UNO – Charlene A. Donaghy

University Teaching

University of Nebraska Omaha

Teaching is one of the greatest journeys of my life.

Looking back, I can trace that journey to a single month. July 2010 quietly changed the course of my life.

After earning my MFA in Writing for Stage & Screen and Fiction, I attended the Kennedy Center Summer Playwriting Intensive. There I discovered not only extraordinary mentors and lifelong artistic friendships, but also a deeper calling: guiding other writers as they discover their own voices.

That journey soon led me to the University of Nebraska Omaha. From the first time I crossed the threshold of Weber Fine Arts Building, I knew I had found a creative and professional home. The generosity of the faculty, the curiosity of the students, and the collaborative spirit of the MFA in Creative Writing, the Department of Theatre, and Writers’ Workshop reflected everything I value as both a writer and an educator.

Today, I have the privilege of teaching playwriting, screenwriting, and fiction in UNO’s MFA in Creative Writing, as well as theatre and cinema in the Department of Theatre. Every MFA residency and every campus visit reminds me why I teach. My students challenge my thinking, expand my imagination, and continually inspire my own creative work.

MFA in Writing for Stage & Screen and Fiction

The University of Nebraska Omaha’s low-residency MFA in Creative Writing is built around mentorship, community, and the belief that every writer has a unique voice worth discovering. Through one-on-one faculty guidance, inspiring residencies, and a vibrant community of writers, students develop both their craft and their artistic identity within a programme designed to fit the rhythms of a full and active life.

Department of Theatre

Curiosity is at the heart of every course I teach. Rather than treating theatre and cinema as subjects frozen in history, my classes explore how timeless storytelling continues to evolve through thought-provoking theatre, magical realism, time travel, and other contemporary lenses. Each course uses contemporary ideas to illuminate the enduring power of story.