If Your Play Isn’t Moving Forward, Read This

by Cate Cammarata | May 25, 2026 | Business, Getting Produced, New Works Festival, Producing, Theater

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 wondering if the problem is the industry.
Or the timing.
Or whether theater is just impossible right now.

But after years working with new plays and musicals in New York, I can tell you something difficult — and liberating:

Most scripts don’t stall because the writer isn’t talented.

They stall because the work isn’t yet producible.

And those are two very different things.

A lot of writers are creating plays as literary documents.

But theater isn’t literature.

Theater is a live event that requires:
actors,
directors,
designers,
producers,
money,
space,
audience buy-in,
and a reason to exist right now.

That doesn’t mean your work has to be commercial.
It doesn’t mean it has to be safe.
And it definitely doesn’t mean you should write to trends.

But it does mean your script has to understand the realities of production.

Can a director envision this onstage?
Can actors emotionally land inside it?
Can an audience track the dramatic engine?
Does the structure create momentum?
Does the play know what experience it’s trying to create in the room?

These are producing questions.
And they are creative questions.

I think this is the missing conversation in a lot of playwright education.

Writers are taught how to write scenes.
But not how to build theatrical experiences people want to champion.

And honestly?
That’s where careers begin to shift.

Because once your work becomes producible, people can suddenly move with it.

Producers lean in.
Directors see possibilities.
Collaborators want to attach themselves.
Readings lead to workshops.
Workshops lead to productions.

Momentum becomes easier because the work itself generates momentum.

This week, I’m teaching a free webinar called Write a Producible Play because I think too many talented writers are stuck in development limbo without understanding why.

We’re going to talk about:

why some plays move forward while others stall
the structural mistakes that quietly kill momentum
how producers evaluate new work
and how to develop your script with production in mind without sacrificing your artistic voice

Because your play does not need to become smaller.

It needs to become stage-ready.

And those are not the same thing.

If your work has felt stuck lately, this webinar is for you.

Let’s get your play moving again.

Save your seat for May 30th

If this opened your eyes to how producers actually evaluate your script…

Then you’ll want to be in the room for our live training:

Write a Producible Play Webinar on May 30th

Off-Broadway Producer Patrick Blake and I will walk you through exactly how to check your work so it’s not just compelling, but something a producer can get on board with.

Stay in the loop with our upcoming workshops!

What Makes a Play Producible?

by Cate Cammarata | May 12, 2026 | Business, Getting Produced, Producing, Theater

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 can market your script,
whether audiences will buy tickets to your script,
and whether you are someone they actually want to work with for the next several years.

That’s the real game.

In a recent CreateTheater webinar, Off-Broadway producer Patrick Blake broke down what producers are actually thinking when they read a play or musical.

And honestly? Every playwright should hear this before sending their next script out.

Because producibility is not about “selling out.”

It’s about understanding how theater actually gets made.

A Producer Is Asking Three Questions

Patrick said it best:

A playwright has to:

Find a producer
Get a producer to want to produce the show
Get a producer to want to work with them

That’s it.

That’s the whole ecosystem.

Most writers only focus on #1.

But #2 and #3 are often where plays die.

First: Is the Story Worth Producing?

This sounds obvious, but producers are still human beings first.

They have to love the piece.

Patrick talked about reading scripts he adored artistically — but ultimately passed on because the economics didn’t make sense.

And here’s the important nuance:

A producer does not need your play to be “commercial” in the Broadway sense.

But they do need to believe:

it can find an audience,
it can sustain a run,
or it can advance the theater/company’s mission.

That means your play needs:

a compelling story,
active characters,
a strong structure,
clear stakes,
and something emotionally or culturally fresh.

Not “perfect.”

Just undeniable.

Producers Think in Salaries

This part of the webinar made everyone laugh — because it’s painfully true.

Patrick said:

“Writers think in characters. Producers think in salaries.”

A playwright sees:

two children,
a dog,
a chorus,
and a musician onstage.

A producer sees:

union contracts,
insurance,
payroll,
pensions,
overtime,
and replacement costs.

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t write ambitiously.

It means you should understand what your ambition costs.

One of Patrick’s examples was a play set in a monastery library with a beautiful spiral staircase leading to a second level.

Only one actor used it.
Once.

The playwright insisted on keeping it because:

“It looks cool.”

The producer passed.

Why?

Because “cool” costs money.

The staircase meant:

more construction,
higher insurance,
more risk,
and a bigger budget.

And none of it fundamentally served the story.

That’s the difference between theatrical imagination and producible execution.

Big Difference: Necessary vs. Expensive

This is where playwrights often get defensive.

But the real question is:

Does this element deepen the storytelling?

Or…

Is it there because you’re attached to the image?

That distinction matters.

Producers are constantly calculating:

Can this recoup?
Can this tour?
Can this fit into a regional theater?
Can this be mounted Off-Broadway?
Is there a simpler way to achieve the same emotional effect?

That doesn’t mean “write small.”

It means:

make every expensive choice earn its existence.

The Best Writers Know How to Take Notes

This was one of the most important parts of the conversation.

Patrick and the group talked about playwrights who refuse every adjustment, every production consideration, every logistical concern.

And here’s the hard truth:

That reputation spreads.

Fast.

The writers who keep getting produced are not necessarily the writers who say “yes” to everything.

They’re the writers who stay collaborative.

A producer wants to feel:

you can solve problems,
you can adapt,
you can communicate,
and you won’t become impossible once rehearsals begin.

One of the best phrases mentioned in the webinar was:

“I’ll think about that.”

Not defensive.
Not reactive.
Not precious.

Just open.

That openness keeps conversations alive.

Find the Right Producer

This was another huge takeaway.

Most playwrights submit blindly.

But producers specialize.

A producer who develops experimental immersive work is different from:

a regional theater artistic director,
a Broadway commercial producer,
an Off-Broadway nonprofit,
or a family theater company.

Patrick recommended researching:

Tony nominees,
theaters producing similar work,
and producers already developing projects in your lane.

In other words:

stop pitching horror musicals to children’s theaters.

Find alignment.

Then build relationships before making asks.

That’s how theater actually works.

Relationships Matter More Than You Think

Theater is deeply relational.

Patrick talked about how playwrights often approach artistic directors with:

“Here’s my script.”

But the stronger approach is:

“How can I help?”

Volunteer.
Attend readings.
Support other artists.
Be part of the ecosystem before expecting the ecosystem to support you back.

People produce work by people they trust.

That’s not cynical.
That’s theater.

Attachments Only Help If They Actually Help

This section was fascinating.

Writers love attaching:

directors,
actors,
dramaturgs,
collaborators.

But attachments are only valuable if they:

help raise money,
help sell tickets,
or help attract industry attention.

A famous actor? Helpful.

Your cousin who “really gets the play”? Less helpful.

That doesn’t mean don’t collaborate.

It means understand the producer’s perspective.

Every attachment changes the equation.

Sometimes positively.
Sometimes not.

Social Media Matters Now

Patrick made a point that every playwright needs to hear:

Your online presence has become part of your producibility.

Because audiences are fragmented now.

And producers want to know:

Can you help market this?
Do you have an audience?
Do people already engage with your work?
Can you fill seats beyond your immediate friend circle?

This doesn’t mean becoming an influencer.

But it does mean:

building an email list,
staying visible,
and participating in the conversation around your work.

The writers who understand this are easier to say “yes” to.

Here’s the Good News

A producible play is not:

smaller,
safer,
less artistic,
or less ambitious.

A producible play is a play that understands:

how theater actually gets made.

That’s the difference.

You can still write the wild vision.
You can still dream big.
You can still create spectacle.

But the writers who consistently move forward are the ones who understand both:

the art,
and the logistics.

That’s what producers are looking for.

Not perfection.

Partnership.

Final Thought

Patrick said something near the end of the webinar that stuck with me:

Producers focus on the business side of theater. Writers who understand that become far more attractive collaborators.

And honestly?
That’s the shift.

The moment you stop seeing producers as gatekeepers and start seeing them as creative partners, your entire process changes.

Because producibility is not about compromising your vision.

It’s about learning how to build a bridge between the page and the stage.

Save your seat for May 30th

If this opened your eyes to how producers actually evaluate your script…

Then you’ll want to be in the room for our live training:

Write a Producible Play Webinar on May 30th

Off-Broadway Producer Patrick Blake and I will walk you through exactly how to check your work so it’s not just compelling, but something a producer can get on board with.

Stay in the loop with our upcoming workshops!

Why Most Plays Don’t Get Produced (And What To Do About It)

by Cate Cammarata | May 4, 2026 | Business, Getting Produced, Pitching, Producing, Theater

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 of good plays never get produced. Not because they aren’t worthy—but because they’re not yet producible.

And that gap matters.

If your goal is production (not just expression), you need to understand what’s actually standing in the way.

Here are five of the most common reasons I’ve found that plays stall—and what you can do about each one.

1. Your Play Needs More Development

This is the big one.

Most plays don’t get produced because they’re simply not ready yet.

Not “bad.” Not “broken.” Just underdeveloped.

Maybe the structure isn’t landing.
Maybe the central action isn’t clear.
Maybe the ending doesn’t deliver on the promise of the premise.

From the outside, it might feel done. But from a producer’s perspective, it still requires too much work to justify the risk.

What to do:
Stop thinking in terms of “finished” and start thinking in terms of functioning.

Does the play land consistently with an audience?
Are the stakes clear and escalating?
Does it deliver a cohesive theatrical experience?

If not, the next step isn’t submission—it’s development. Workshops. Readings. Targeted rewrites.

This is where most producible plays are actually made.

2. Your Show Is Too Big (For Where You Are Right Now)

Scale kills more projects than quality ever will.

A 15-person cast. Multiple locations. Complex tech. Challenging casting requirements.

That might be the right version of your piece someday—but if it requires a level of funding that doesn’t yet exist, it becomes very hard to interest a producer to sign on now.

Especially in early stages, most investors and producing organizations are looking for something they can mount efficiently. They want a clear path to a return (artistic, financial, or reputational), and they want it soon.

Long, expensive development processes – while absolutely necessary – are a much harder sell.

Which is admittedly difficult on the writers, I know.

What to do:
Ask yourself a hard question:

Can this piece exist in a smaller, more producible form right now?
Can the cast be reduced?
Can the world be simplified?
Can the storytelling carry the weight without expensive elements?

This isn’t about compromising your vision. It’s about creating an entry point for the piece to initially get on its feet.

3. Your Story Is Too Personal (And Not Yet Universal)

“Write what you know” is good advice—until it isn’t.

A story that is deeply personal can be powerful. But if it stays only personal, it often doesn’t translate.

Producers aren’t just asking, “Is this meaningful to the writer?”
They’re asking, “Will an audience see themselves in this?”

If the piece doesn’t connect to a broader human experience—love, loss, ambition, identity, belonging—it becomes harder to program, market, and ultimately produce.

What to do:
Interrogate the core of your piece:

What is this really about?
What human question is it asking?
Where does the audience enter the story?

You don’t need to dilute your voice. You need to frame it so the audience can find themselves inside it.

This is a big one that many writers miss.

4. There Are No “Big Names” Attached

This one is less about art and more about reality.

Recognizable names—actors, directors, producers—reduce perceived risk. They help sell tickets. They attract investors. They signal credibility.

Without them, your project has to work harder to prove itself.

That doesn’t mean you can’t get produced. It means the package matters more.

What to do:
If you don’t have big names, build strength elsewhere:

A clear, compelling concept
A strong track record of development (readings, labs, workshops), or your own stong writing record.
A passionate, aligned team that is on board with your show.
Evidence that the piece lands with audiences. (Again, this is big – proof of concept.)

Momentum can substitute for notoriety—but you have to create it intentionally.

5. You Don’t Have the Relationships (Yet)

Theater is collaborative—and relational. This is an industry driven by personal relationships.

Most opportunities don’t come from cold submissions. They come from conversations, recommendations, and ongoing professional relationships.

If producers don’t know you—or don’t know your work—it’s much harder for them to take a chance on you.

It’s much harder to get them to come to readings, or to read your submission.

What to do:
Shift from “submission mode” to “relationship-building mode.”

Attend readings, galas and other industry events
Support other artists’ work
Build genuine connections over time
Stay in touch with others in the industry. You never know where someone you know will go.

This isn’t about networking in a transactional way. It’s about becoming part of the professional theater community where work actually gets made.

The Real Shift: From “Good” to “Producible”

Here’s the throughline:

Most plays don’t get produced because they lack merit—but because they’re not yet aligned with the realities of production.

That alignment includes:

Craft (a fully functioning script)
Scale (a feasible production model)
Story (a clear, resonant core)
Package (elements that reduce risk)
Relationships (pathways into the field)

When those elements come together, things start to move.

Final Thought

If your play isn’t getting produced, the question isn’t:

“Is this good enough?”

It’s:

“What is this play missing to become producible?”

That’s a far more useful—and actionable—question.

CTA

If you’re ready to move your work from draft to production-ready, the next step is focused development.

My Write a Producible Play Lab on May 30th with Off-Broadway producer Patrick Blake is designed to help you:

Clarify your story engine
Strengthen structure and stakes
Shape a piece that lands with an audience—and a producer

→ Applications are open now.

Save your seat for May 30th

If this opened your eyes to how producers actually evaluate your script…

Then you’ll want to be in the room for our live training:

Write a Producible Play Webinar on May 30th

Off-Broadway Producer Patrick Blake and I will walk you through exactly how to check your work so it’s not just compelling, but something a producer can get on board with.

Stay in the loop with our upcoming workshops!

What a Producer Looks For in a Script

by Cate Cammarata | Apr 28, 2026 | Business, Getting Produced, Pitching, Producing, Theater

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 never get produced.

Why? Because producers aren’t just evaluating a story.
They’re evaluating story + structure + scalability + relationships.

Here’s what they’re actually looking for:

1. A Clear, Compelling Concept

If you can’t explain your show in one sentence, you don’t have a show—you have an idea.

“Six innocent people on death row.”
That’s a show.

2. A Fresh Take on a Familiar Story

There are no new stories. Only new perspectives.

The question is:
Why this version? Why now?

3. Strong Structural Spine

Beginning. Middle. End.

If your first 15 pages don’t establish:

the world
the protagonist
the central conflict

You’ve already lost us.

4. A Protagonist Who Wants Something

Not vaguely. Not internally. Not philosophically.

Actively. Urgently. Passionately.

No want = no action.

5. Active, Onstage Drama

If your play is primarily people sitting around talking…

…it’s just not interesting.

6. Distinct Characters

If everyone sounds the same, and looks the same…

You don’t have interesting enough characters to hold our attention.

7. Clear Theatrical Language & Devices

Flashbacks?

Immersive theater?
Stylized staging?

We don’t go to the theater to see everyday life—we go to experience a new world or story told in a new way.

Establish your storytelling devices early.

8. Musical Integrity

Songs must:

advance story
reveal character
keep us entertained

Otherwise, they’re just good songs. Not musical theater songs.

9. Producibility

This is where most scripts die.

Producers are thinking:

How large is the cast?
How complex is the set?
Can this draw an audience?

If it’s not producible, it’s not viable.

10. A Collaborative Writer

This is the hidden gem.

Producers aren’t just choosing scripts.

They’re thinking:
“Do I want to be in a long-term relationship with this person?”

What are producers really looking for in a script?

Great writing gets attention. But it’s not the only thing we look for.

Producible writing gets produced.

And the writers who understand that difference?
They’re the ones who build careers.

Save your seat for May 30th

If this opened your eyes to how producers actually evaluate your script…

Then you’ll want to be in the room for our live training:

Write a Producible Play Webinar on May 30th

Off-Broadway Producer Patrick Blake and I will walk you through exactly how to check your work so it’s not just compelling, but something a producer can get on board with.

Stay in the loop with our upcoming workshops!

Creating Theater in 2023

by Cate Cammarata | Jan 2, 2023 | Dramaturgy, NPD, Producing, Theater

A Watershed Moment

COVID-19 will prove to be the watershed moment in defining the history of the 21st century. Apart from our communal human experience of the virus and its reverberations across the human spectrum, the arts and in particular theater must learn to surf the waves of change.

Remember body surfing the waves when you were a kid? The key lesson was to learn to relax and float on the surface of the water when the wave hit. Resistance and rigidity would result in dragging you down into the undertow – not a pleasant experience.

As theatremakers, how do we relax and float in the face of the tsunami of change hitting our industry? Let me tell you what won’t work: resistance and rigidity, holding tight to the model of what was instead of facing the challenge of what is.

Facing the Wave

The way I see it, the waves of change encompass the economics of theater, audience demographics, and the need for inclusive storytelling models.

First, economically, theater’s been devastated. I’ll leave it to others to provide charts and graphs on the precise numbers, but as a broad perspective we’re facing an industry where many of our brightest and talented workers have left theater (and left NYC) because they needed to survive. Those who stayed are now faced with rising costs on everything, fewer opportunities to work and even fewer opportunities to work on projects they like. Producers and artistic directors are also facing rising costs of everything, including the realization that we must pay our artists a dignified living wage. At the top of this theater food chain, where will this funding come from? Historically artists have been funded by the government, the Church or by wealthy patrons. How’s that working out in the current climate? We must look for a broader economic baseline, much like video and film has had to do earlier. In the meantime, major non-profit arts companies like the Roundabout are making major programming cuts.

Secondly, our audiences are literally dying off. We must change our offerings to suit younger audiences (like the Met’s decision to concentrate more on contemporary work). How do we plug into current culture? By being open to younger artists and taking their creative expression seriously, and being open to embrace the change that’s already here. If art reflects the culture that creates it, we marginalize any artist at our own risk. Remember when Off-Broadway used to be a place for experimentation and risk-taking? Where is that place now (other than TikTok)?

Finally, as times change the way we tell stories must also change. We know that the use of technology has changed the way we process events and tell them. The dramatic imagination is more cinematic and visual than ever before, and it intrinsically changes our storytelling structure. As an industry we must make way for more inclusive storytelling models, not just in terms of whose story we’re telling (although we definitely need more non-western, non-Anglo-centric perspectives) but how we’re presenting these stories. We must allow ourselves space to think outside the proscenium. People today crave experiences where they are immersed in an environment where they retain agency, much along the lines of the interactive video games they grew up with. I’m not saying that we should all follow the Sleep No More model, but marketers around the world have become aware that designing and staging experiences heightens economic value and customer satisfaction. If we want audiences to crave theatre, we have to provide those theatrical experiences in innovative and compelling ways.

Keep Your Eye on the Current

Just as you would never body surf without checking the weather beforehand (at least, not as an adult), so should you understand the cultural and economic currents of the moment. I’m concentrating on smaller cast sizes, deepening audience’ engagement and clarifying the emotional journey. No matter what the story, I’m remembering that essentially theatrical experiences are about the audience’s encounter with the story.

Above all, remember that this moment too will pass. Enjoy the ride and let your audiences do the same.

Marketing Your Show: the Basics

by Cate Cammarata | Sep 19, 2022 | Inspiration, Producing, Theater

Marketing is NOT a Choice

If you know me then you know that I’d much rather spend all day every day helping you write your show than marketing myself. Marketing is not my favorite thing.

However, I have to remind myself that marketing shows is how we get audiences into seats (butts in seats). Likewise, marketing myself helps me meet more talented writers.

If we are going to engage in commerce at any level, then marketing is not a choice. It’s the basis of business – how you put yourself out in the world and what you do.

Here’s Where to Start

Every show should have the following:

LOGO for the show
Tagline
Short Synopsis: Describe the journey of your show in 3-5 sentences (sometimes you will need a longer synopsis, but not often)
Website
Quality demos of your music (for musicals)

Who is your audience? Find a person that best represents your audience. Discover everything about that person. Build an “avatar” and speak to that person in every bit of copy you write about your show.

Ask yourself:

What does my audience member value? What do they want?
What type of job does my audience hold?
Where does my audience live (for the most part). Search any demographic Information online that will tell you more.
What challenges does my audience member have?
What types of products does my audience member buy? Where do they shop, Whole Foods or McDonalds?

Find Your Audience Online

Hopefully you’ve been building an email list of people that have contacted you about your show or about other shows. This is an important list to cultivate, nurture and grow.

How? Get on Social Media. Begin to talk to people that are interested in your show, or who like theater. Facebook groups and LinkedIn groups are also helpful.

Planning a reading? Write a Press Release and send it to Broadway World to be published. Push the press release on social media, and put it on your website.

You Need a Website. That’s not a choice either.

More on that next week! Have any questions? Post below.

« Older Entries

Next Entries »