Where New Plays & Musicals Begin Their Professional Journey
CreateTheater® is a full-service development platform for playwrights, musical theater writers, and emerging producers. Whether you’re drafting your first scene or preparing for a New York showcase, we give you the artistic support, producing strategy, industry access, and professional community you need to bring your new work to life.
Dramaturgy. Producing. Development. Industry Access. One Home.
CREATE
Refine the Work. Understand the Industry.
Tier 1 — Programs & Community
Our Tier 1 programs provide accessible opportunities for theater-makers developing new work.
DEVELOP
Develop the Work
Tier 2 — Advanced Developmental Labs
Selected projects may advance into CreateTheater’s developmental track for more focused dramaturgical collaboration and professional development support.
Application or invitation required for select programs.
PRODUCE
Curated Festival Presentations, Showcases and more
Tier 3 — CreateTheater New Works Festival and the CreateTheater New Works Studio
The CreateTheater New Works Studio is a curated producing track for selected projects preparing for production opportunities.
CreateTheater = The Studio System for New Works
The CreateTheater Pipeline
The CreateTheater Pipeline is a flexible development framework for new plays and musicals designed to support each project according to what it actually needs at every stage of its life.
Rather than moving writers through a fixed sequence of programs, CreateTheater begins with individual attention. Each play or musical is assessed on its own terms—considering the writing, the creative team, the project’s goals, and its readiness for the next level of development.
Some begin with writing support. Others enter at a development or industry-facing stage.
Throughout the process, decisions are guided by real producing insight:
What kind of development will serve this show best?
Which collaborators, programs, or presentations make sense now?
And when is the right moment to move forward—or pause and revise?
CreateTheater exists to help each project become what it needs to be—artistically, strategically, and professionally—while connecting it to the right people, programs, and next steps in NYC and beyond.
Where Do I Start?
1. I’m looking for a professional playwriting group.
2. I need help revising my new musical.
3. My script is done. I want an Industry Reading or Showcase.
4. I want to network in NYC & learn the business
5. I’m ready for Off-Broadway. Can you help me get there?
Current Opportunities
Production-Ready Writers Groups
Looking for a professional community? Ongoing weekly and bi-weekly groups for writers developing new work.
CreateTheater New Works Festival Reading Series
Opportunities to hear new plays and musicals performed by professional actors. Is yours ready? Apply for 2027’s Festival
The CreateTheater Musical Writing Lab
How finished is your musical? Join our new 12-month Musical Theater Writing Intensive Cohort starting June 1st
Upcoming Events
Write a Producible Play Webinar with Producer Patrick Blake
Sunday, May 30th 12 noon ET
CreateTheater’s Musical Writing Lab
The Lab starts June 1st
Producing Workshop: Raising Money for Your Show
Sunday, June 7th at 12 noon ET
Recent Blog Posts
What Makes a Play Producible?
What Makes a Play Producible Every playwright wants the same magical sentence: “I want to produce your play.” But here’s the truth nobody tells you: A producer is not just evaluating your script. They’re evaluating: whether they can afford your script, whether they...
Why Most Plays Don’t Get Produced (And What To Do About It)
Why Most Plays Don’t Get Produced (And What To Do About It) There’s a persistent myth in the theater world: that good work rises to the top. It’s comforting. It’s also incomplete. Because if you’ve spent any time developing new work, you already know the truth: plenty...
What a Producer Looks For in a Script
What a Producer Looks For in a Script Most writers think producers are looking for “great writing.”They’re not. They’re looking for a show they can actually produce. There’s a painful truth most playwrights don’t hear early enough: A script can be brilliant—and still...
The World & the Want: Why Many Musicals Fail in the First 15 Minutes
The World & The Want: Why Many Musicals Fail in the First 15 Minutes Many musicals don’t fail in Act Two. They fail in the first 10–15 minutes. Not because the writers aren’t talented—but because the foundation isn’t clear. If your audience doesn’t understand the...