Why Most New Plays and Musicals Stall in Development
(And What Actually Moves Them Forward)
Let’s say the quiet part out loud.
Most new plays and musicals don’t stall out because they’re bad.
They stall out because the people making them are doing many different things—but not building momentum.
If you’re a playwright or musical theatre writer, this probably sounds familiar:
You’ve had a reading. Or three.
You’ve gotten “great feedback.”
People say things like, “This has real potential.”
You’ve revised… and revised… and revised again.
And yet?
Nothing is actually moving forward.
No next step.
No clearer path.
No traction with the industry.
Just a vague sense that your show is perpetually “almost ready.”
Welcome to development purgatory.
At CreateTheater, we see this every day—not because writers aren’t talented, but because development is deeply misunderstood. The industry rarely gives creators experience on how projects move from script to stage. So new writers especially default to what feels productive instead of what actually is productive.
Let’s talk about the real reasons shows stall—and what to do instead.
Reason #1: You’re Confusing Activity With Progress
This is the #1 killer of new work momentum.
Readings. Workshops. Feedback sessions. Script swaps. Festivals. Another round of notes. Another rewrite.
It feels like progress because you’re busy. You’re doing “writer things.” You’re engaging with the community. You get to invite friends an family to the “next exciting step.”
But activity is not the same as movement.
Progress means:
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The show is clearer than it was before
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The next step is more specific
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The circle of people invested in the project is growing
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Someone new can now say “yes” to it
If your development doesn’t change the trajectory of the project, it’s not progress—it’s maintenance.
One of the hardest truths for writers to accept is this:
You can be working very hard on the wrong thing.
Endless activity without strategy doesn’t move a show forward. It just exhausts the creator.
Reason #2: You Don’t Have a Development Path—Just a Pile of Experiences
Most writers approach development like a buffet.
“I’ll do a reading here, a festival there, maybe a workshop if I get in, and then… we’ll see.”
There’s no order. No logic. No sequence.
But development isn’t a grab bag. It’s a path.
Every strong development journey answers three questions:
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What is the show right now?
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What does it need next?
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What does that step make possible afterward?
Without that clarity, writers bounce between opportunities that don’t build on each other. They get stuck doing early-stage development forever—or they leap ahead before the work is ready.
This is why shows stall after their “first good reading.”
That reading wasn’t connected to a plan.
A reading is not a strategy.
A workshop is not a roadmap.
A festival is not a guarantee.
Development only works when steps are intentional.
Reason #3: You’re Collecting Feedback Instead of Making Decisions
Let’s be blunt: feedback does not move a show forward.
Decisions do.
Writers are often told:
“Let <insert name> take a look at it.”
“Get more feedback.”
“See how audiences respond.”
So they do. And do. And do.
But no one teaches them how to filter feedback—or how to decide what actually matters right now.
As a result:
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The script gets pulled in multiple directions
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The writer keeps “fixing everything”
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The core problem never gets addressed
Development becomes reactive instead of strategic.
Here’s the insider truth:
Producers don’t care how many notes you’ve gotten.
They care whether you:
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Know what the show is
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Can articulate what you’re working on
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Can explain why certain choices were made
Strong development isn’t about pleasing everyone.
It’s about choosing intentionally.
If your revisions aren’t driven by clear priorities, your show will stall—no matter how smart the feedback is.
Reason #4: You Don’t Have an Advocate (And You’re Trying to Do Everything Alone)
Shows don’t move forward because scripts are “good.”
They move forward because someone pushes them forward.
A producer.
A director.
A dramaturg.
An artistic leader.
Someone who is willing to say, “I believe in this, and I’ll put my name behind it.”
Many writers try to carry their projects solo for far too long. They pitch, submit, rewrite, and plan entirely on their own—assuming that once the script is “ready,” support will magically appear.
That’s not how it works.
Advocates don’t arrive at the end.
They’re part of development itself.
Without an advocate:
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Opportunities don’t stack
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Introductions don’t happen
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Momentum dies between steps
One of the most important development realizations a writer must understand is this:
The goal is not just to improve the script—it’s to expand the team.
If your development process never brings new people into the project, you’re building in isolation. And isolation is where shows stall.
Reason #5: There’s No External Pressure For the Next Step
Deadlines are not the enemy of creativity.
They’re the engine of it.
Many shows stall simply because nothing is forcing them to move ahead.
No timeline.
No accountability.
No concrete next step.
“I’ll revise when I have time.”
“We’ll plan another reading down the road.”
“I’m waiting until <insert current excuse>.”
That’s not a plan. That’s avoidance dressed up as patience.
Professional development includes:
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Target dates
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Clear milestones
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Real-world consequences
External pressure doesn’t mean rushing.
It means structure.
At CreateTheater, one of the biggest shifts writers experience is realizing how much lighter the work feels once there’s a framework holding it. When they understand that they’re not making decisions about their work alone.
When everything lives in your head, it stalls.
When it lives in a structure, it moves.
Reason #6: You Think the Show Is Further Along Than It Is
This one stings—but I see it over and over again.
Writers often overestimate where their show is in the development life cycle. Not out of ego (usually)—but out of hope.
They start pitching too early.
Submitting too early.
Asking producers for things the show can’t yet support.
Then they hear:
“Not ready.”
“Come back later.”
“Interesting, but…”
And the writer loses confidence in their own process.
Every stage of development has different goals:
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Early development = discovery and clarity
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Mid development = structure and alignment
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Late development = readiness and team-building
When you skip steps, you don’t move faster—you stall harder.
One of the most powerful things a creator can say is:
“This is where the show is, and this is what it needs next.”
That clarity builds trust.
Advocates lean in to help the show with a clearly defined path.
Reason #7: You’re Waiting for Permission Instead of Building Leverage
Many writers believe the next step in development requires someone else’s approval.
A theatre has to say yes.
A producer has to say yes.
A festival has to say yes.
But shows gain momentum when creators build leverage—not when they wait.
Leverage looks like:
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A clear artistic identity
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A strong development narrative
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A team forming around the work
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Proof that the creator understands the business side
Industry professionals are far more likely to engage when a project already feels in motion.
Waiting to be chosen is a stall strategy.
Building readiness is a momentum strategy.
So What Actually Moves a Show Forward?
Momentum comes from structure.
From understanding:
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Where the show is
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What it needs next
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Why that step matters
It comes from:
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Intentional development, not random opportunities
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Decision-making, not endless note-reviewing
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Team-building, not isolation
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Strategy, not wishful thinking
This is why CreateTheater exists.
Not to give more feedback.
Not to run endless readings.
Not to keep writers “busy.”
But to help creators:
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Build development paths that make sense
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Align their work with industry realities
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Create momentum that compounds
Because talent is everywhere.
What’s rare is clarity.
And clarity is what keeps shows from stalling.
If you’re tired of feeling like your show is stuck—if you’re ready to stop spinning your wheels and start moving forward—then it’s time to stop moving in circles and start developing with intention.
Momentum doesn’t come from doing more.
It comes from being guided by people who understand how this industry actually works.
New plays and musicals don’t need another round of opinions. They need experienced judgment, clear sequencing, and development that happens in conversation with the professional field — not in isolation from it.
At CreateTheater, development is mentored deliberately, not randomly nor academically.
We work inside professional industry standards. We ask the questions producers, artistic directors, and programmers ask behind closed doors. We help writers understand not just what needs work, but why — and which choices will materially change how the project is received.
That means:
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Development decisions grounded in professional reality
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Projects shaped by people who know how shows move in NYC
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Writers who aren’t left guessing at the next step
Shows don’t move because someone “likes” them.
They move when they’re built with clarity, pressure, and guidance from people who know the system.
That’s how work advances in this city.
And that’s the work CreateTheater exists to do.