Playwriting MFAs

[Starsandsound]

I am ready to check out of this whole process mentally ugh

[playbyplay]

Rejected from Columbia woo woo! 

[Starsandsound]

Ha playbyplay love the attitude. I need to not get into a funk about this but I feel a little worn out right now

[Starsandsound]

Really crankin it out on the new play so I'm feeling pretty good about that though.

[lavendercloud]

Thanks for the heads-up; I checked UT-T&D and got a rejection from them, too. Finally sent an email to Yale to see if they have an update for me yet. They must be about ready to make offers so I don't know why they haven't, but whatevs. It's always nice to know for sure! And Rejection #5 will be my last, and I can finally put this application season to rest!

[theotherlily]

Y'all, don't take classes.  Make theatre.

 

I mean, I guess take classes if you want- deadlines and mentorship are awesome- but if you're fresh out of undergrad, you don't have a lot of experience in theatre, and you think that might be a problem in grad school apps, your first priority shouldn't be taking more classes.

 

 Learn about your local theatre scene.  Find actors and put on a reading.  Put on a fringe show.  Get involved with companies.  The point of being a playwright is that you can just MAKE something without anyone's permission.  That's gotta be the point, cause it sure ain't the money.

 

I don't think readings and productions are about padding your resume.  They're about working in theatre.  That's what makes us different from fiction and poetry.  Publications don't matter, because you can develop your poems alone in a hole.  But playwrights have to work with other people, and with audiences.

 

Why yes, I AM avoiding working on my thesis.

[playbyplay]

TheOtherLily I like your style. Write. Write. Write. bitchez. 

[Starsandsound]

I just called admissions at smith to find out when they were sending out letters and I found out I got accepted!!! They haven't sent letters but financial aid packages are going out in the next week. I don't want to post it on FB or anything until I get the letter, but you guys. You guys. I GOT INTO SMITH

Edited March 24, 2014 by Starsandsound

[Starsandsound]

Dream school

[Guest]

Congrats on Smith! That's awesome. I would love to get more info on the program for next year. Does Iowa do interviews? I would think they do considering they only take, like, 4 people a year. Does Brooklyn do interviews? Still not giving up hope on that one. It's all I have and it's not over until it's over, right? 

 

Just for reference in the future: Which schools do interviews, or maybe it would be easier thinking about the ones who don't. If there are any.

 

Definitely agree with theotherlily. Classes are great and everything, but after this process and still being pretty fresh out of undergrad (only graduated a year ago) I still feel like I need to really find out where I'm coming from as a writer on my own. 

[mcw98]

Yay Starsandsound!  Congrats!

[GlenwoodRed]

CONGRATS STARSANDSOUND YAY YAY YAY!!!!!

[Starsandsound]

<3 thank you!!! Can't wait til I get the official letter Ahaaaaa

[Starsandsound]

Anyone else write for the NYC midnight short story challenge?

[cathergirl]

congrats starsandsound!!!!!!!!

 

blah, looks like ill be applying for the 2015 rounds.

i just graduated in the class of 2013 though, so think i have to get a little bit more experience under my belt.

 

good all y'all with this cycle!! hope u guys get into great places

[roguesenna]

Y'all, don't take classes.  Make theatre.

 

I mean, I guess take classes if you want- deadlines and mentorship are awesome- but if you're fresh out of undergrad, you don't have a lot of experience in theatre, and you think that might be a problem in grad school apps, your first priority shouldn't be taking more classes.

 

 Learn about your local theatre scene.  Find actors and put on a reading.  Put on a fringe show.  Get involved with companies.  The point of being a playwright is that you can just MAKE something without anyone's permission.  That's gotta be the point, cause it sure ain't the money.

 

I don't think readings and productions are about padding your resume.  They're about working in theatre.  That's what makes us different from fiction and poetry.  Publications don't matter, because you can develop your poems alone in a hole.  But playwrights have to work with other people, and with audiences.

 

Why yes, I AM avoiding working on my thesis.

 

 

true, but it's hard to self-produce completely by yourself. You need connections, and school is really good for that. If you don't like to perform, it's one of the few ways to make theatre connections really. It also helps to self-produce in a group with others and it helps to have a writer's room. MFAs do all of that (or they should).

[theotherlily]

Rouge, I wasn't telling people not to do MFAs.  I am in fact about to graduate from an MFA in playwriting.  It'd be super weird to come onto this thread and denigrate the whole concept of MFAs.

 

Someone made a post asking for advice about to get into an MFA program.  This person was worried s/he hadn't had enough experience (no readings, no productions.)  Someone else recommended taking classes or going on retreats in order to get better rec letters.  In my opinion, taking classes shouldn't be as high a priority as getting real-world theatrical experience.  In my experience, that's what programs are looking for.  The quality of the writing and "fit" are most important, but in terms of non-writing things you can work on and improve, demonstrating your ability to take initiative, work in theater, and put your own shit together is tops.

[Starsandsound]

Any news guys?

[lavendercloud]

Starsandsound - that's super awesome! Congrats! If you go, I would love to hear about it, and I'm especially interested in what kind of financial aid they have. Smith hasn't been on my list because I know so little about the program, but I went to undergrad in the Pioneer Valley and I would fucking love to go back.

 

Theotherlily - I totally agree that getting produced and getting readings is a fantastic way to prepare for grad school, and I did recommend submitting work as much as possible. I know lots of people who have had great experiences self-producing, but personally I don't know very much about it. I do think some people could learn a lot from taking classes before pursuing that route, and either way you have to find people who understand and support your work in order to move forward in your writing and to obtain good recommendations. I don't think of readings and productions as resume-padding at all; I just don't think that people should be intimidated to apply for an MFA just because they haven't had "enough" of them. There's no magic number and everyone has to figure out the best way to learn and navigate the world of theater for themselves. Make theater, yes, but first: find the people who can help you to do it! And classes can be a good stepping-stone.

[lurking32]

Hey All,

 

I've been lurking in this forum for weeks now, and just wanted to send a general thanks to all for their companionship throughout this crazy process.  My apps have mostly been replied to and it turned out okay.

 

Brown -rejected

Yale- rejected

Columbia- accepted

NYU - accepted

Northwestern- no idea

 

Columbia is my top choice for sure because Chuck Mee is absolutely fantastic.  I've seen him speak a few times and would love to work with him.  That being said, their financial aid package isn't looking too hot.  NYU on the other hand is offering mad funding, and the idea of little debt seems hard to walk away from.  Northwestern has always been my outlier, so I'm still not sure what to think on that front.  I would just like to hear something sooner rather than later and have this all be done with. 

 

I figured it was high time I stopped lurking and shared as well.  Congrats to all who've been accepted places, and to those who are getting ready for a new app season, HANG IN THERE!  I was you just a year ago. 

 

If anyone has any insider info on these programs, I would be uber grateful.  I think I never even entertained the idea of choice, so having to make one all of sudden has been difficult. 

[theotherlily]

I'm going to be very, very straightforward with you.  Don't go to Columbia for playwriting, especially if you have another school willing to offer you money.  If the "mad funding" from NYU is the one full ride they offer per year?  TAKE THAT.  That is a serious vote of confidence from a school.  (I'm not sure if they've changed their procedures since I was applying, but at that time they gave like ONE full ride per class)

 

My recommendation isn't just about the money.  I have a pretty good sense of the state of "emerging playwrights" across America and in NYC, and if you asked me to tell you about fairly recent MFAs from Brown, Yale, NYU (and even Northwestern, although that's skimpier) that are getting fellowships, productions, prominent readings, etc, I could name a bunch.  I could also name successful recent MFAs from Ohio, UT, Julliard (not an mfa program, but whatever) Brooklyn College and Indiana, Bloomington- people that I've either met, or read about, or seen their shows, or I've seen that they've won something that I've applied for.  But I honestly couldn't name any from Columbia.  That doesn't mean there aren't any, but before you make a commitment like that, I'd encourage you to figure out who Columbia's successful grads are, look at their work and their career, and decide if that's what you want.

 

If you like Chuck Mee, there are ways to seek him out as a mentor without enrolling in Columbia.

[cathergirl]

ahh just got into Ohio!  So excited!! i was so scared cause i was on the wait list

[playbyplay]

Just got an update on Julliard. They haven't gotten to the second rounds yet and are hoping to make decisions by May. 

[theotherlily]

@lavender- I didn't want to badmouth your advice- it's always good to keep writing and learning!- but the person who asked about getting more experience had my school as his/her top choice. I know what my school values- they really like to see you getting out there and making things happen.   Plus, the op was recently out of undergrad- so it isn't classroom experience that s/he is missing.

 

Also, I don't know much about the two retreats/classes that you recommended, but I definitely got the sense that they were playwriting components in retreats that were more focused on fiction/poetry.  In general, I think people looking to make connections in theatre should prioritize events, conferences and classes that are theatre-focused, not writing focused.  If you're doing some professional development, and most of the people around you are poets and fiction writers rather than directors, actors producers and designers, you aren't optimizing those PD dollars.  I'm also a big believer in making local connections, even though most of my career has involved travel, that wasn't by choice!

[theotherlily]

Cather, congrats!  It's a really cool program.

 

(p.s., when did they tell you that you were on the wait list, and do you know if they've got their whole class set yet?)