All students are required to take our two foundational courses their first summer. These classes are Narrative Theory and Practice (which covers terms and principals of playwriting) and Playscript Analysis (which provides a baseline of important dramatic works and how to approach discussing them in a dramaturgical fashion).
These two courses are required the first summer so that all first years have an opportunity to form a peer group and gain a common language for all the course work which will follow.
This does not, however, mean in any way that the first summer encourages a “Hollins voice” or will shoehorn our students into any specific approach to their own work. We are dedicated to helping our students find their own way. These courses merely provide a useful common toolkit to begin that exploration and development.
Playwriting M.F.A.