This year brought something new for the Drama Division: For the first time, plays written by Juilliard's playwright fellows were rehearsed by the second-year acting class. The goal was to have the projects feel more like workshops than full productions--which is why they were moved from the third-year "slot," which is more production oriented. This was a great opportunity for all involved: The playwrights were given something essential in that process of developing a play--a working rehearsal--and the actors were given the opportunity to be a part of the creation of an entirely new work of art.

The acting students and playwrights know each other well and work together often. During the course of the year, there are many readings of the writers' most recent works, in which the parts are read by actors of different classes. Also, the writers attend many of the productions and projects performed and rehearsed by drama students.

"We got a chance to influence how the story would ultimately come together. Working on something like Shakespeare, we don't get that opportunity."

While a writer is responsible for writing a play, what most audience members don't realize is that all who are involved in the process of taking a new play from the page to the stage have an enormous effect on what is ultimately the final presentation. The process is a messy one; the story is constantly being shaved and reshaped again and again. It is a time of discovery: The writer discovers new things from the director and actors, and they, in turn, are learning from the writer.

The playwrights who were given the opportunity to have their stories workshopped in February were Julia Cho, author of The Architecture of Loss; Cybele Pascal, author of The Erotic Nature of Funerals; and Ellen Melaver, author of Not Waving.

Speaking about her experience rehearsing The Architecture of Loss, Julia said, "What made this different from other workshops I've had is that everyone here is still learning, and everyone had great respect for each other and enormous commitment to the process. Another plus was that we were all catching each other at a time when we're all ready for a new process and still have not formed any preconceptions." A member of the cast for The Architecture of Loss, Rutina Wesley, had this to say: "I thought it was great. At this point in our training we're learning how to put all the skills we've learned into action. We didn't have any [faculty] coaches, so we had to ask ourselves, 'how do I incorporate what we've been working on?' And I think we all did that."

Cybele Pascal said of her show, "I enjoyed doing it as a second-year project, because it made the project clearly a workshop; it took all the pressure of a full production away. I was allowed to focus on the text and make the rewrites that I wanted to make. The one drawback was that we didn't have as many props or as much scenery as I would have liked, but all in all, I really had a wonderful time." Cast member John Eagan said doing these plays in the second year makes perfect sense. "The material is in kind of the same place we are, as second-year actors--it's in the works. I think second year is an exploratory year, and this play was in its exploratory phase."

Ellen Melaver had similar thoughts on her show, Not Waving. "This was one of the best workshop experiences I've ever had. Everyone was very focused on the work, and wonderful to work with. The next thing I would like to incorporate in the process would be lighting. I would really like to see how that element would influence the story. But overall, it was a low-pressure environment, the audience response was invaluable, and I really enjoyed the process." Serena Reeder, a cast member, commented: "I felt this process was very helpful, having the playwrights and actors involved in the creation of these stories. It was fresh and it was new, and we got a chance to influence how the story would ultimately come together. Working on something like Shakespeare, we don't get that opportunity."

Judging from everyone's reaction, the experiment was a success. The second year lent itself well to this type of exploration, and the hands-off approach by the Drama Division faculty was navigated with relative ease. Speaking as someone involved in this process, I enjoyed working on the new material and hope that future second-year classes get the opportunity to enjoy it as well.

Keith Chappelle is a second-year drama student.