Accepting Submissions for 2017 National Music Theater Conference

By: Oct. 24, 2016
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The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, a two-time Tony Award winner and latest recipient of the National Medal of Arts, is now accepting projects for development during the 2017 National Music Theater Conference. Applicants may submit music theater works for consideration through Friday, November 18th, 2016.

2017 will mark the National Music Theater Conference's 40th summer of developing new work. The conference has been a launchpad for all styles and genres of music theater, including operas and hybrid works since its inception in 1978, having previously launched such notable projects and artists as In Transit by Kristen Anderson-Lopez, James-Allen Ford, Russell M. Kaplan, and Sara Wordsworth opening on Broadway on December 11; In The Heights by Quiara Alegría Hudes and Lin-Manuel Miranda; Avenue Q by Robert Lopez, Jeff Marx, and Jeff Whitty; The Wild Party by Andrew Lippa; Violet by Brian Crawley and Jeanine Tesori; and Nine by Arthur Kopit, Mario Fratti, and Maury Yeston; and The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin by Kirsten Childs.

The authors of works selected for the 2017 conference will be awarded a two week residency during June or July with a stipend, housing, meals, and transportation to support an intensive rehearsal process and four script-in-hand public readings with a professional cast. The National Music Theater Conference aims to provide a supportive and challenging environment in which emerging and established creative artists can take risks in order to refine and illuminate their work's vision during its formative stages.

Paulette Haupt is the co-founder and Artistic Director of the National Music Theater Conference since its inception in 1978. Ms. Haupt notes, "the open submission process at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center speaks to the heart of our mission and to the artists we support at the Conference. So many of the works that have been developed here were written by creative talents who had no agent representation, and were it not for this policy we would likely have overlooked extremely deserving projects and artists in need of support." Writers who have developed work at the NMTC include: Christopher Dimond, Michael Friedman, Danny Goldstein, Adam Gwon, Sheldon Harnick, Mark Hollmann, Michael Kooman, Greg Kotis, Michael John LaChuisa, Richard Maltby Jr., Mel Marvin, Joe Masteroff, Marsha Norman, Heidi Rodewald, Steven Sater, Duncan Sheik, Rachel Sheinkin, David Shire, and Jonathan Tunick, among hundreds of others.

Open Submissions is a key element of the National Music Theater Conference's mission to develop diverse voices and new works for the American stage, requiring neither agent submission nor previous experience. Both original and adapted works are accepted; written rights to any material not in the public domain must be included with application and materials submitted. Projects that have already been produced by a professional company are not accepted. The O'Neill typically receives over 200 scripts for consideration in the NMTC.

Submission Details

  • Early submissions are strongly encouraged.
  • No agent is required.

  • Both electronic and hard copy applications are accepted.

  • The submission fee is $35 USD and covers the cost of the process.

The O'Neill will also host two online Q&A sessions about the process on the O'Neill Facebook page:

  • Thursday Nov. 3 - 2pm (with special guest Daniel Zaitchik, Darling Grenadine, NMTC 2016; Suprema, NMTC 2011; Picnic at Hanging Rock, NMTC 2009)

  • Tuesday Nov. 16 - 7pm (with special guests Imani Uzuri and Zakiyyah Alexander, GIRL Shakes Loose, NMTC 2016)

For application guidelines and additional information, visit http://www.theoneill.org/summer-conferences/nmtc/submission-info/. Direct questions about the submission process and the conference to Anne G. Morgan, Literary Manager & Dramaturg at (860) 443-5378 ext. 227or email litoffice@theoneill.org.

The O'Neill continues to build an endowment to support the Open Submission Process. Initiated in 2006 with donations made in honor of O'Neill playwright Wendy Wasserstein, interest income helps support the submission and selection process.



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