MFA Playwrights' Workshop
Since 2006, NNPN has presented a week-long summer workshop for recent plays of merit written by qualified MFA students. The program is presented annually in conjunction with the Kennedy Center's American College Theater Festival and Stanford University's National Center for New Plays, and pairs the selected writers with NNPN directors and freelance dramaturgs to provide them with a unique professional development opportunity and links to Network theaters.
The Workshop now links to more than 70 MFA programs across the country, and scripts developed at there have gone on to productions at NNPN member theaters (Broadsword, Green Whales, and Afterlife among them) as well as nationally-recognized companies like the Actors' Theatre of Louisville/Humana Festival and the Roundabout Theatre Company. Featured writers often find their work represented later at the National Showcase of New Plays and the Continued Life of New Plays program. And five of the thirty-four alumni of the Workshop have gone on to Residencies with member theaters. The program thus serves as an ideal entry point to the new-play pipeline NNPN has tried to create for writers of promise entering the profession.
2011 MFA PLAYWRIGHTS WORKSHOP
THE FRIENDSHIP OF HER THIGHS by Martyna Majok, Yale
Directed by Cynthia Levin, Unicorn Theater (Kansas City, MO)
GLASS MAN by Amanda Shank, CalArts
Directed by Simon Levy, Fountain Theatre (Los Angeles, CA)
STATIC by Tom Horan, UT Austin
Directed by Tina Parker, Kitchen Dog Theater (Dallas, TX)
TRUE PLACES by Walt McGough, Boston University
Directed by Lisa Adler, Horizon Theatre Company (Atlanta, GA)
URBAN RETREAT by A Zell Williams, NYU
Directed by Andi Dymond, Victory Gardens (Chicago, IL)
VANISHING ACT by RN Healey, Carnegie-Mellon
Directed by Patrick Flick, Orlando Shakespeare Theatre (Orlando, FL)
Plus the Kendeda Winner, THE FAIRTYALE LIVES OF RUSSIAN GIRLS by Meg Miroshnik (Yale)
Program History:
2010 MFA PLAYWRIGHTS WORKSHOP
BLUE MONDAY by Meridith Friedman, Northwestern
CARAPACE by David Mitchell Robinson, Ohio University
FURIES by Matt Bukovac, NYU
KING NIGGA by Ayanna Maia Saulsberry, NYU
THE LAST PAIR OF EARLIES by Joshua Allen
MY FIRST, MY FIST, MY BLEEDING SEEDED SPIRIT by Megan Breen, USC
SEX LIVES OF OUR PARENTS by Michael Mitnick, Yale
Alumnus Workshop:
UNTITLED PLAY by Dan LeFranc, Brown
2009 MFA PLAYWRIGHTS WORKSHOP
BROADSWORD by Marco Ramirez, Juilliard
RED HELEN by Jennifer Barclay, UCSD
BOTTLED UP by Erica Lipez, NYU
PARTS OF PARTS AND STITCHES by Riti Sachdeva, University of New Mexico
WHITE TIE BALL by Martin Zimmerman, UT-Austin
THE UNDERNEATH by Susan Stanton, Yale
WHITE DEVIL LOVING MOTHER by Amy Tofte, CalArts
ATLASING SODOM by Sam Hunter, Juilliard
2008 MFA PLAYWRIGHTS WORKSHOP
REAL LIFE DRAMA by Lori Fischer, NYU
THE PEACOCK MEN by Ronald McCants, UCSD
PICKED by Stephanie Timm, UCSD
AFTERLIFE: A GHOST STORY by Steve Yockey, NYU
THE TOYMAKER’S WAR by Jennifer Fawcett, Iowa
TIGERS, BE STILL by Kimberly Rosenstock, Yale
Alumni Workshops:
GREEN WHALES by Lia Romeo, Rutgers
THE MANY MEANS OF MOTHER MENNIE by Dan LeFranc, Brown
2007 MFA PLAYWRIGHTS WORKSHOP
THE BUREAU OF MISSING PERSONS by Lila Rose Kaplan, UCSD
GOAT SONG FOR ASA JACOBS by Jason Williamson, Carnegie Mellon
THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE by Tom Diggs , NYU
VOLVER VOLVER VOLVER by Leonard Madrid, University of New Mexico
ALL HAIL HURRICAINE GORDO by Carly Mensch, Juilliard
ORIGIN STORY by Dan LeFranc, Brown
FOUR DAYS IN THE DELTA by Kristin Simpson, University of New Mexico
2006 MFA PLAYWRIGHTS WORKSHOP (at Stanford University)
MILITANT LANGUAGE by Sean Christopher Lewis, Iowa
THE WEALTHY LIFE OF SAM TYLER by Dano Madden, Rutgers
TEMUJIM/GENGHIS/CAAN by Tim Lord, UCSD
BUTT NEKKID by Laura Jacqmin, Ohio University
THE REAL DEAL by Sam Marks, Brown
RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME by Lia Romeo, Rutgers
