Student Blog: Carving Out A Niche
As I look forward at the rest of my college career, I've been thinking about what my place in the theatre world will be post-graduation.
Between the plethora of theatre spaces in New York and beyond, and the digital creative tools at our disposal, there are limitless opportunities to put your work out into the world. As a writer, I know that one of the things that fulfills me most is having my art seen by an audience. Over the years I've been creating, I've come to realize the size of that audience doesn't matter. I often find lyrics from [title of show] ringing in my head: "I'd rather be nine people's favorite thing than a hundred people's ninth favorite thing".
Carving out your niche as an artist is difficult. As I think ahead to my career post-college, I'm realizing that goes double for musical theatre writers. There's not a gigantic market for original musical theatre. Unless you're adapting a recognizable property, or centering a star, it's not the easiest thing to get a massive audience invested in your musical.
There are a lot of spaces dedicated to the promotion of new theatre, and of new music. However, musical theatre falls in a bit of a grey area. In a world where promoting your work should be easier than ever, it feels like getting new musicals seen is an uphill battle.
That being said, I'm trying to remain optimistic. Social media networks like TikTok have proven to be successful marketing tools, and I've written about that before. However, TikTok is based on an algorithm, and algorithms are fickle. Maybe you'll see some stunning new pieces of musical theatre on there, and maybe you won't.
I wish there was a place solely dedicated to the promotion of new musical theatre. I know there are a few places, such as the Musical Theatre Factory, that are focused on the development of new musical theatre writers and their works. However, I wish there were more. I wish that there were more digital spaces that were specifically designed to uplift and showcase new musical theatre writers. Until then, it looks like that's a niche I'll have to carve out for myself.
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Walnut Street Theatre''s COME FROM AWAY The Musical Walnut Street Theatre (4/13-5/30) |
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Walnut Street Theatre''s Noël Coward''s PRESENT LAUGHTER Walnut Street Theatre (2/23-3/28) |
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An American Christmas Songbook Bristol Riverside Theatre (12/15-12/22) |
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Gunhild Carling at Sellersville Theater Sellersville Theater (9/10-9/10) |
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Annie Bristol Riverside Theatre (3/23-5/02) |
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Helen Keller Wasn't Real Louis Bluver Theatre @The Drake (9/17-9/20) PHOTOS |
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Penn State Centre Stage “Sister Act” Penn State Centre Stage (10/06-10/17) |
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Joan Dukore ♦ Elegant Magic Smoke & Mirrors Theater (8/14-8/15) |
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Assassins The Greer Cabaret Theater (8/20-8/23) |
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LIGEIA by Edgar Allan Poe Asian Arts Initiative (9/16-9/19) |