CreateTheater

Opportunities

CreateTheater offers a curated slate of development opportunities for new plays and musicals throughout the year.

These are not open-enrollment classes.
They are selective entry points into a producer-led development process — designed to move work forward through conversation, refinement, and industry engagement.

Writers and teams participate in:

  • Structured development environments
  • Pitching opportunities with industry professionals
  • Strategic guidance from an Off-Broadway producing perspective
  • Curated peer and collaborator networks

All programs are led by Cate Cammarata, Off-Broadway producer, director, and dramaturg, with additional participation and engagement from Broadway and Off-Broadway professionals experienced in the development process.

CURRENT & UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES July 2026

Join the July Play Writing Groups Now

Production-Ready Writers™

CreateTheater’s Focused Writing Groups – held online over Zoom

Unstructured 6-Month Weekly or Bi-Weekly Writing Groups for writers desiring professional production. Specify either plays or musicals.

For writers preparing scripts specifically for:

  • Industry submission
  • Readings
  • Representation
  • Producer circulation

* Writing Group Members may participate in the Monday Night Reading Series and the Songwriting Seminar at no additional charge

The Cabaret Lab

Show Off the Best Part of Your Musical – the Music!

Begins July 3

If your musical only exists on the page – it’s invisible.

The Cabaret Lab is a 3-month spring where you turn your material into a 20-minute cabaret presentation and put it in front of a real audience in NYC.

We’ll livestream your cabaret, so you’ll end up with a professional video documenting the presentation. And help you step by step along the way.

Get Your Songs on Stage in 90 Day

Panel: Linda Bonadies, Cate Cammarata & Skip Kennon

Build the Act One Finale That Demands Act Two

The NYC Musical Development Workshop

#2 Conflict, Obstacles & the Act One Finale

Sunday, July 26th 

In this second workshop we’ll focus on what stands in the way of the hero’s goal — and how those obstacles create the dramatic pressure your musical needs to move forward.

This 3-hour workshop will help writers strengthen conflict, raise stakes, clarify what the protagonist is up against, and build toward the major Act I reversal that sends the audience into intermission needing to know what happens next.

Participants will learn how to move beyond a passive “I Want” and create a first act where the hero is forced to change, take action, and step into the next phase of the story.

Because the end of Act I should not just pause the musical.

It should make the audience eager for Act II.

The CreateTheater New Works Studio

Our most selective development track for producible new works

The Studio provides:

  • Dramaturgy + producing support
  • Development planning & management
  • Professional readings / workshops
  • Access to the CreateTheater team
  • Marketplace strategy
  • Industry introductions
  • Production alignment opportunities
  • Streaming Musicals partnerships

This is not agency representation.
It is a development studio opportunity for works selected for their producibility and production potential.

Is your work ready for production? Sign up for a Consultation
Testimonials
“I can’t thank you enough for your incredible input — for all your insight and great suggestions!   As always, your analysis of my latest script has given me a lot to think about and digest, and I’m sure my musical will be the better for it.” 

Maureen Condon, CRUDE the Musical, NYMF

“Cate Cammarata looks for your play’s intention and then helps you structure it in order to achieve your unique goals.  She is comfortable in working in all theatrical styles.  Cate’s insights and advice have saved me months of revisions!”

T Cat Ford, playwright

“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