University degrees: Postgraduate
Course length: 1 year full-time
Course city: Melbourne
The Master of Theatre (Writing) focuses on developing the skills and emerging aesthetic of the individual and collaborative writer for diverse forms of contemporary live performance. It is unique in Australian theatre culture, focusing on the diversity of voices and cultures present in contemporary writing in Australia and overseas.
Through a combination of writing workshops, critical seminars and discussions you develop skills in writing for diverse contexts and live performance while gaining an understanding of the relationship between the playwright and the cultural contexts in which they write.
The program focuses on the development of a full length play – at the end of the year, each writer presents a rehearsed presentation of a full-length play to industry and public.
You’ll also produce four other smaller performance writing projects including: writing from improvisation with acting and directing students; writing for digital mediums; adaptation of existing texts; and writing for live art projects.
The program welcomes applications from: writers, actors, directors, animateurs, theatre makers, designers and dramaturges, with moderate to extensive experience in performance writing.
Gain the skills to conceptualise, realise and present original writing for performance and/or performance oriented projects in diverse form. And learn to evaluate, discriminate and make informed choices as part of writing practice within aesthetic domains
This seminar subject is designed to enrich your understanding of investigation and research in the context of extended writing projects. Engage with a range of contemporary Australian and international trends in writing for performance, focusing on practices of investigation and reflection, with a view to structural and formal innovation. Guest writers will discuss their processes and approaches to the creation of new forms.
This subject focuses on high level close reading and analysis of existing plays and scenarios drawn from Greek, Shakespearean and nineteenth century movements to contemporary developments such as the postdramatic.
In this practice-based subject, take on a range of writing classes and exercises. Develop techniques for the generation and structuring of original material for live performance.
Become familiar with conventions and traditions pertinent to writing from/after performance. These include review, the critical review and analysis, exegesis, dissertation, thesis and reflection.
