Serious Development for New Plays & Musicals
CreateTheater helps playwrights and musical theater writers move new work through a clear development-to-presentation pipeline — from private writing, to guided development, to public-facing opportunities in NYC.
The CreateTheater Development Pathway
“I’m still working on my script.”
Get the structure, feedback, and accountability to strengthen the work.
“I have material and need to test it in front of an audience.”
Move the work off the page and into the room.
“I need an industry-facing presentation.”
Build the producing strategy, team, budget, and presentation plan to move toward NYC visibility.
For Writers Ready to Move Beyond “Just Writing”
You may have:
a promising draft
a musical in progress,
years of rewrites,
great feedback but no traction,
or uncertainty about where your work fits professionally.
CreateTheater helps writers bridge the gap between creative work and professional development.
Programs
Get Your Script Ready
Writing Groups
Musical Workshops
Musical Writing Lab
Develop the Work
Cabaret Lab
2-Day Script Workshop
Table & Industry Readings
Present the Work
NYC Producer Lab
New Works Festival
Showcase Productions
Current Opportunities
Production-Ready Writers Groups
Looking for a professional community? Ongoing weekly and bi-weekly groups for writers developing new work.
The Cabaret Lab
The Cabaret Lab is a 3-month spring where you put your songs in front of a real audience in NYC in 90 days.
The NYC Musical Development Workshops #2: Conflict, Obstacles & the Act One Finale
Sign Up to Present or Observe on Sunday, July 26th
The Experts Theater Company (ETC)
Membership · Mentorship · Access
The Experts Theater Company is the connective tissue of the CreateTheater pipeline.
It provides:
- Ongoing education and mentorship
- Community and accountability
- Access to higher-level development opportunities
Many writers begin here — and are invited forward into Labs, workshops, and the CreateTheater New Works Development Studio as their work becomes ready.
Recent Blog Posts
Pipeline Starts with Development, Not Production
Everybody wants to get produced. That is the dream, right? The lights come up. The actors are in costume. The audience is in the room. Someone has finally said yes. Your play is no longer sitting in a folder on your laptop. It is alive. I get it. But after years of...
Why Developmental Theater Companies Matter More Than Ever
Theater is hard right now. Have you noticed? It is hard to get produced.It is hard to get attention.It is hard to build an audience.It is hard to raise money.It is hard to know which opportunity is actually worth your time and which one is just another application...
What Producers Actually Look For in New Work
One of the biggest mistakes I see many playwrights and musical theatre writers make is believing producers are looking for "good writing." Of course they are. But, after years of producing, directing, dramaturging, and sitting through countless readings, festivals,...
Why So Many Workshops Fail Writers
One of the hardest conversations I have with playwrights and musical theater writers is this: A workshop does not always advance development. And development does not automatically lead to a production. I've seen writers spend thousands of dollars and years of their...