PROGRAM OVERVIEW
A New Play by Jacob Presson, written and performed by students in the Department of Theatre Arts.The Writing for the Stage concentration in the B.A. in Theatre Arts major offers students the opportunity to study with professional playwrights based in New York City and to begin to develop a body of work to prepare for professional careers as writers for theatre, performance, and digital content. Students are able to establish professional contacts and obtain internships with New York City theatres that are committed to developing new plays. The small sizes of our classes in playwriting allow students to be mentored by our faculty and to interact closely with fellow students. We combine the study of playwriting with an exceptional liberal arts education preparing students for successful professional careers while also offering the education needed to be global citizens and contributors to society.
OUR WRITING FOR THE STAGE CURRICULUM
The Writing for the Stage concentration focuses first and foremost on creating a community that is safe, inclusive and encouraging. Our program elevates respect and collaboration in order to empower writers to let their true voice land on the page and ultimately in front of an audience.
For the first four semesters of playwriting, writers are immersed in the study of core concepts such as world, character, conflict, sequence and language through both written and physical exercises. Simultaneously writers are exploring issues of identity, race, gender, class and social justice in their own work as well as in the work of established and emerging writers.
For the next four semesters, playwrights build on their knowledge and understanding to explore the very nature of what writing a play means to them. Do they want to write well-made plays? Do they want to write ill-behaved plays? Do they want to write some kind of hybrid of the two? Anything is possible.
View the curriculum requirements
WRITING FOR THE STAGE PRODUCTION OPPORTUNITIES
Every student in the program completes a full-length play and in their final year has a 20-minute play produced as a Playwriting Project in the Bordeau Box Theatre, directed by faculty.
Along with these production opportunities, students have a variety of opportunities to see their work on its feet through in-class readings and workshops as well as numerous short play festivals and student produced events. In addition, writers learn about the professional playwriting careers through class assignments, connecting with alumni who are working in the field, as well as through opportunities to intern at one of the many theatres that focus on new play development in New York City. Writers are also encouraged to explore other forms of writing for performance, including film, TV, and digital media.
NEW YORK CITY AS OUR CAMPUS
An Advanced Playwriting project performed in the College's Bordeau Box Theatre.Students in the Writing for the Stage concentration truly learn to use New York City as their campus. Whether they are attending productions on or off-Broadway, in venues in downtown Manhattan or Brooklyn, doing research at the New York Public Library, or traveling to an off-campus internship, our students experience all that the city has to offer.
APPLYING FOR WRITING FOR THE STAGE AT MMC
Applicants to the Writing for the Stage concentration are required to prepare the following materials for an in-person interview.
- Resume
- Portfolio of work (sample of full length or one-act play, short scenes, creative writing samples, poetry, etc.)
- Be prepared to talk about anything that speaks to who you are as a Playwright and Theatre Artist.
Apply to Writing for the Stage