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By Any Other Name

Finding Madame Curie

Find a supportive artistic home

Join CreateTheater’s Experts Theater Company

 

The Golden Cage

 

Rewind

 

Retraction

  CreateTheater helps Theatre Makers take their show from concept to production.

We help develop new plays and musicals with:

Writing Groups for both New Plays and Musicals

Quarterly Musical Workshops with Industry Experts

Producer Consulting and Mentorship Groups

Pitching, Networking and Collaboration Opportunities

Writing and Producing Development Programs

Artist Residencies: one for plays and one for musicals

The Experts Theater Company, our “Artistic Home,” is a company that offers developmental support through readings, writing groups, individual producer coaching and one-on-one dramaturgical support, both in NYC and online

CreateTheater offers subsidized developmental presentations in their New Works Festival, their Cabaret Festival and their Streaming Musicals Workshop series  (for ETC Members)

MADAME CURIE

Book, music & lyrics by David Kurkowski

How do you get involved with CreateTheater?

 

Sign up for emails updates here to stay in the loop about classes, workshops and other opportunities

Take a class or workshop, in-person or online

Join The Experts Theater Company (ETC)

Professional College Musical Theater Partnership

&

CreateTheater/Prism Stage New Play Residency

 

We’re looking for new plays and musicals

2024 Artist Residencies (fully supported)

Book a consult now

STREAMING MUSICALS PRESENTS 

THE GOLDEN CAGE

An Award-Winning Musical from the 2022 New Works Festival

 

 

Elaborate Live Stage Video Recording of the Award-Winning New Musical 

Book, Music and Lyrics by Grammy-Nominated Composer
Deborah Henson-Conant
Directed by R. Lee Kratzer
Music Direction by Nevada Lozano

Starring Christopher Isolano and Maddie Allen

Produced by CreateTheater

Cate received the 2022 Entreprenuer of the Year Award from Theater Resources Unlimited for helping develop and produce more than 70 shows during the 2020-2022 lockdown

“Cate’s Mastermind has been a powerful force in keeping me on track with my numerous projects and just generally encouraging me to believe in what I’ve chosen to do – produce, write, and support theater as a professional. 

Her meetings offer insight and advice from colleagues who are pursuing the same goals from different angles. Cate is organized, a smart and caring listener, and is able to sum up my sometimes rambling thoughts in a way that helps me stay accountable to my goals. 

I’m so glad I joined forces with her!”

Gayla Morgan

Off Broadway Producer and Award-Winning Musical Theater Composer/Lyricist

“Cate Cammarata’s Mastermind groups are the perfect blend of support, accountability, sage advice and authentic cheerleading. She leads quietly but with great certainty. I find myself reaching goals and going beyond. 

This group has been invaluable to my progress as a writer and as a creative.”

Delta Donohue

Playwright, Author, Poet and Professional Speaker

“Cate leads her Mastermind group with attentiveness and skill. Her observations are insightful and she asks the right questions, bringing everyone together to share constructive feedback. Each person gains clarity as well as new ideas, goals and ways to tackle problems.  

The evening always ends on an up-note, everyone energized, confident, ready and prepared to take on the world!”

Kari Floren

Playwright, Producer

“Casting and producing a play from Los Angeles was very challenging. Luckily the festival sent us a list of artists in all areas of production who had signed up as wanting to be a part of the festival. I took some serious time doing research on a few different directors and decided on Cate Cammarata, who literally saved my life.

She attended the auditions and has had constant communication with me about the process. With her guidance we were able to cast the play with a group of actors that I am very excited to see on stage telling this story. The rehearsal process thus far has been a lot of work, with myself and the director making sure that the story is solid and that we understand the vision. It’s been great, and I can’t wait to keep going.”

Kristy Thomas

Memories of the Game, SHE NYC Festival

“We have had the great pleasure of working with Cate Cammarata as a dramaturg on our original musical.

Cate is extremely thoughtful and thorough in her process and we were highly impressed and grateful for the amount of time and care she took in evaluating our work. Her astute questions about the script have lead us to a more defined story arc, featuring characters who are now properly fleshed out.  

The experience has made us realize that when you’re so close to the material it is sometimes difficult to see where problems exist. Bringing in an outside voice as insightful and experienced as Cate helped us discover where more chances should be taken and where clarification was needed. We left each session feeling confident and excited to dig further into the script to create the best show possible.”

Caryn Robbins

Book writer for Dear Prospective Student

“Cate Cammarata has the instincts of a Sherpa guide, leading you through the unchartered world of your play. She helps you to identify your world, unclutter it and strengthen the narrative so your characters can reach their summit. And she achieves this, as both a dramaturg and a director, using her deft interpersonal skills of nuance, persuasion, respect, reason and illustration.”

Barbara Kelly

Entanglement, Broadway Bound Theater Festival

Cate Cammarata provided insightful, detailed notes on my new, original, modern musical. Her mastery of classical drama enables her to reinforce foundational truths about theatre and story, all the while proffering notes and choices which easily reflect the attitudes of today’s audiences.

Highly recommended! Thank you, Cate!

Cle’
Multi-Hyphenate Playwright and Producer

“Was looking for a safe community of other theatre artists who could offer helpful feedback for my work, who experience live performances on a regular basis, who are committed to advancing their creative abilities and found it with Cate Cammarata’s ETC! Whether it’s writing groups or readings or workshops, ETC has been a great benefit to me as a theatre artist. Grateful to Cate and everyone who’s a part of this community!

Gary Powers
Revolution Stage Company

Palm Springs, California

“I’ve found the producing and writing groups extremely valuable.  It is like a community of people helping one another. And Cates insights on musical theatre writing, analyzing different musicals is a highlight.

Eric Sirota

“I met Cate at the start of the pandemic when I joined her group for musical writers.  I was struggling to prioritize my writing and had lost all passion. Cate understands writers and their need for community, support, and opportunities.  I was inspired by her insight and encouragement.  My passion and creativity ignited.  Four years later, I’m well into my fourth full-length script!

Cate has built an incredible theatre community of phenomenal playwrights that range from Page-One Beginners to Prolific Award Winners.  She believes in playwrights and pours out her resources and expertise to get the story on the page and the script on the stage.  I’m honored to be part of this movement to revive theatre through the birth of new works.”

Pam C. Dudley
Playwright & Psychotherapist

“Cate is a visionary and dedicated leader who has created a thriving theatre community in a very short period of time. A triple hyphenate (producer-director-dramaturg), she fosters a dynamic, nurturing environment in which writers can write, mount their work, learn and grow. Two of my plays have already had staged readings via Zoom that have advanced my work.

Barbara Kelly

“Cate and ETC have really helped my musical get to the best version possible through detailed feedback, live readings and development. Our small group of musical creators meets weekly to provide support and encouragement to help all our musicals get to the next stage of development. Cate makes herself available for discussions or questions which has been very helpful. I am so grateful for the experiences and relationships I’ve been able to forge while a member of ETC. Thank you!

Marty Jagodzinski

Help Us Develop New Plays & Musicals in NYC!

Making Money as a Playwright Part 2

Making Money as a Playwright Part 2

I think that many artists feel the winds of change happening regarding the arts in America. We look around at states defunding the arts.  We see major non-profit and “successful” theater companies laying off staff and divesting themselves of their theaters.

Be Specific

Be Specific

Do you know your character’s favorite color? Favorite dish? The street they lived on as a child? What was the game their mother played with them when they were five? Why do they keep an item in their pocket and when do they take it out and stroke it? What memories does it provoke? What emotion does it conjure in your character?

Details. From the larger, to the smaller, and from the smaller to the larger, details make the character specific and unique.

Making Money as a Playwright Part 1

Making Money as a Playwright Part 1

The playwright Robert Anderson famously said in the late 50’s early 60’s that “one can make a killing in the theatre, but not a living.” The late Tim Kelly, a very prolific playwright for the school and community theater markets who passed away in 1997, published over 350 plays in his life, and would have about 6,000 performances of his plays every year, all over the world.  His pieces were translated into dozens of languages.  He adopted Anderson’s quote and paraphrased it for the amateur theater market:  “You can make a living, but you can’t make a killing”….

Create Connections.  Create Community.