Serious Development for New Plays & Musicals
CreateTheater helps playwrights and musical theatre writers move from idea to industry through professional training, script development, collaborative workshops, and industry presentation opportunities.
The CreateTheater Development Pathway
1. Learn the Industry
Learn how theatre actually works.
2. Structure the Script
Build a script that can sustain production and development.
3. Develop the Work
Workshop, test, and refine the piece collaboratively.
4. Present to the Industry
Create visibility and momentum for the work.
For Writers Ready to Move Beyond “Just Writing”
You may have:
a promising draft
a musical in progress,
years of rewrites,
great feedback but no traction,
or uncertainty about where your work fits professionally.
CreateTheater helps writers bridge the gap between creative work and professional development.
Programs
Learn the Industry
- Webinars
- Producer Office Hours
- Educational Content
- Newsletter
Structure the Script
- Script Diagnostics
- Development Consultations
- Writing Labs
Develop the Work
- Workshops
- Table Reads
- Experts Theater Company Development Programs
Produce the Work
- Readings
- Showcases
- Networking Opportunities
- Industry Presentation Events
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
The Experts Theater Company (ETC)
Membership · Mentorship · Access
The Experts Theater Company is the connective tissue of the CreateTheater pipeline.
It provides:
- Ongoing education and mentorship
- Community and accountability
- Access to higher-level development opportunities
Many writers begin here — and are invited forward into Labs, workshops, and the CreateTheater New Works Development Studio as their work becomes ready.
Upcoming Events
CreateTheater’s Musical Writing Lab
The Lab starts June 1st
CreateTheater’s NYC Producer Lab
Starts June 4th at 7pm ET
Recent Blog Posts
Don’t Write Passive Protagonists
Stop Writing Passive Protagonists (Or: Why Your Play Feels Flat Even Though the Writing Is Good) Let me say something I wish more writers heard early: Most scripts don’t fail because the dialogue is bad.They fail because the protagonist doesn’t do anything. I read a...
Building Your Musical One Song at a Time
How Daily Songwriting Habits Can Move Your Musical Forward Writing a musical can feel like climbing a mountain (I see you singing the song right now) —and doing it alone makes the peak look farther and steeper. And definitely harder. Here's the truth: the best...
The Daily Draft: How to Avoid Getting Lost Rewriting the Same Scene
Ever find yourself “working on your show” for hours… only to realize you’ve just reworked the same five lines over and over again? Yeah, it happens to everyone. Rewriting is the very essence of writing—but if you do it too soon, it can also become a trap. You start...
Tips to Write Characters So Real They Practically Pay Rent
You’ve got a great premise. You’ve outlined a killer plot. But your characters? They’re… fine. They’re saying all the right things, but somehow, it’s just not clicking. It’s like they’re reading cue cards instead of living inside the world of your play or musical. And...