<p>Can anyone suggest from their prior research programs that might be similar to the NYU Tisch Experimental Theatre Wing that have emphasis or strong curricula in experimental and original theatre? Or, a playwriting program that includes a bit of acting? </p>
<p>I know a few MFA programs that offer something like that, but looking for BFA (or BA) programs with that kind of emphasis. </p>
<p>Any assistance appreciated. Thanks!</p>
<p>CalArts
BostonU (BFA Theatre Arts Track)</p>
<p>Haha. Thanks, Josh. I was going to say “also like CalArts” in my first post and then forgot. Both the Tisch ETW and CalArts are on the “favorites” list right now for my D, for sure! Thanks for keeping an old mom in line. </p>
<p>University of the Arts has a flexible, cross-discipline approach to their program that supports original works and playwriting. </p>
<p>Also Cornish in Seattle!</p>
<p>Central School of Speech and Drama has a Collaborative and Devised Theater program.</p>
<p>Just a heads up: CalArts, BU, UArts Cornish and all of those listed above focus 100% in Acting and not in creating your own work. I can’t speak for other schools, but at CalArts what is possible is to write your own material and perform it when you have free time or at the New Works Festival. This is what I do and it is great, but just be aware that is not a curricular activity.</p>
<p>Also NYU has the Playwrights Horizons studio which seems to be what your daughter is looking for as well.</p>
<p>Thanks, everyone. I think she just wants to make sure she has the opportunity for original works in addition to an acting curriculum. She’s struggled with deciding between acting and playwriting, but she really doesn’t want to give up acting, so acting with strong notes of original works/experimental is what she says she is looking for.</p>
<p>I forgot about Playwrights Horizons. That’s an excellent option, too. </p>
<p>She loved the Cornish program when she toured it, also and it seemed to offer a lot of the things she wanted to do. She likes the idea of CalArts because it is WARM! I think she’s driven enough to create on her own for New Works there. </p>
<p>I’ll definitely have her check out Central School of Speech and Drama. She would love to study in the UK, so a program with experimental/original works in London would probably bowl her over! </p>
<p>Thank you thank you thank you for bestowing your experience and research on me! These are just things it’s hard to really glean from a website if you’re not looking for a straight BFA conservatory acting type experience. </p>
<p>The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland has a BA in Contemporary Performance Practice (CPP).
<a href=“Transitions - Royal Conservatoire of Scotland”>http://www.rcs.ac.uk/undergraduate/cpp/</a></p>
<p>My daughter is graduating from the CPP course this summer, and we are headed over to Glasgow for the ceremony. She has had mixed feelings about her course, but I see tremendous growth in her. She had also been accepted to CalArts for the BFA, and I think there are elements of that program that she would have preferred. No worries - she is only 20 years old and has learned wonderful lessons from each and every life experience she has encountered.</p>
<p>In addition to the programs listed… </p>
<p>James Madison University… plays by students are regularly produced … multiple levels of playwriting and screenwriting… experimental/ devised theatre opportunities… plays by students have gone to the KCACTF. PM me or email me at <a href=“mailto:arecchkm@jmu.edu”>arecchkm@jmu.edu</a>… the catalog requirements for 2015/ 2016 are being updated and adjusted, so what is on the website is not completely indicative of the current offerings… lots of student produced work in addition to faculty and guest directed work. </p>
<p>Fordham University Lincoln Center has strong undergraduate playwriting and acting training. A great program to look into. There are a few parents who have children in the program who I think still post here. Right in the heart of NYC </p>
<p>Hollins University – strong playwriting program… commitment to developing new work. </p>
<p>Look into the New School for Drama in NYC. They offer a BFA in Dramatic Arts that offers what you’re describing.</p>
<p>An unknown gem - Knox College. It’s a LAC with a BA program that offers amazing opportunities to do just what your daughter is looking for. My daughter called yesterday and told me that she submitted a play she had written last term in her playwriting class to some sort of publication/competition (college related). Anyone who submitted also had an opportunity to meet with someone (forget who) from The Steppenwolf (famous amazing Chicago theatre) to have him critique and discuss it. It was an amazing experience for her. He loved her play, offered a bit of tweaking but nothing major, discussed why she was not a creative writing major, how she might want to proceed to have it performed (not on a college campus), etc. etc. This weekend she’s having another one of her plays performed on campus. The theatrical opportunities (from every viewpoint) have been amazing for her.</p>
<p>Northwestern also offers a playwriting program (minor maybe?) for theatre majors.</p>
<p>My daughter took a 14-week experimental theater program in Philadelphia at the Headlong Performance Institute. The students train, create, and perform much of their own work. All of the faculty members are working artists. The program is located in Philadelphia and students also have the opportunity to see performances in the city. Philadelphia has a large concentration of regional theater companies. Headlong students get college credits through Bryn Mawr College. You don’t have to be a Bryn Mawr student to apply–students from any college can apply. This is the website. <a href=“http://www.headlongperformanceinstitute.org/hpi”>http://www.headlongperformanceinstitute.org/hpi</a></p>
<p>University of Michigan. Basement Arts offers opportunities to showcase original works.<br>
Link: <a href=“Education today - Education today blog”>Education today - Education today blog; Many BFA students submit original plays - these have won Hopwood Awards (at UMich) and a Kennedy Center award (national) in the last few years.
The Hopwood Program is run through the English Department but the BFA Acting students always do well in the Drama category. Link: <a href=“http://www.lsa.umich.edu/hopwood/contestsprizes/hopwoodcontests”>http://www.lsa.umich.edu/hopwood/contestsprizes/hopwoodcontests</a></p>
<p>Northwestern University offers a lot of training and experience creating new work for those who want it. </p>
<p>In addition to courses in devised theatre and writing, the Waa-Mu show – an 83-year-old tradition – provides students the opportunity to develop a fully-produced large musical every year. Another mainstage show (often with a circus focus) is usually developed in conjunction with Lookingglass Theatre company - this year Moby Dick and recently The Little Prince. Many student-written pieces are among the 60+ productions on campus every year and they often go on to various fringe festivals and competitions. Recently Pink Milk and Fable are two shows that continued to NYC. Many notable faculty also develop new work worldwide and on campus, and the school has produced many well known writers (John Logan, Stephen Colbert, Seth Meyers, George RR Martin, Mathew Quick, Veronica Roth, etc). In addition, AMTP and Johnny Mercer Project bring many new works and writers to campus throughout the year.</p>
<p>Southern Methodist University’s BFA Theatre Studies program allows students to choose their own track(s) within the program with concentrations in design, acting, playwriting, directing, dramaturgy, etc. There is also a strong emphasis on student theatre, with dozens of shows going up a year including multiple student-written works. These shows are given grants from the school to help cover production costs.
Also, if a student chooses the playwriting emphasis, in their senior year there is the “New Visions, New Voices” festival which is a one week run of staged readings of senior thesis plays. </p>
<p>Thank you ALL so much for your input. All of these have been great suggestions and most really fit the bill for the type of program she is seeking. </p>
<p>When we were researching, Drew looked like it had a lot of opportunities for student written and led works. My D didn’t apply, but I thought it looked like a good program for a straight actor/playwright. I am glad to see @amtc 's post about Knox, though, since that is where she will be in the Fall.</p>
<p>My D is attending Drew in the fall and they have tons of student written stuff that is put on every semester. They are called plays in process and offer not only the playwrights lots of opportunities, but the actors in the department are constantly working because there are several shows each term.
<a href=“http://www.drew.edu/theatrearts/our-season”>http://www.drew.edu/theatrearts/our-season</a></p>
<p>Wow. Drew looks like a great BA option, which she’s struggled to find ones she likes. Includes playwriting, close to NJ Shakespeare theatre, and a London semester. That’s right up her alley. </p>
<p>Knox looks good to me, but I don’t think she’ll go for rural Illinois. I’ll sure try though. We gotta bolster up the BA list a bit. </p>
<p>I just got an email from Dartmouth about their summer theater programs – lots of student and recent alumni work going up. Voxfest: <a href=“https://hop.dartmouth.edu/Online/voxfest_2014”>https://hop.dartmouth.edu/Online/voxfest_2014</a> The Frost/Dodd Play Contest: <a href=“https://hop.dartmouth.edu/Online/frost_dodd_play_festival_2014”>https://hop.dartmouth.edu/Online/frost_dodd_play_festival_2014</a> and The New York Theater Workshop Summer Session: <a href=“https://hop.dartmouth.edu/Online/new_york_theatre_workshop_2014”>https://hop.dartmouth.edu/Online/new_york_theatre_workshop_2014</a></p>
<p>It’s not a big theater school, but it has a few famous grads, Mindy Kahling, Connie Britton, Rachel Dratch, David Benioff (who is showrunning Game of Thrones) and a huge presence in the business end of film and TV. I couldn’t get my son to apply there, because it was too close and anyway, even with an alumni hook, his numbers might not have been good enough, but they’re doing some interesting stuff, especially for writer/actor types. </p>