Musical Theatre Writing Cohort: Finish Your Draft (Online)

Have a musical you've been "working on" for longer than you'd like to admit? The Catalyst Cohort is a 16-week online program that takes musical theatre writers from outline to finished draft, with live feedback every week from a produced composer-lyricist-playwright.



Cohort 3 runs October 3, 2026 through January 30, 2027 (Christmas week off). All sessions are online, so you can join from anywhere. Enrollment closes October 2.



HOW IT WORKS

Week 1: Choose your project and lock in the scope of the draft you're committing to finish.

Weeks 2 to 5: Build your structure and outline before drafting begins.

Weeks 6 to 15: Write. Your scenes and songs get reviewed on live calls.

Week 16: Plan your next steps, with a database of 105+ verified submission opportunities and an outreach tracker with templates for approaching theatres.



Instruction: Each phase contains asynchronous modules you complete on your own time, so live calls are focused on deepening your knowledge and sharing work.



Weekly calls: 2 live calls per week for studying craft and showcasing your material.



THE GUARANTEE

If you show up to the calls and do the work but your draft isn't finished at week sixteen, you keep working with me until it is.



YOUR INSTRUCTOR

Jesse Hampsch (M.Mus, MFA) is a composer, lyricist, and playwright who has written five full-length musicals, all of them produced. He holds an MFA in Musical Theatre Collaboration from Temple University and has taught for over 15 years, including 6+ at the college level. He is also a member of the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. Cohort 2 sold out.



WHO THIS IS FOR

Composers, lyricists, and bookwriters with a musical idea or a draft in progress who want deadlines, structure, and honest feedback. If you want a casual class to dabble in, this isn't it. Limited to 20 writers.



NEXT STEP

Book a free call to talk through your project and see if Catalyst is the right fit. Click "Apply Online" to choose a time.