Once you have a finished script of your short musical, what next? Well, let the world know about it. There are hundreds of opportunities for your work to be noticed. Below is just a sampling of those with a long history of supporting musical theater. For more, check the Dramatists Guild’s online resource directory, usually available only to members but open to all during the current lockdown.
One of the first types of opportunities you should consider are awards and festivals. These are good ways to build awareness of your work and to build your writing résumé. When sending off your script, though, be careful to avoid those organizations that charge a submission fee — even if they offer feedback in compensation for the “privilege” of being considered. No group or individual should fund their operations through the pocketbooks of writers.
Among the oldest festivals for short works is City Theater’s Summer Shorts in Miami, “the only theater in the U.S. solely dedicated to the creation and production” of new short plays and musicals. The Sound Bites 10-Minute Musical Festival in New York showcases eight works each year, which compete for awards and possible inclusion in future new works development with Theatre Now New York.
There’s also the annual competition run by the Ten-Minute Musicals Project in Hollywood, Calif., “the only organization in the world developing short complete stage musicals, and rediscovering lost short musicals from previous eras.” The InspiraTO Playwriting Contest in Toronto is Canada’s largest 10-minute festival, which centers around a different theme each year. The contest is open to anyone from anywhere in the world of any age.
High school students should also consider entering the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge run by the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington. The NEA is interested in a wide range of musical styles, including hip-hop, rock, R&B, country, jazz, and more. Below is Broadway producer Ken Davenport’s “5 Tips on Subumitting to a Festival,” the 17th episode of his Whiteboard Workshops.
The second types of opportunities are fellowships and workshops. Unlike awards and festivals, these organizations are primarily on the coasts.
The ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop has sessions in both New York and in Los Angeles. Aspiring musical theater composers get to receive feedback on full-length shows from composer Stephen Schwartz. The BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop in New York is “the premiere training ground for emerging musical theater composers, lyricists, and librettists.” It offers free multiyear training and annual awards.
Musical Cafe in Berkeley, Calif., is a musical theater development and education program for local writers. Their Showcase Series offers public presentation of new, original musical works-in-progress. In New York, Prospect Theater Company’s Music Theater Lab develops and produces new works in diverse styles. Each year, writing teams in the lab create original short musicals inspired by historic New York monuments.
The final types of opportunities are readings and productions. Most theaters do not accept unsolicited submissions directly from writers, but the ones listed here do have open submission policies.
On the West Coast, Broadway Rose Theatre in Tigard, Ore., and Village Theatre’s Village Originals in Issaquah, Wash., welcome submissions of original, full-length musicals. Chicago’s Porchlight Music Theatre and Houston’s Theatre Under The Stars will both accept a synopsis, 10-page excerpt, and music tracks. Finally, the York Theater Company’s Developmental Reading Series in New York accepts 30 to 40 submissions each year.
For some digital diversion, listen to composer Craig Wedren of Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist talk about “Made-for-TV Musicals” on the podcast Pretty Much Pop and watch the cast of Sing Street in their one-night only “Grounded at Home” livestream event.
Next, finding your next idea.