Playwriting Module

Prerequisites: Theatre 330 Playwriting I OR A playwriting course offered in RTVF Department

Courses:

Electives:

• THEATRE 312-1,2 Storytelling – Lynn Kelso, Rives Collins
• THEATRE 348-1,2 Creative Drama – Lynn Kelso, Rives Collins
• THEATRE 330-0, Section 23, Devising Site Specific Work - Michael Rohd
• THEATRE 330 Devising Civic Theatre – Michael Rohd
• THEATRE 330-0, Section 21, Writing for Musical Theatre – David Bell
• THEATRE 353-0, Topics in Stagecraft: Toy Theatre – Jessica Thebus
• THEATRE 307 Studies in Gender and Performance
• THEATRE 368-0, Section 20, African Theatre and Drama
• RTVF 298 Topics in Media writing
• SPCH PERF ST 216-0, Section 20, Performance and Culture
• PERF. ST Theatrical Adaptation - Jessica Thebus, Paul Edwards
• PERF ST 336-0, Section 20, Performance of Latino Literature – Ramon Rivera-Servera
• PERF ST 330-0, Section 20,Topics in Perf. Studies – Creative Lab-Performing Writer
• PERF ST 330-0, Section 21, The Art of Clown
• PERF ST 330-0, Section 21,Topics in Perf. Studies – Queer Sexualities and Popular Culture
• PERF ST 515-0, Section 20,Seminar: US Black Feminist/Queer Theory
• JOUR 201-1, Section 20, Reporting & Writing
• JOUR 301-0, Section 20, Enterprise Reporting in Diverse Communities (201 is a prerequisite)

Suggested courses for further study outside SoC: Consult the Module Coordinator.

Capstone Experience

1. A Professional Portfolio which must include:
   • A playwriting resume
   • A bio
   • A beginning curriculum vitae
   • A brief synopsis and character breakdown for each portfolio play
   • A letter of recommendation
   • Optional: It may also include photos, press clips, audience feedback and programs for original work produced on campus or off.
2. An Artistic Reflection with Professional Considerations which must include all of the following:
   • An articulation of at least three different theatrical styles, including discussion of the structure, techniques and common subject matter for those styles.
   • An historical understanding of different eras of dramatic writing as well as knowledge of which writers identify with said era.
   • An analysis of writers that most engage or enrage the student, and an explanation of why.
   • An articulation of what sort of theatre interests the student most and why.
   • A knowledge of institutions and individuals that promote new play development.
   • A knowledge of resources available to emerging playwrights.
   • A reflection of previous strengths as an artist and what they've gained.
   • A reflection on any production or off campus experiences that speak to the challenges of artistic collaboration.
   • Articulation of the "invisible staircase:" The invisible staircase is a series of next steps in the student's professional and creative development. In jobs outside the arts, these steps are generally given to the individual as part of said job. Students of the arts generally have to envision those steps themselves – thus the "invisible staircase."
     Articulating those next steps includes considering the following:
     • What skills they've developed/ experiences they've had at NU
     • A list of professional attainable goals based on said skills/experiences
     • A list of future goals (attainable in 3 years or beyond)

Recommended opportunities for application and practice on campus:

The 10-Minute Play Seminar/Festival
The Agnes Nixon Playwriting Festival
A production of one's work produced by a student organization
The Senior Playwriting Showcase

Recommended opportunities for projects, practica, and internships off campus:

Participation in a reading series at a professional theatre
A professional internship in literary management
A teaching mentorship in creative writing with a participating Chicago Public school
An observorship during a new play process for a professional theatre Production

 

Community Building Activities:

Playwriting Seminar: A quarterly 3 hour faculty-led meeting, in which students from both tracks meet to discuss their coursework and a topic of professional significance in the dramatic writing world. A guest artist will be present for most of these meetings as well. Students in the playwriting module will be expected to meet 2 of 3 meetings.

Entry Procedure:
Open to all NU students by application, including a writing sample, after completion of the prerequisite (Prerequisite exceptions may be made for interested third-quarter juniors or seniors who have completed much of the necessary module coursework)

Register to begin this module : If you are ready to begin taking module courses, complete the registration form. You will be contacted by the module advisor to schedule an initial advising appointment. You will also be added to the listserv to receive information on upcoming events and opportunities.
- OR -
Declare your interest and join this community : If you are interested in taking part in module events and opportunities as a student, faculty, or alumn, complete the form to join the community. You will be notified of upcoming events via our listserv.

Rules and Requirements for Module Completion:

To secure the right to complete a module, students must register their intention to complete the module with the SoC undergraduate office, and they must do so no later than two quarters prior to their date of graduation.

Students may not complete any module’s course requirements during their final quarter of study at Northwestern.

Once the student has completed the coursework for a module, the capstone project must be submitted for first review no later than the last day of instruction of the following quarter of study.

A capstone project that receives a failing grade may be revised and resubmitted no more than twice.

To earn a module, the deadline by which a student must successfully complete any capstone project is the end of the eighth week of instruction during his/her final quarter of study at Northwestern, and the work must be submitted for evaluation no later than the last day of the fifth week of instruction.

Students who successfully complete the requirements of a module will receive a notation on their transcript.

Review complete details on rules and regulations [pdf]