Theater – Playwriting Bachelor's Degree

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater (Theater B.F.A.) with a concentration in Playwriting is designed as an intensive introduction to the art of dramatic writing for the stage. Students study dramatic structure, and how the spoken word functions on the stage and in performance.

Theater – Playwriting Courses & Curriculum

View Courses & Requirements in the Official Academic Catalog

Students accepted into the playwriting concentration will complete a range of courses in addition to the Theater B.F.A. core and playwriting courses, which include acting, directing, film, screenwriting, and art history. 

Dramatic structure, playwriting, collaborative technique and dramaturgy are taught in a series of courses throughout the four-year curriculum.

Playwriting classes emphasize the development of the artist’s intent or “voice,” mastery of narrative structure, and critique skills in a workshop environment that maintains an up-beat, encouraging demeanor.

Theater history courses and work in dramaturgy firmly ground the developing playwright in an understanding of literary, cultural and historical context, and provide opportunities to develop a scholarly approach to the form.

Additional courses in English literature, poetry, film, and screenwriting help developing playwrights understand how theater is different from, and the progenitor of, all forms of dramatic storytelling from film and TV, to the often surprising narratives found in new and emerging media such as Instagram and Facebook.