Playwriting Program

• Playwriting Philosophy
• Admission Policy
• Periodic Review
• Final Project
• IU Feature: Flying High
• Read Indiana Daily Student Article Screen or Stage

Playwriting at Indiana University

The Philosophical Basis

Certain university playwriting programs pride themselves on their determination to turn out "professional" playwrights as opposed to merely more teachers of playwriting. Other schools seem to abhor the very word "professional," recoiling from some imagined overtone of venality. Frankly, we at Indiana University regard such dichotomies as artificial and ultimately pointless. It is the intention of our program to seek out playwrights of demonstrable talent and drive, then to hone that talent to the point of "survivability." If that means passing along the secrets of the craft in an academic context, wonderful. If it also means having the ability and the knowledge to track down and secure agents, grants, prizes and productions in whatever venue, so much the better. One thing is certain: To be a playwright in this place and time requires pragmatism as well as idealism, resourcefulness as much as courage.

If it takes talent and initiative to get into playwriting at Indiana, here are some of the things it will take to get out: A demonstrable mastery of the fundamentals of script construction, not only for the legitimate stage but for the screen as well; an awareness of current theatrical conventions and an ability to use and distort those conventions for full dramatic effect; a solid knowledge of dramaturgical techniques developed (and perhaps discarded) over the centuries; and a generosity of the spirit which will permit both compassionate critiques of your fellow students of the craft and a deep respect for your collaborators in the production process, be they actors, designers, directors, or administrators.

Though inevitably an emphasis must be placed upon contemporary fashions in construction and staging, playwrights do not leave Indiana University with an MFA until they have acquired a solid grounding in theater history and theory. Along with an awareness of available techniques and theoretical options in composition, our playwrights must attain a like familiarity with the actual production elements involved in transferring their work from script to stage. This means taking the fruits of their word processors and typewriters through a series of readings, workshops, and studio productions, culminating (if the work is deemed sufficiently meritorious) in a full production of their thesis play during their final year. The ultimate arbiters of a playwright's labors are audience members. We will endeavor to supply them for you.

We hope that when you leave Indiana University , you will take with you a pride and a faith in your own vision. And if we have done our job well, you should also depart with a sense of mission: To revitalize the American stage, filling it with rich texts which address substantive issues and timeless themes.

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Admission

A student must demonstrate competence in writing by submitting substantial samples of his or her previous work as a playwright, including at least two different plays. Under special circumstances other forms of writing may be accepted as evidence. Judgment of writing competence will be made by the MFA Playwriting Committee. That committee will pay particular attention to the quality of imagination and the skill with language shown in the submitted works.

Evidence of a strong background in literature and a satisfactory undergraduate grade record in theatre and English courses should be provided. Also, recommendations from writers, teachers of writing or literature, or teachers in allied fields should be provided.

Each applicant must submit a statement about his or her objectives in the program and reasons for application. An undergraduate degree or its equivalent is required. The application must be accompanied by a report of GRE scores.

In most cases a personal interview may be required. The MFA Playwriting Program at Indiana University involves one-on-one mentoring, and it is in the interests of both student and professor to assess in advance the potential productivity of such a relationship.      

Periodic Review

At the end of each of the first two years' work, each student is required to submit one play to the MFA Playwriting Committee for evaluation. This submission must be made at least one month before the last day of classes in that school year. The Committee will read and evaluate the submitted play. The Committee will also note the student's grades and other departmental accomplishments. The Committee will furnish the candidate and the Departmental Graduate Committee a written report evaluating the candidate's progress each year. If a student's progress or potential is considered to be inadequate, the candidacy may be terminated. Formal notice of termination will be given not later than one week following the official end of the spring semester.

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Final Project

• The writing and production of one full-length play will comprise each playwriting student's final project for the M.F.A. degree.
• Procedures for the final project
• A student must present an original full-length play (approximately two hours of playing time) by the end of the first month of his or her third semester in the program.
• The play must be approved for production by the MFA Playwriting Committee (see section on periodic review for criteria to be used) and by the Play Selection Committee and be assigned a production date by the Department.
• The play must be given a production; the production should occur at least one month before the end of the semester in which the degree is to be granted.
• Revisions of the script may be suggested after the production. If so, they should be included in the final version of the script.
• An evaluation of the completed MFA Thesis will be made by the MFA Playwriting Thesis Committee which will recommend approval or disapproval following a thesis defense.
• The final version of the playscript along with a brief description and evaluation of what happened to the script in the process of production will comprise the MFA Thesis .
• In addition, procedures related to the thesis must conform to procedures outlined on pages 3-4 of the information sheets related to the Master of Fine Arts Degree.