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MFA in Creative Writing - Playwriting
      Course Descriptions
Literature Courses
Playwriting Courses
Elective Courses
Manuscript Tutorial/Capstone Project

Literature Courses

Contemporary American Plays and Playwrights
The work of America's most influential and interesting playwrights of the 20th and 21st centuries will be discussed. Playwrights may include Wendy Wasserstein, David Mamet, Paula Vogel, Tony Kushner, and Beth Henley.

Masterpieces in European Drama
From ancient Greece to contemporary Ireland, drama is rooted in the age during which it is born. Through the action and the characters of grama, the playwright shares his or her fiew of the nature of life and suggests an age's assesment of what it means to be human. This course will focus on a selection of the great European playwrights, such as Wilde, Shaw, Euripides, Marlowe, Moliere, Ibsen, Chekhov, Brecht, and Friel.

Shakespeare in Performance: From Page to Stage
Employing the techniques of John Barton (Royal Shakespeare Company) and Patsy Rodenburg (Royal National Theatre), students will discover and experience the performance language of 3 plays: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo & Juliet, and Macbeth. These techniques transform the dynamics of these texts -- structure, rhythm, and imagery -- into specific and clear action, so that the text can be brought to life physically and emotionally.

Playwriting Courses

Playwriting I/Playwriting Basics (Workshop)
This beginning course covers the basic elements of playwriting including structure, character, dialog, conflict and theme. Students will complete a one-act play.

Playwriting II/Advanced Playwriting (Workshop)
Students will focus on completion of substantial work, either a full-length play or a series of related on-acts, with an awareness of the psychological complexities of character. The course will include information on the art and craft of writing for the stage, as well as current market trends. Prerequisite: Playwriting I or permission from instructor/administration.

Script Analysis
The course will examine the text of plays from contemporary dramatic writing with indepth analysis, with emphasis on the vision and intention of the playwright.

Dramaturgy
The first part of this course will be devoted to understanding the historical and cultural background of playwrights and how the societal context influences the creation of the work. The second component involves understanding the work of the dramaturge as an assistant to help the playwright improve the script.

Elective Courses

Fundamentals of Acting
Students will study the fundamentals of interpreting the writer's words through the creative process of acting. Exercises will encourage focus and imagination. Coursework will include scene study and cold readings.

Fundamentals of Directing
The course will concentrate on enhancing the understanding of the director's role in play development and the relationship between the director, the playwright, and the actors. Students will gain an awareness of movement and design in support of the script.

Theatre Basics
An overview of the basic elements involved in theatrical production including the script, acting, directing, scene design, lighting, sound and costumes.

Oral Interpretation of Literature
Designed for writers of all genres who wish to practice and improve their reading skills for effective presentation of their work.

Theatre for Young Audiences
Play reading and analysis of techniques for creating theatrical experiences geared toward children of all ages.

Manuscript Tutorial/Capstone Project

Craft Development
Students will be required to engage in one semester of one-on-one advisement with a member of the Playwriting faculty. During this term, students will submit their work for critique and analysis by the faculty member and will attend individual meetings with their manuscript advisor to discuss their work, suggested areas for improvement, and the craft of playwriting as it pertains to their individual vision as an artist. Students will be eligible to take their manuscript tutorial when they have completed at least 24 credits of their degree requirements.

Capstone Project
To qualify for graduation and the conferral of their MFA degree, Playwriting students are required to independently produce a Capstone Project as the culmination of their degree work. The Capstone Project for the Playwriting track must be the equivalent of an approximately 90-120 minute stage production. The length of these projects should fall in the range of 100-130 pages and may be either a full-length stage play or a series of related one-act plays. The Capstone Project must be sumbitted to the MFA program administration approximately two months prior to the student's intended date of graduation. The Capstone Projects will be reviewed and evaluated by a committee of Playwriting faculty and will be graded on a Pass/Fail basis. A student must receive a passing grade for his or her Capstone Project in order to graduate.