The day before I left NYC, I met up with a gentleman who graduated from my program about three years ago. Mostly this was to find out how NYC has treated him, and how the first three years out have been for him. A chance to gain wisdom at the feet of an elder, if you will. We talked a bit about his experience of the program, and mine, talked about what he'd do differently, what has gone well for him. A few notes:
1. He interned at New Dramatists upon moving to NYC. It sounds like he met a lot of folks that way.
2. He did the Kennedy Center's two-week program. Sounds like he might have met even MORE people that way.
3. It sounds like MOST of the things he's been involved with have been through folks he's met. I hear this from more and more people, that most opportunities come from either (a) a CONTEST/juried festival or (b) through friends. But the people he's met aren't necessarily other playwrights; it's actors, directors, artistic directors, other folks.
4. He advises saving EVERY receipt. Tea with me -- a legitimate business expense (he was, after all, networking).
5. He had a lot of good things to say about Minneapolis.
A few interesting (to me) notes on how the program I'm in has changed since his time.
1. Sounds like my program/the faculty are, on the balance, more interested in STRUCTURE than they were during his tenure.
2. Sounds like there really HAS been a shift (or we are in the middle of a shift) toward a more collaborative model.
3. Sounds like the nuts-and-bolts of professional development for playwriting (as opposed to teaching) were as much (maybe more) neglected during his tenure as mine. Probably more, come to think of it.
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