an audience, as opposed to taking in a lot of external pressures and ideas, and putting them into your work,” she continued. Mr. Fletcher’s ability to engage in deep and thoughtful conversation with each group provided a unique opportunity for them to truly learn about a new perspective from a person with intimate and experienced knowledge about the current industry.
At a luncheon in Sally Hart Lodge with members of CALSA and RISE, Mr. Fletcher was able to reflect upon his experience at Choate student as an African American male and how his racial and cultural identity has influenced his own writing. Remaining very open and down-to-earth, Mr. Fletcher’s thoughtful answers to many important topics of conversation allowed him to have a meaningful impact on many students.
“He talked about his obligation, as a person with a voice and a following, to keep in mind the audience of his work, and how that audience is impacted by his work,” said Anesi Ojior ’21. Other subjects that arose included the representation of African Americans in films, the usage of black entertainment to fight systems of oppression, and the importance of allowing the audience to have their own interpretation of the work. Although he was an accomplished student that had both athletic and artistic talent, his Choate experience was tough at times as well. “Navigating a space like this, as a new junior, a black male, and an athlete, he was able to recall how he wasn’t always happy to be here, but that Choate allowed him to figure out how to fail,” said Harrington. Although the issues that were raised during the event were often serious, Mr. Fletcher’s conversation left nothing but respect and positive feelings in the participants.
Even though Mr. Fletcher has left us with an abundance of invaluable messages and respect, his most admirable quality may be his personality. Students and faculty that were able to meet and talk to him in-person, describe him as “down-to-earth,” “humble,” “thoughtful,” “charming,” “kind,” and “generous.” “In spite of the fact that he is so busy, he gave more than 24 hours to Choate, and his giving of himself and his time to students is really something to be applauded,” stated Ms. St. James. “I really, really liked him, he was bold and humorous, and it was a pleasure to meet him,” said Ojior. It’s safe to say that his visit to Choate influenced the community in a very positive manner, and we are immensely proud to have such a respected and honorable alumni that continues to impact the filmmaking industry. “It is no question that he absolutely deserved the alumni award,” concluded Gummadi.
