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...
Readings Aren’t the Goal. Development is.
Readings Aren’t the Goal. Production Is. Why so many playwrights get stuck in the development loop—and how to avoid it. By Cate Cammarata If you're writing a new play or musical, at some point you're going to need to put it in front of an audience. There is simply no...
Why Most Theater Projects Stall
Why Most Theater Projects Stall Most theater projects do not stall because the work isn't good. They stall because development is so difficult to sustain. A playwright begins with excitement.A composer starts hearing the score.A collaborative team gathers...
If Your Play Isn’t Moving Forward, Read This
If Your Play Isn’t Moving Forward, Read This There’s a moment almost every playwright hits. You’ve revised the script.You’ve gotten feedback.Maybe you’ve even done a reading. And then… Nothing. No momentum.No next step.No production.No real traction. So you start...
You Don’t Have a Writing Problem. You Have a Positioning Problem.
You Don’t Have a Writing Problem. You Have a Positioning Problem. Many playwrights think the reason they aren’t getting produced is because the script “isn’t ready yet.” Sometimes that’s true. But more often? The play is not being positioned in a way that helps the...
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...