SOUND BITES Festival Now Accepting Submissions Through 9/1

After their inaugural year, SOUND BITES, a ten minute musical theatre festival presented by Theatre Now New York, is now accepting submissions through Monday, September 1, 2014. SOUND BITES II, the Second Annual Festival of 10 Minute Musicals, will be on Monday, December 8, 2014. The second annual festival is expected to be held at The 47th Street Theatre, the location of SOUND BITES 2013. SOUND BITES is the first-ever ten minute musical theatre festival that accepts both ten minute musicals and ten minute excerpts of larger musicals. Any ten minute piece that can be performed and includes music qualifies.

For more information and submission guidelines and procedures visit the SOUND BITES website at www.soundbites.tnny.org. SOUND BITES II, the Second Annual Festival of 10 Minute Musicals, was extremely successful in 2013, receiving over 50 submissions and attracting a nearly sold-out audience. Because of this success, SOUND BITES is now an annual event presented by Theatre Now New York. Courtney Knysch, director of "The Oedipus Project: Antigone" and a participant in Sound Bites in 2013, said "we were so honored to be considered and then chosen to perform alongside so many talented artists."

Theatre Now New York will select ten finalists to present their pieces to an audience of industry professionals and celebrity judges in December. Each musical will compete for Festival Awards and for inclusion in future programs with the creative team of Theatre Now New York. SOUND BITES offers a unique opportunity for talented writers, composers, and lyricists to showcase their work publicly in front of a live audience.

Theatre Now New York Artistic Director, Thomas Morrissey, has helped develop and produce new plays and musicals including the East Coast Premiere of Kingdom, the world premiere of The Last Sunday in June, and the East Coast Premiere of The Break-Up Notebook. Stephen Bishop Seely, Literary Manager of Theatre Now New York and Producer of SOUND BITES, has helped develop several Off-Broadway and Broadway shows including Disney's Tarzan, Rock WILK'S Broke Wide Open, and 8 Million Protagonists.

Theatre Now New York is a professional theatre company whose history originates with two established companies - the Genesius Theatre Guild in New York City and ReVision Theatre in Asbury Park, NJ. Theatre Now New York brings together the founding principles of both these companies; developmental work and main stage theatrical productions. The mission of Theatre Now New York is to facilitate the creation and development of new theatrical works, the reimagining of previously produced known titles and the reinterpretation of classic works through readings, productions, workshops and work-in-progress presentations and to promote the understanding and appreciation of live theatre and its process by the general public and provides opportunities for emerging, mid-career and established theatre professional in their ongoing creative process.

In keeping with this mission, SOUND BITES' goal is to seek out and cultivate new writers and composers and develop new musicals. For more information on Theatre Now New York and to join their mailing list visit their website at www.tnny.org.