Interview: Dana Coen — Part 3

I have the pleasure of working with Dana Coen as a colleague through the Writing for Screen and Stage program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a dramatic writing minor for which Dana is the director.

Dana has an extensive background in television, penning episodes for “The Wonder Years” and “NCIS,” as well as eight seasons on the CBS series “JAG” [co-executive producer] and the Fox series “Bones” [co-executive producer].

Dana is also a produced playwright and freelance screenwriter, currently about to go out with an original thriller screenplay.

Today in Part 3, Dana talks about writing 33 episodes of the CBS series “JAG” and his shift into teaching:

Scott: You wrote a whopping total of 33 episodes of “JAG” and co-wrote 4 others. What was your process for writing an episode from the moment it was assigned it to the time it went out for production?

Dana: We eschewed the writers’ room for a looser, more independent dynamic. On many series, the staff “beats-out” stories together. We would set up a rotation and either work alone or brainstorm with another writer. The show runner would oversee the outlines and scripts, give his notes, pass the drafts around for everyone’s thoughts, and deliver the polished version to Don for his approval.

Scott: Was that a productive process for you?

Dana: It was. I think we all enjoyed the independence and the control it allowed us over our work. I thought, in general, things moved along quite smoothly. There was one occasion when the show threatened to come off its wheels. After September 11th we were faced with a significantly different world than the one we had been observing. Six scripts were dumped and it took some time for us to move from shock to grief to meaningful storytelling.

Scott: Do you have a favorite episode of “JAG” that you wrote?

Dana: I have a fondness for my second episode, “King of the Fleas,” a character piece about a disabled Viet Nam vet who arrives at JAG to confess a murder. The majority of it is an intense and personal interrogation that reveals a deeper truth than is originally admitted. It was an unusual type of story for the show and it gave me license to push the envelope on occasion as we moved forward.

Scott: You also wrote three episodes of “N.C.I.S.” How did that happen?

Dana: “N.C.I.S.” began as a JAG spin-off. Their staff was seeded with writers from our own and housed on the same floor. As a result there was quite a bit of cross-pollination. I was assigned to write an episode that first season. After JAG was cancelled I free-lanced two more.

Scott: How did it feel leaving a show after eight seasons?

Dana: I didn’t have much time to think about it. Within a month I was hired as Co-Executive Producer on the first season of “Bones.” I was excited about it at the time, but it was a three-hour, daily commute, and after all those years of JAG, I was tired. I tried to be a good soldier but I couldn’t shake the sense that I had reached the end of something. I was out in five months.

Scott: Did you take time off?

Dana: I had a chance to relax a bit and spend more time with my kids, but I had already planned for the next phase of my career, so I got down to business pretty quickly. I began writing a feature spec and started searching for teaching positions. I taught adjunct at the Dodge College of Media Arts at Chapman University in Orange, California for two years to build my CV. During that time I interviewed for a number of full time faculty positions that turned out to be unsuitable for one reason or another.

Scott: In 2008, you accepted a position teaching in the Writing for the Screen and Stage program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a program you now chair. What attracted you to that job?

Dana: I happened upon an ad in the Writer’s Guild magazine. Turns out that David Sontag, the program’s director, had supervised me on a pilot pitch during my Disney years. That relationship and an ideal resume sealed the deal for both of us. It also gave me the opportunity to re-embrace playwriting, which had been on the back burner for years.

Scott: Have you been writing plays as well as screenplays?

Dana: Short ones so far. One of my theatre projects is an annual collaboration with the university’s art museum. I commission five playwrights, including myself, to write one act plays inspired by works in the permanent collection. The plays are then staged and presented in front of the art itself.

Scott: Do you enjoy teaching?

Dana: Very much so, particularly at this stage of my career, where I actually have knowledge and experience to pass on. I especially take pleasure in running and teaching in our program, which, as you know, is a two-year, undergraduate, dramatic writing minor.

Scott: Do you want to explain the program to our readers?

We select anywhere from fifteen to eighteen qualified freshman and sophomore applicants a year. Traditionally, playwriting and screenwriting are taught separately, but popular theatre, film and television storytelling all emerged from the same western dramatic tradition. The Minor was established to recognize their common roots and to offer students an integrated writing curriculum that allows for a more immersive and complete understanding of the form. I believe it to be the only undergraduate writing program of its type in the country. The UNC Department of Communication Studies also sponsors a Hollywood Internship program in which graduating seniors spend the summer interning with various industry-related, L.A. companies. Many of them stay on to pursue their careers. In fact, I met with a large group of our alumni when I was out there recently. They were still smiling. That was encouraging.

Scott: How does the classroom experience work for you?

Dana: I most enjoy the interactivity. I realize that online and Skype teaching is opening up the global classroom and will likely change the face of higher education, but, in my opinion, nothing can replace the face-to-face dynamic and energy of a classroom workshop.

Tomorrow in Part 4, Dana talks about his turn to screenwriting and his take on some keys to the writing craft.

For Part 1, go here.

For Part 2. go here.

Please stop by comments to thank Dana and ask any questions you may have.

Dana is repped by Rosa Entertainment.