Playwriting MFAs

[lavendercloud]

Tate: Here's what I know about UCSD funding (what I learned when I interviewed last year).

 

The second and third years, you have in-state tuition and a TAship. The first year, you have neither, so the funding is more limited...but this doesn't mean you're paying full tuition and have no other income. I think there are still work-study jobs you'd be doing in the department, for instance. I don't know the numbers, but it sounds pretty doable. I think what you may be covering is, say, the difference between in and out of state tuition, but I'm not sure. Plus, there are potential university-wide diversity fellowships you can apply for. And here's the number I do know: you're given $10,000 upon graduation to help you settle in a major city. Plus $2,000 your second summer to travel, and your first summer you'll be an observer at the O'Neill. Funding is actually quite competitive overall and student housing is available to help you reduce costs for 2 out of your 3 years.

 

And thanks, Princess! Yay for productivity! Who else is still applying and in their final stretch? And is anyone planning to tack on more apps if they haven't started hearing back yet? I may add in Ohio if I haven't heard anything about interviews by their deadline (Feb 15).

 

Also, last year I only remember doing the finaid form for Yale. Any others that expect you to do it before getting into the school?

[PrincessIsInAnotherCastle]

tate12 -- Where did you hear that grad applications across the country are down?  Just curious.  (But I am just going to take your word and decide it means that we ALL get in...    (And when I am rejected, I will be sure to use it to feel just a little bit worse...lol...)

 

Thanks for the cheers, Lavender.  Production of pages continues...  I will be up through the night finishing the project.  How's the work on your play going? 

I honestly haven't yet looked at the FAFSA deadlines for anyone -- other than Yale, which I believe is the Feb 15th...  From the research I have done on UCSD, their financial aid package seems among the best.  I am in a position where, if I get accepted anywhere, I will have to ask for a full ride or I cannot go.  (I have soooo much student loan debt from undergrad.  In fact, I got fee waivers for all of my applications this year...)

 

I don't think I am going to tack on any other applications.  I considered Indiana, Bloomington; I like Ruth McKee a lot.  But geography matters to me at this point in my life.  I need to be in a major city.  I will, however, apply to the UCLA screenwriting program next year, if I don't get in anywhere this year.  And -- MAYBE -- Juilliard again, if I get another play in top, stellar shape this year.

 

Speaking of which:  I am trying to decide which play I am going to write next.  I have a bunch of ideas but need to commit to where my spirit gets to dance for the next spell of time...  race and gender are on my mind, and I have something that lives in that realm...  We shall see...

Edited January 21, 2015 by PrincessIsInAnotherCastle

[puttputt]

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

Edited January 21, 2015 by puttputt

[bluebane]

Hi puttputt,

 

Thanks for the info! Do you have any insight on OU's Directing Program? I'm applying to them this year.

[puttputt]

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.

[bluebane]

Awesome! Thanks for the info.

[Guest]

Hey everyone! 

 

Excited to be back this year. Applied to 7 schools this year. I didn't apply to Brooklyn and UT-Austin T&D mainly because I have an interest in writing for other mediums and Michener would allow me to do that. I was on the fence about Brooklyn, because I love Mac Wellman, but it seemed pretty close to the type of playwriting instruction I had in my undergrad, but it seems like a crazy awesome program. I have heard great things and there are a lot of production opportunities from what I hear. The alumni are pretty rad too and do some innovative stuff which I like....Why didn't I apply?

 

Also don't feel that great about the second play I sent to Iowa. It's a mess, but let's hope a beautiful one in their eyes. I feel alright, but not too great about it, but we'll see. 

 

Wondering what everyone is up to. Any conferences/programs/summer residencies people recommend? I think this was touched on a bit last year, but I need something to keep me occupied while waiting and waiting. 

 

Has anyone taken a class at Chicago Dramatists? Know what it's like? Thinking of taking one there, but trying to gather everyone's experiences.

Edited January 22, 2015 by Guest

[tate12]

@lavendercloud- Thanks for the info!! 

 

@princessinanothercastle- I work at a university and our admissions director mentioned it.

 

Also some folks over at MFA Draft '15 (more for the creative writing people, a few playwrights there) on Facebook have been talking about it. And I think have more concrete data. Some schools allow you to look at the number of applications for each school.

 

Another reason they site is that the economy is doing well. 

 

I'm not sure if any of this is true, but it's nice to dream. 

Edited January 22, 2015 by tate12

[Singsalot]

Hi all ... nice to see the board livening up!

 

@Barista -- do you know what kinds of production opportunities are available at BC? I have been trying to figure out and have been asking around but haven't been able to get a decent response. Any info would be helpful!

[lavendercloud]

Yo, am I incredibly dense? How did I not see this before?

 

"We are not recruiting for the M.F.A in Playwriting for the fall 2015 academic year." - Indiana U (http://www.indiana.edu/~thtr/academics/MFA_playwriting.shtml)

 

When did that go up? I think what may have happened is that I was accessing a cached version of the page, because I saw that when I Googled the program instead of following the link from my saved spreadsheet.

 

Oofta. Well, there's one application off my list, I guess.

 

Anyone else applying for this? http://www.royalcourttheatre.com/playwriting/international-playwriting/international-residency

Or any other summer opportunities? And has anyone started hearing things? It's a year ago today that I first heard from UCSD about scheduling a phone interview...I know timelines change but it's hard not to get antsy (thanks, Timehop!).

[SeaLou]

Hello All,

 

First, I've been looking at this forum on and off since I decided to apply to graduate school this year. It's been a source of great inspiration to see so many people accepted and terror to see so many people accepted. 

 

What drove me to post, was the last post by lavendercloud - you're not dense - which I just saw myself. I was minutes away from putting in my application at Indiana and proceeded to triple check all the IU pages as I frequently do before I submit something and... they're not accepting anyone? 

What the what. 

 

I literally (or two days ago) just spoke to Ruth McKee over email regarding where I should send my transcripts. She gave me an address. 

 

I'm so confused. Does anyone have any insight into the change? Perhaps anyone currently at IU? 

 

On a non panic inducing note, Brooklyn College is great from what I've heard from professors. I don't know if it's been covered but I've had a professor who worked with him and a playwright from New York say Mac Wellman was a womanizer, preferred female students - idle gossip, perhaps. 

 

Also, hello again. 

[PrincessIsInAnotherCastle]

LavenderCloud (and everyone!):  I just noticed that UCSD's deadline has changed on my application from the original date (which I BELIEVE was 01/09/15) to 1/30/15.  Anyone else notice this?  SUNG:  "How Bizarre.  How Bizarre."  (Funny that it happened right around the time of your one year event LavenderCloud...)

 

That seems like an awesome residency at The Royal Court.  I am going to attempt to swing together an application by the 30th and apply.  Wheeee!
 

And I am THEN going to dig up the Young Jean Lee interview in American Theater, Barista...  (Which is, undoubtedly, in the pile of unread American Theater mags sitting by my desk).

 

Also, FYI, haven't heard anything from anyone yet.  I did, however, finish that project I was writing.  It turned out... not too bad...and I THINK I can make it pretty strong with a ton more elbow grease!  (Just reminding myself, like TeethWax did awhile back on this board, that the work is the important thing, in the end.  Not a training program).

That being said, waiting sucks!

[PrincessIsInAnotherCastle]

Oh -- and thanks Tate12 for the info regarding admissions numbers!

[genericincognito]

@Barista - I've taken a few classes at Chicago Dramatists. One was great, one was terrible, and one was somewhere in between. The teachers were good (and one was terrific!), but I think the value of the class mostly derives from the level of engagement of the other students, and that varies widely. But sometimes you luck out. I really connected with the people in one of my classes, and we've since formed a writing group. 

 

Facebook's MFA Draft '15 has alerted me to the fact that some people have already been rejected from Michener. They apparently do rolling rejections and slowly winnow down the applicant pool. IT HAS BEGUN! 

[Guest]

I'm applying for that residency at the Royal Court! Does anyone else find that writing play proposals to be extremely tricky? I'm not too much of a planner when I write so proposing plays is pretty tough for me right now. 

 

Thank you the feedback genericincognito! I was going to take a class there, but the admission was so low that they canceled it. If you don't mind me asking, who were the teachers you thought were terrific? The class descriptions can be pretty vague so any info is helpful.

 

Checked my Michener status for good measure. Looks like it's still in review. It's probably different for playwrights/screenwriters. 

Edited January 28, 2015 by Guest

[PrincessIsInAnotherCastle]

Barista -- I am attempting to complete the app for The Royal Court, too.  I am not a planner, either, when it comes to writing.  I have a general idea of the form, the REASON I want/need to write the piece... and then dive in like I am playing jazz.  

 

So... here's what I typically think about outlining a proposal for these things: I tell them the play that I would write, if I was writing it right now, in this moment.  It will change considerably whenever you sit down to write it, but that just is the nature of the beast, I think.  

For my part, I am having a hell of a time writing the effing statement.  "Why would the international playwrights group be of particular benefit to your development as a writer?" Can I just write, "Because you are the Royal Court." and be done with it?  (I know, I know.  No, I cannot.)

 

The thing is... I always find it nearly impossible to explain to an institution, in essay form, why their program would help me.  I only know of the program what I see on the website.  I kind of appreciate Juilliard's essay prompt the most, "A brief statements describing your artistic vision and your background."  (Or whatever it was).  That I can do.  I know myself, my artistic vision, my background, etc.  (And I am going to incorporate all of that into this essay, to be sure.)  But why it is that a program, which seems awesome from the website, is going to help me?  

I inevitably start regurgitating rewritten lines from the website and telling them things they already know...  But, then, that's why there are rewrites, I guess...

Edited January 28, 2015 by PrincessIsInAnotherCastle

[PrincessIsInAnotherCastle]

Also, Barista -- you aren't, by chance, the friend I was texting about with earlier about this, are you?  (I see we are both in NYC.  So... who knows, right...?  lol)

[genericincognito]

@Barista - My favorite teacher is no longer at Chicago Dramatists unfortunately. That said, if you can get into Will Dunne's scene shop class (it fills up really quickly and they give preference to returning students), it'll probably be worthwhile.  

[Guest]

PrincessInAnotherCastle-That's funny. I'm not the friend you were texting earlier. I'm originally from Brooklyn, but living in Chicago right now. Those are some great tips though, for proposing a play. 

 

Thank you, genericincognito, I will definitely keep that in mind when some other classes come up.

[PrincessIsInAnotherCastle]

I just hit send on The Royal Court's International Playwrighting Group's application, and while my proofreading abilities are not great at this late hour (after a full day of toil -- hope I caught any errors!), I have to say that I am actually PROUD of the presentation I put together for them.  Who knows if they will even look twice at me, but... yeah.  I felt good about the pitch I gave them for the new play (changing my mind this morning and going with a different idea I've had kicking around, as it is more in-line with their aesthetic).  The essay.  All of it...

I am sharing this simply because so much about this biz and all this applying and waiting sucks, and I feel good tonight for a short moment about something I put together.  It's not much.  But it is something.

And now, I am off to benadryl myself to sleep! 

[lavendercloud]

I'm so excited y'all applied to the Royal Court too! Maybe we'll all end up there together! I borrowed heavily from my grad school essays and proposed a play that's already well underway, so I'm feeling really good about the application, too. Also, this week is the first time I'd read recommendations from the two recommenders I used for that application...anyone else feel weird about reading recs?

 

I'm still waiting to hear back from several other summer programs, including Seven Devils, Sundance, and BAPF. Can't believe they don't get back to us til April! SO MUCH WAITING. One more potential application for a summer program would be due in a couple days: http://www.thelighthouseworks.com/fellowshipprogram.html. Not sure if I can justify the $25 application fee given that they receive 500 apps for 12 spots (in all arts disciplines), but it looks really cool.

 

SeaLou: have you heard from anyone at Indiana about what's going on? Can't believe that decision was so swift - given my Yale blunder, I figured I must have just been missing something that everyone else already knew.

 

Princess: I'm so curious about what that extension of the UCSD deadline means! Maybe they extended it because they didn't get enough applicants?? WHAT DOES IT MEAN?? But at least not feeling bad about not having heard from them yet this year, if they are indeed still accepting applications....though that's questionable, given that the deadline on the website itself hasn't changed from 1/6.

[Guest]

That's so interesting about UCSD. I didn't apply there, but having worked at organizations with development programs for playwrights, that usually means they didn't get a lot of applicants. It's a really popular program with big names so I'm surprised. 

 

Done with Royal Court too! Still waiting to hear on summer stuff as well. Has anyone done the Fringe? Thinking of applying this year, but on the fence. Any advice would be helpful. I have heard mixed things, but I guess it's just what you make of it. 

[Guest]

By Fringe I meant the NYC Fringe

[lavendercloud]

Someday I really want to have a show in the Minnesota Fringe. It's the bomb and I've been involved with two shows there previously, once as an actor and once as a stage manager. But it doesn't really make sense unless I lived there. It's the oldest Fringe in the country and pretty damn awesome. I think the self-producing skills one gains through Fringeing are absolutely great, but financially it's not always going to make sense; it's an investment and there may not be much return. I don't know much about the NYC Fringe, but there's an excellent discussion going on right now about it in the Official Playwrights Group of Facebook.

[PrincessIsInAnotherCastle]

First, lavendercloud, et al, I THINK the change in due date on my ucsd app was because of the fee waiver...?  It was just approved (by the university), and I think that the late date means the application would have come up as being "late" in the system, so they changed the due date for computer processing purposes...?  But I am tooooootally speculating.

It would be awesome to get The Royal Court IPG situation, riiiiiight?  The play I pitched is not far along, but... c'est la vie...lol...

Barista:  I appeared as an actor in a fringe NYC show back in the day, and a number of friends (and enemies) regularly have shows in the festival.  It is a mixed bag.  They don't give you much.  You have to raise the funds yourself.  But you gotta be in it to win it.  There's nothing gained if there's nothing tried... and... [insert your own cliche/song lyric  here.]

Still, all of that IS true.  AND -- you don't know what new alliances you will make by doing the production.  It's a business of relationships, really...

In other news, I have been approached to ghost write a memoir (for a fee).  I am debating about taking the gig...  It would mean maybe leaving my day job situation, but... with ghost writing... no credit.  And writing 250 pages of prose in a voice not your own is sorta all consuming....  I would get right of first refusal for the screenplay, but all that REALLY means is that if somebody buys the rights to the memoir, they will buy me out...)

Not sure what I am going to do...  

How is everyone spending their fraught weekend of waiting....?