Apples and Oranges Arts Spotlights The Heroine's Journey With Latest THEatre ACCELERATOR Development Cohort

Dubbed THEatre ACCELERATOR: The Heroine's Journey in XR, Apples and Oranges Arts applies their signature use of new technology to help writers develop and distribute new musicals that forefront female identifying characters. Applying the model that accelerates technology start-ups, Apples and Oranges Arts' THEatre ACCELERATOR treats storytellers as founders, creating an opportunity to interact with experts in entertainment, production, financing, investing, distribution, and emerging technologies.

The Spring 2023 cohort mentors include alumni Alani iLongwe and Ren Casey who recently premiered their first VR musical The Calling VR at the Slamdance Film Festival, NAMT Executive Director Betsy King Militello, immersive experience creator Carol Liu, Broadway producer Deborah Barrera, VR theatre performers and creators Deirdre Lyons & Stephen Butchko, investor Frank Kavanaugh, VR and immersive theatre creators KJ Knies & Sara Beil, Disney Live Entertainment executives Matt Conover & Jason Daunter, Unity/VR artist Natasha Parkin, Tony-nominated composer and writer Paul Gordon, media and technology executive and investor Randi Zuckerberg, immersive technologist and author Stephanie Riggs and Broadway and VR performer Tyrick Wiltez Jones.

Conducted Virtually, THEatre ACCELERATOR, allows artists from around the globe to participate. The Spring 2023 cohort runs April 24th through May 12th and comprises a mix of group discussions, assignments, lectures and presentations from experts in the entertainment, technology and investment arenas. THEatre ACCELERATOR culminates in "Sing Tank," an opportunity for participants to pitch their projects to a panel of industry veterans.

The following projects will participate as a part of the Spring 2023 cohort of THEatre ACCELERATOR:

• 2&1: A HARLEM MUSICAL WITH LOOSE MORALS (book & lyrics by Joël René Scoville, music by Jenna Byrd)

• FIXING EINSTEIN (book & lyrics by Lauren Marshall, music by Ian Williams)

• IN BETWEEN (music & lyrics by Alanya Bridge)

• THE BOOK OF HOLDING ON (book, music & lyrics by Sarah Hirsch)

• THE FEMALE POPE (book & lyrics by Shannon Burkett)

• THE PATH TO CATHERINE (book & lyrics by Patricia Zehentmayr, music by Jan Roper)

• THE SHE RAN (book & lyrics by Alex Becker, music by Kat Cartusciello)

• YOU, ME, I, WE (book, music & lyrics by Jessica Wu)

For more information about THEatre ACCELERATOR, visit https://nycoc.org/ta-vr-heroines-journey/.

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