Live & In Color To Open 2026 Submissions For Playwright Commission And Musical Development Retreat

Live & In Color will open submissions on December 15 for its 2026 June Bingham New Playwright Commission and Fall Musical Development Retreat. Both programs will support early-career playwrights and musical theatre writers through stipends, housing, mentorship, and development opportunities culminating in presentations for invited industry professionals.

The June Bingham New Playwright Commission will support femme and non-binary playwrights in developing a new work from its earliest stages through a first reading. The award includes a $3,000 fee, along with housing, meals, and travel for the annual Fall Retreat, where selected plays will be workshopped.

The 2026 Fall Retreat for Musical Theatre Writers will invite playwrights, composers, and lyricists of color and other underrepresented communities to develop new musicals. Selected participants will receive a $1,000 stipend in addition to housing, meals, travel, and ongoing development support leading to a staged presentation at the retreat.

“Theatre has the power to transform and unite by amplifying voices that are too often unheard,” said Devanand Janki, Artistic Director of Live & In Color. “Our retreats and commissions provide a unique, nurturing environment for artists to grow and bring bold, original stories to life. We can't wait to see the next generation of groundbreaking work in our 2026 season.”

Applications will open December 15, 2025. The deadline for the June Bingham New Playwright Commission will be January 15, 2026, and the deadline for the Musical Development program will be February 15, 2026.

Additional information, eligibility requirements, and application links for the June Bingham New Playwright Commission and Musical Development submissions are available at liveandincolor.org/musicalsubmissions.

Founded by director and choreographer Devanand Janki, Live & In Color develops new plays and musicals with a focus on diversity and inclusion. The organization has supported works including Zapata: A Folklorico Superhero Musical, ZOMBIES, INC, We Start in Manhattan, Howdyland!, Little Girl Blue, With Bells On!, Within Elsewhere, The Golden Threshold, Present Perfect, Pangaea, The Family Resemblance, and Call It Courage. Plays developed at the retreat include Bound To You, i know why iris chang died, GODDESSES RETURN TO THE TEMPLE, The Wetlands, La Egoista, Narrow Daylight, The Home We Left Behind, Invictus Mingus, The Galilee House, and Esspy.

Live & In Color’s annual Fall Retreat takes place at the Bingham Camp in Salem, Connecticut, offering artists a secluded, collaborative environment for development. More information on both opportunities is available at liveandincolor.org/musicalsubmissions.