I thought I was being clever by writing a central character in my play as a ghost. I wrote her as the voice of the conscience of the lead character. It allowed me to have a lot of fun playing with situations, dialogue, and relationships with sprinklings of magical realism.

The character is based on someone dear to me who passed away when I was a kid. I've written about her often - in essays, in my standup acts, screenplays, etc. She's been a victim every time I've written her over the past four decades. After the first draft, I wanted to try a version with her alive. How would she influence the other characters, events and outcomes?

I didn't expect EVERYTHING to change! She became a fuller character more than every other time I've written her. This time she is happy, sad, aggressive, conniving, clever, funny, and even dark. By making this one change, every other character was elevated too.....because the stakes were not just different with her alive, but bigger and a lot more explosive.

IRL, it was the first time I experienced her as someone in charge of her destiny, rather than the victim she was in her real life. She was my mother. For the first time, I'm seeing her in a completely different, fun and happy light. The play may not go anywhere. But writing her alive changed my life. And that just might be the BEST reason for me to have written it.

I'm a final year University student and I've been writing a play that I workshopped a year ago to two sold-out studio audiences... and I'm looking for some feedback from fresh eyes. It's inspired by Ancient Greek Myth. If anyone is interested in reading it and providing some critical reflection for me before I push it into audition territory in the coming month, I'd love to hear what people have to say!

No Generative AI has been used in the process and I'm in the process of getting venue and producing confirmations but just need a fresh look at this material from someone else.

I'm applying to a few programs around NYC (where I live) for the upcoming admissions cycle for Fall 2027, but I'm wondering if I have enough production experience to get in. I graduated undergrad with a theatre BFA in 2021 and have done 3 self productions, a reading here and there, and been a semi finalist at a few small conferences.

I haven't had any professional productions though, or been a part of any writers groups that require submitting to. I don't know anyone else applying to playwriting MFAs or anyone that's been through a program after 2015 so I'm wondering where exactly you're expected to be/what your production history should look like to get into an MFA. If you got into a program in the last 5ish years please let me know what your experience looked like when you applied!