COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

Connecticut College is the school of record for the National Theater Institute. 16 credit hours or 4 course credits are awarded to undergraduates who successfully complete NTI-Advanced Playwriting Semester. Final grades are reported to Connecticut College where they are recorded by official transcript and forwarded to the student’s college or university registrar upon request. Connecticut College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
SCRIPT ANALYSIS AND PLAYWRIGHT MENTORSHIP (NTI-356) An exploration of the art of dramatic structure, production dramaturgy, and the dramaturge’s role today. Recognized playwrights offer workshops and master classes in addition to weekly classes. The class allows students to see new works and meet emerging and established playwrights, directors, and dramaturges.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR WRITERS (NTI-357) An intense examination of professional development; including “the business of the business,” producing one’s own work, pursuing graduate studies, and submitting to play festivals. Students attend the Humana Festival’s industry weekend where they see world premieres, participate in career development workshops, and network with artists.
ADVANCED PLAYWRITING (NTI-453) Students work with professional writers on a range of styles and genres to hone writing skills and develop a portfolio ready for submission. The class culminates with a staged reading of the students’ plays with the emphasis on hearing the playwrights’ words. Students take the NTI Design class to learn how to better visualize the world of their plays.
PLAY LAB (NTI-454) Weekly scripts are created reflecting the range of contemporary playwriting styles. A final 30-minute play is presented at Playwrights Week. The final lab involves production, but focuses on the process of collaboration: presentation of new work while working and communicating with actors and directors in rehearsal.

DATES & FEES

Spring 2021 - Sunday, January 24 - Sunday, May 2, 2021 The comprehensive fee of $28,500 includes:

• Tuition
• Housing
• Three Meals Daily
• Two Weeks All-Inclusive Residency in London/New York
• Theater Tickets (approximately 16 shows a semester)
• Two Offical Transcripts

SCHOLARSHIPS & FINANCIAL AID

NTI endeavors to ensure access & opportunity to all students seeking a semester with us, regardless of economic circumstance. For that reason, NTI offers need-based scholarships through a need-blind admission policy. > Learn more about Scholarships & Financial Aid.

TESTIMONIALS

“My experience as an Advanced Playwright at NTI was even more fulfilling than I expected. I was especially invigorated by all of the guest artists that came through, because their experiences were all diverse and showed no matter what, it’s possible to make a career in theater." “I also appreciated the push for students to try out everything, no matter if they were in an advanced program or not. Because of this, I was able to re-discover my love for acting and gain a deeper appreciation for directing." “I love the rigor and overall demand the [Advanced Playwriting] program has for the students because it pushes us to be the best that we can be, and shows us that we are more capable than we ever thought possible.”

LONDON RESIDENCY

Two weeks studying abroad in London, England offers exposure to the culture, history, and theatrical excellence of London. As an ensemble, you train daily in Lecoq mask techniques, improvisation, and clowning with the internationally renowned theater company Complicite. This period of ensemble building is complemented by cultural immersion, as students experience the city of London. You may embark on a sight-seeing walking tour, trips to cultural institutions like the National Gallery or the Tate, and even visit landmarks like Stonehenge, Trafalgar Square, the Tower of London. Students live together at the Astor Hyde Park Hostel, as housing, travel, and meals in London are including in your comprehensive tuition. Additionally, you participate in NTI’s singular series of workshops and master classes with the U.K’s foremost theater artists, like Richard Digby Day, Anna-Maria Nabirye, and Bill Barclay. You'll become a groundling at the Globe and a regular at the National Theatre, attending performances nearly every night. The London residency is a chance for students to delve into a culture rich with theatrical history and exciting modernizations while trying out the creative's life in a major city within the safety and support of their NTI ensemble.

HOW TO APPLY

> Please visit our admissions page to learn more & apply.

SAMPLE SCHEDULE

> View the Advanced Playwriting sample schedule. A Day in the Life at Advanced Playwriting 7:00am – Wake up! Quick shower, double-check I have my sides and notebook in my backpack, and I’m ready for the day. 7:25am – Arrive at the Dina Merrill Theater for yoga warm-up with Marya. The long savasana at the end was like an extra 10 minutes of sleep! 8:20am – I eat breakfast (scrambled eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns – yum) and hurry to print my new pages for the day. 8:50am – I get to the Pub early for our new project with Donna DiNovelli, Book Writing for Musical Theater. Donna takes us through the classic structure of the American book musical, and we analyze the differences between book writing and playwriting. 12:05pm – Lunch! I catch up with other students over our Mongolian Beef Bowls. 1:00pm – Time to move! The AP’s join the NTI ensemble for Droznin Russian Movement once a week, led by our Artistic Director Rachel Jett. It’s exciting to see what we can do with our bodies – and gives me tons of ideas for a movement-based project I’m experimenting with. 3:30pm – Script Analysis with Sophia Chapadijev is a welcome break after the movement class! We’re focusing on exposition this week, trying to weave it into our pieces instead of dumping it all up top. NTI has really taught me how learn from other’s work, so when we breakdown a recent scene from a classmate, I immediately see how I can put that to use in my own script. 5:00-6:00pm – Q&A with one of my favorite actors, Tonya Pinkins. I feel so lucky to get to meet these incredible people and hear stories of when they were young creators like me. 6:15pm – I get to dinner a bit late because I stay after the Q&A to chat with Tonya. Eventually we decide to walk over to the cafeteria and some classmates join us for our penne with pesto dinner (gluten-free for me!). 7:00pm – Residency presentations are an unexpected treat during the NTI semester. This week, Erin Ortman, Ari Afsar, Lauren Gunderson, Jennifer Lin, and Meg Zervoulis present songs from their new musical as part of the NMTC Incubator series. It’s unlike anything I’ve heard before – and so incredible to see an all-woman creative team! 10:00pm – Homework time! I incorporate some ideas from Sophia’s class today, and then I set to work reading our play for Theater Labs this week, “Dance Nation” by Clare Barron – I’m acting this week! We’ll get our casting and scene assignments tomorrow, so I study the whole play just in case. 12:00am – Bedtime! Days at NTI are long, but packed full of incredible opportunities and experiences. I can’t wait to get up tomorrow and do it all over again.