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@lavendercloud even if you don't have a second full-length, you can submit a shorter one-act or several short pieces as a second submission i believe.

@lavendercloud let me know if you haven't heard yet from Ohio. DM me

Just a reminder that Ohio University's application deadline is coming up. February 15th. http://ohioplaywriting.org/curriculum/

Hey Bluebane, the directors here seem to dig the program for the most part. There's lots of hands on stuff. I think they direct a play a semester except maybe for the first semester. The designers here are all pretty amazing. You're working with a pool of MFA and BFA actors. In addition, some directors direct the MFA playwrights readings and/or productions at the end of the year. Some directors take acting classes here as well. You AD a lot the mainstage shows, and teach classes like acting for non-majors and the like. The actors and playwrights and designers are people you'll stay in contact with after you're done with the program. I think a good chunk of the MFA acting program is moving to Chicago after this. There is a director who recently moved to Seattle who seems to be doing well. I would recommend, as I would with any playwright, to visit the program and the faculty. Athens is a smaller town so it's good to make sure you'd be happy here for three years. Make sure you get along and want to learn from the head of the program for three years. That would be true for any program. Also, if you really want to go to a program, I would recommend visiting. It makes such a difference. It's also good to talk to the people currently in the program, and see what the vibe is. I know they ask the playwriting students their feedback about prospectives that visit. These are the people we are going to collaborate with the next year or two.

Hey Folks, I was on this board two years ago. I'm in the middle of my second year at Ohio, and it's a very good program. It's also fully funded. You're saving tens of thousands of dollars when compared to most grad schools in New York City. I'm also teaching. You do a lot of writing. Three full lengths by the time I'm done. I'm going to have a TV pilot at the end of this year. 54 five minute plays, which you can expand and/or use as 10 minutes. Your program is what you make of it. I came from Chicago. I'm putting up my first full-length production this spring back there. They're letting me miss class to attend the first week of rehearsals. National semi-finalist at KCACTF for ten-minutes. There are in-school opportunities to get additional grants. There is a student run theater org that has money to put up extra productions with budget of a couple of grand. The playwrights have all very different voices, but are all very supportive of each other. The program has plenty of alumni doing well in Chicago and New York. I just met a director from New York at KCACTF, who raved about all the theater people that come out of OU's playwriting, acting, and design programs. For our end of the year festival this year, we have the Lit Manager from Steppenwolf (an OU alum) and someone from Actor's Theater in Louisville. It's also in a very pretty Appalachian town, Athens, Ohio. Deadline is February 15th. You can email ohioplaywriting@gmail.com for more info. Check out our site at ohioplaywriting.org. Good luck to all of you on MFA journeys. -Ryan

I just finished my first semester at Ohio, and I really like it. I spent 10 years in Chicago doing improv and theater, and it's nice to focus on writing. I'm learning a ton and writing a lot. If anyone has any questions about the program, please let me know. I've been working on a new site for the playwriting program and it just went live: ohioplaywriting.org. I'll be updating and tweaking it with news from the past year in the next week or so. In regards to Michener and the GRE, I don't think it's very high up for them. I think it's requirement of any grad program at the University of Texas. I would check in with them if you're concerned.

re: age. that yale thing about mid-20s surprised me. it'd be shortsighted for schools to not welcome older playwrights. lots of writers have spent years in the theater doing other things, i.e. acting, before switching over. that brings a lot of valuable experience. Ohio has a track record of accepting all ages. They only accept three a year however. This stuff is competitive. If it makes you feel any better, I'm in my late 30s, didn't get my B.A. until mid 30s, and got into Ohio. I did a lot of theater and improv for 13 years before that though. It probably depends on the program, your writing and experience, and how you present yourself and your work to the program(s.) Everything in theater/entertainment is super-competitive. There's no one way. Perseverance is the key.

@tjack nice. i'm glad you had a good weekend and congrats on the offer. I got an offer late last week as well. If you want to compare notes, let me know. i'm probably going to be in Athens, Ohio the next three years.

Tjack, how was your Ohio visit?

ah, Iowa has rejected me as well. good to log in and find that out. It's ohio and texas now. Teethwax, ain't none of this easy. If you're already in Chicago, Northwestern is a plus in that you don't have to move. It's a good program according to everyone that's gone through it that I know. It prepares you to write for several different mediums. I know people that have gone on to write for TV, and get just as good internships during the summers than folks that got a MFA at USC in TV/Film (to the befuddlement of the USC person). There is very little funding, but it's also only two years, so you get out in the real world as well to start trying to make a living. My friend who went there got her play accepted in the O'Neill conference. These schools don't make or break you. They just open up opportunities sometimes. It's no doubt hard to move on from a trip to Yale and that possibility. This business is full of near misses. You just have to keep plugging until the opportunity comes...if that's what you want and makes you happy.

tjack, i don't know if i posted this before, but i emailed their office and was told applicants would be notified by april 15th although they can take longer. i think i've heard they've gone late April before notifying. i don't imagine they'll reach out until at least late march, early april if then.

has anyone heard from texas other than the michener folks? they're on spring break this week. wonder if they've been in contact with anyone for the theater dept.

@longwalktonever Perhaps simultaneously reach out to the programs you're waiting to hear from while at the same time asking for more time? The other programs might be able to give you an idea or firm answer if you tell them you've been given a deadline.

oh wait, i figured out my login. i got rejected from yale officially. but we already knew that since they'd already contacted the finalists. i've had a bad day and am actually in a better mood cause of this. it's chipping away at the waiting.

just got an email that i can only assume is a rejection to Yale. will have to check when i go home. i have my login stuff on my home computer. fun. to whomever was asking. i didn't apply to programs that didn't have robust funding. there is no money in playwriting. only in tv, teaching, and movies. i'd rather not get into huge debt with a degree that probably won't be able to directly pay off the loans. i do know people that have gone to northwestern and are writing for tv and/or had been accepted to o'neill however.

They do fly in Michener candidates. It's a full ride plus stipend so...

haven't heard anything from UT-Austin. i know they have michener people visiting. was told usually they make phone calls in feb for the theater dept, but not sure where they're at this year.

Me three. Rejected at Brown.

re: Brown. I have no idea their process, i.e. interviews and such. Only that notifications will be sent "momentarily." I'm pretty sure I did not make the cut there regardless. I would love for this process to be complete.

I emailed Brown this week and was told that notifications are coming very soon. So, I'm guessing that means this week or next. That's pure conjecture though.

I had the same conversation with Ohio this week. Good luck! Maybe we'll be Ohio classmates. Definitely worth visiting. It's a pretty, but small town. It's a change of pace from NY or Chicago.

postal mail.

Ohio letter to applicants. Finalists will be contacted for informal phone interviews in March and early April. Goal is to give offers to prospective students in early April.

Hi, I applied to: Michener - Texas Texas Austin Theater Dept Ohio Iowa Brown Yale. Only heard from Michener with a rejection. Good luck to all. My friend's at Ohio and really likes it.