Playwriting MFAs

[Trilogyfan]

Hello friends. Longwalktonever, I don't know if I have you to thank but I got the call from the lovely people at NYU this week and am absolutely thrilled to be off the wait list and headed to Tisch. Congrats to you too, Miranda, you've been at this a long time and glad you are in a strong program.

 

Hope we'll all meet as colleagues one day.

[MintJulep]

Email from Juilliard today letting me know my play is still being considered. Although some semi-finalists and finalists have been determined, this process is not yet complete. Admission will ultimately be offered to four or five playwrights, but they expect this final determination to be delayed due to the (wonderful!) news that Christopher Durang's play has been nominated for a Tony Award and he is involved with related events.

Did anyone else get this message.  It's great to know my play is still being considered.  

[EccentricDreamer]

Hey everybody,

 

@MintJulep - I received the same letter, too! I guess that means we're semi-finalists.

 

I was just checking in and reading all the good news that people have been posting about their MFA journey and eventual acceptances. Bravo to everyone!! Let the madness begin!! 

 

I moved to Los Angeles and have been here for a month now and I'm having the time of my life in this new TV job. The weather ain't bad either. One of the things I've realized is that life is a series of twists and (sometimes unalterable) fates that can change you for the better. My job as development assistant is giving me an education everyday, one that I wouldn't have gotten if I had just relied solely on an MFA. Ironically, had I not gotten rejected from the programs I applied to, I would not be on this new track, one that is prepping me for a career in television. For realz. 

 

So, keep writing, keep striving, and most of all keep dreaming! Continued success to you all!!  

Edited May 16, 2013 by EccentricDreamer

[Buckminster]

Yep - got that Juilliard email. Though I wonder, since the last email had said final decisions will be made be June 15th, this email means final decisions will be what? July 1st? Sure is a slow process...

 

[longwalktonever]

Anyone else from GradCafe at the Last Frontier Theatre Conference this week? 

[themirandatragedy]

Longwalktonever,

No, but a friend was! Was your play read at the Play Labs. What's the name of your play?

[longwalktonever]

Hey themirandatragedy,

 

I did have a play (called "Gravidity") in the play lab.

 

What was your friend's play?

[themirandatragedy]

That's great! No, he didn't have a play at the lab, but he lives in Valdez and got to attend

[EccentricDreamer]

Hey everyone, this article was posted in the Hollywood Reporter a few days ago: The Top 25 Drama Schools in the World. Check it out! 

 

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/top-25-drama-schools-world-558898

[Buckminster]

Anybody hear anything from juilliard lately?

[MintJulep]

I have not heard anything from Juilliard since the email I mentioned a few weeks ago.  It's great that Christopher D. won the Tony...  I've got a feeling that is going to push notifications back a little.  So, we are getting a masterclass in patience, which is mandatory for playwrights.  

 

BTW: Is there anyone on this forum from Rutgers?  I met an actor that has a friend from Rutgers who, like me, is still being considered for Juilliard.... small world.  

 

Be well everyone... 

[Buckminster]

I'm impatient, so I emailed juilliard to see if there was any update on their timeline (and since they had previously mentioned June 15 as a notification date).

Got the same response as they sent out a month ago...

"Thanks for checking in. Although some semi-finalists and finalists have been determined, the process is not yet complete. Final determinations have been delayed due to Christopher Durang’s play being nominated for—and winning!—a Tony Award. We do not yet have a date when final decisions will be made but we will update you as soon as we have any new information to report."

I dint understand why they have not yet determined the finalists, since my understanding was that Chris Durang only gets involved after the finalists have been picked..I guess we'll just have to wait...

[MintJulep]

July 1st tomorrow... Anybody heard from Juilliard?  

I reached out to them a week ago... and received an email saying encouraging patience and assuring me that they will let everyone know when the final decisions have been made.

[Buckminster]

July 1st tomorrow... Anybody heard from Juilliard?  

Nope... Though I imagine they've at least contacted the finalists by now, so I assume our chances our slim at this point...

[parttimezealot]

Nothing since the May 15 e-mail.  

[Buckminster]

Rejection received.

[MintJulep]

Rejection received!  Celebrating no more waiting!!!  Be well all.  Keep writing. 

[JoeThomasNYC]

Hello, All!

 

Just lurked and read over this thread like it was a summer paperback! Congrats to all, and I really appreciate the candor. It's let me know I'm not alone in the task I'm undertaking this fall: applying to an MFA program.

 

That said:

-Would anyone be willing to offer advice to a newbie applicant? 

-Maybe even send over some of their application materials as reference points? 

-Start this thread up again and ride it through with me until next spring (incorporating those of us who are applying as well as those who are starting their first years and can provide extra insight)?

 

Thanks again to everyone for easing my feelings of terror.

 

Joe

 

P.S. I'm also local to NYC and would LOVE to meet up with anyone for coffee to discuss this stuff in person!

Edited August 25, 2013 by JoeThomasNYC

[longwalktonever]

Hello JoeThomasNYC! 

 

If you have any questions, feel free to message me at any time-- I'd love to impart any wisdom that I gained from last year's application season. 

 

I'd also be happy to answer any questions about the University of Southern California's MFA Dramatic Writing program, which is the program I ended up choosing to attend. 

 

Welcome to this thread, and best of luck in applying to MFA programs!

[playbyplay]

Hi! 

 

I came across this thread since I'm applying to MFA programs this year and am trying to figure out where to apply. I'm mostly a TV writer, but have been involved with theater over the years. Here are the programs I'm applying to: 

 

Michener

Julliard

Yale 

Columbia

Brown 

The New School 

NYU

Northwestern

 

Considering applying to UCSD, but don't know that much about it. Also don't really know anything about The New School.

 

Anyone have any suggestions of schools to add to the list? Anyone else applying this year?  

[teethwax]

Hi everybody,

 

I wanted to post an update, since around this time last year I would have killed for some more information, haha.

 

1. I was contacted recently by a literary manager who read my play when I applied to Yale (he is not on their faculty, but Jeanie O'Hare apparently sent him the top 20 plays to get his thoughts).  We had a meeting last week and he told me that he had really enjoyed the play and thought I should have been admitted (oh well).  His company has actually nominated my play for this prize -- there's no way I'll win, but I've also never been nominated for something like that before, so I'm just enjoying that part.  

 

He also said that (assuming I don't win) he would like to send the play to some theaters, and that would be a huge help for me, since nobody knows who I am.  (If I do win, his company will produce the play.)  He's also expressed a lot of interest in a play I wrote a few years ago, and the one I'm working on now.  So, my overarching point (which I think I have mentioned before): even if you don't get in, applying to an elite program can get you noticed.  So you might as well.

 

2. I'm at Rutgers and I have to say I'm really enjoying it -- it wasn't on my original list at all last year (not even on my radar), but it turned out to be a great place for me.  So I wanted to talk it up a little bit, haha.  Some things:

 

- We see plays for free in New York at least once a week -- sometimes four or five times -- and get to speak with playwrights and literary managers (and have personal, no-bullshit conversations, which is still exciting to me).  Some people we've met this semester and the plays we saw: Anne Washburn (Mr. Burns), David Adjmi (Marie Antoinette), Lucy Thurber (The Hill Town Plays), Marlane Meyer (The Patron Saint of Sea Monsters), Sarah Ruhl (we're seeing Stage Kiss soon but in the meantime we had a writing workshop with her).  I know we're also meeting Madeline George in the next few weeks.

 

- There are currently four playwrights in the program (Kathleen Tolan, our program head, didn't take anyone last year), so we get a lot of individual attention but it's not such a small group that it feels stifling to me.  The other first-year playwright was also a Yale finalist (we were both referred to Rutgers by Sarah Ruhl, who is good friends with Kathleen).

 

- We also had screenwriting this semester with Jim Ryan, and I'm about at the treatment stage of a screenplay I feel really good about, which is exciting.  He has been merciless on plotholes and weird spots, but it's made me figure out something pretty solid and compelling.  Next semester we're taking TV, and one of the third-year playwrights is currently under contract to turn his pilot from last year into a screenplay.

 

- I moved to NJ from Chicago, and I do miss being in a big interesting city all the time, but 1) things are waaaay cheaper here and 2) New York is super accessible (and I'm getting a lot of personal introductions to the community, which was what I wanted).  Also 3) I don't have the free time to go out and do a bunch of shit every week anyway.

 

- Current writing projects: new play (staged reading instead of production in April because my play has some major technical concerns), screenplay, bakeoff play, several ten-minute plays (the playwrights put on informal late-night showcases for the department), and more plays in the planning stages.  Next semester: TV pilot, adaptation, collaboration with an MFA composer, documentary play.  Also: career counseling with Kathleen and others about residencies and conferences to apply for, questions about agents and other business things, etc.

 

So anyway, that is a long long post but I hope it had some useful info.  I'm also happy to answer any questions about Rutgers here (or in person, frankly, if you live in NJ or in the city).  The other first-year playwright actually commutes from Brooklyn and so do a lot of our professors.

[roguesenna]

I'm a PhD applicant with an MFA in Dramatic Writing and my advice kind of seconds what teethwax said:

 

Apply for ALL the programs (if you can afford it). I only applied to one program (luckily I got in) because I had a low GPA and I wasn't convinced I could get in any where else. Nor was my academic advisor from undergrad particularly enthusiastic about my chances. I wish I had applied to some of my dream schools because now I never know if I could have gotten in. Futher more, though I got my MFA, my grad school's DWRI department was almost an afterthought and there were very few opportunities for me to take advantage of as far as career advancement. Nor did I get to do a lot of teaching, which was one of my main reasons for going to school in the first place.  I thought I'd done a lot of research on the school before I got there, but I was really surprised by how much I disliked it compared to my undergrad.

 

 I'll also say don't underestimate the value of being in a city that is central to what you want to pursue after you graduate. I.E. if you want to write plays just having access to the cultural resources in NYC or Chicago can really help you get a headstart. Trying to move from the south to NYC after my MFA program was such a pain in the butt and took WAY longer than my partner and I expected.

 

To underscore this, it sounds like teeth has access to so many more opportunities than were available at my "renowned" grad school.

 

And teeth I am so jealous that you got to chit-chat with Sarah Ruhl. I LOVE her work. If I get in to my PhD prog. I think I might include some of her stuff in my dissertation.

[playbyplay]

Thanks teethwax and roguesenna for the great info! Rutgers wasn't on my radar, but now I'm definitely going to apply. 

[teethwax]

I'm a PhD applicant with an MFA in Dramatic Writing and my advice kind of seconds what teethwax said:

 

Apply for ALL the programs (if you can afford it). I only applied to one program (luckily I got in) because I had a low GPA and I wasn't convinced I could get in any where else. Nor was my academic advisor from undergrad particularly enthusiastic about my chances. I wish I had applied to some of my dream schools because now I never know if I could have gotten in. Futher more, though I got my MFA, my grad school's DWRI department was almost an afterthought and there were very few opportunities for me to take advantage of as far as career advancement. Nor did I get to do a lot of teaching, which was one of my main reasons for going to school in the first place.  I thought I'd done a lot of research on the school before I got there, but I was really surprised by how much I disliked it compared to my undergrad.

 

 I'll also say don't underestimate the value of being in a city that is central to what you want to pursue after you graduate. I.E. if you want to write plays just having access to the cultural resources in NYC or Chicago can really help you get a headstart. Trying to move from the south to NYC after my MFA program was such a pain in the butt and took WAY longer than my partner and I expected.

 

To underscore this, it sounds like teeth has access to so many more opportunities than were available at my "renowned" grad school.

 

And teeth I am so jealous that you got to chit-chat with Sarah Ruhl. I LOVE her work. If I get in to my PhD prog. I think I might include some of her stuff in my dissertation.

 

Roguesenna, sorry you had such a shitty experience! I hope things go better for you this time.  Looking back on the application process now, it's crazy what a huge shot in the dark it all is, and I feel very lucky that I found someplace great.  Sarah Ruhl is so nice and so smart that she must have some kind of terrible secret, but she didn't let it slip in front of me, haha.  What are you interested in doing your dissertation on?

 

Proximity to New York and career-building/networking opportunities were the two big reasons I chose Rutgers, and so far I haven't been disappointed.  Kathleen knows a ton of people (every person I have mentioned her to says "Oh, Kathleen Tolan! She's wonderful!") and is very interested in building Rutgers into another big name for playwriting MFAs, so she works very hard for us.  

 

Playbyplay, your list is very similar to mine from last year. Good luck!

[roguesenna]

teeth, there were a lot of sucky things about it, but I also got a lot of value out of it. I can't knock it, but I'll be glad to go back to a school where it feels like my department is actually a priority for the people in charge. lol. well I hope it's an awesome secret. as far as my dissertation, I think it will be different depending on where I get accepted. If I end up at UCLA I will probably writ it on gender and sexuality (and I'll probably use In The Next Room) if I end up at Columbia, I'd like to write about magical realism in lit and theatre (and I'll use Eurydice). If I end up at NYU or UCSD I probably won't study her as extensively since those are my performance studies programs and I'm looking at media studies/fan studies/pop culture type stuff for those two. maybe this makes me flakey, but I have a lot of interests and I think different departments are better suited to different things.

 

playbyplay, we have some of the same schools on our list. maybe we'll run into each other! although if you're not applying until next season probably not. I am applying to UCSD and I'll say this for it. their program is very good and very competitive. almost impossible to get into. that said, it's a playwriting MFA, not a dramatic writing or screenwriting program. you might check UCLA for that instead. I'd imagine their program might be more suited to TV/Film.