IAMT Creators Program To Offer Online Courses For Writers

New York City's Institute for American Musical Theatre "Creators" program has announced a diverse array of online courses in musical theater writing for the 2020-21 season. Built and run by award winning lyricist-librettist Sam Carner (Island Song, Unlock'd), the new intensive and highly collaborative training will be guided by a faculty including composer-lyricist Adam Gwon (Ordinary Days, Scotland PA, String), composer Anna K. Jacobs (Pop, Teeth), composer Derek Gregor (Island Song, Unlock'd), music supervisor Brad Haak (Mary Poppins, Daddy Long Legs), director Marlo Hunter (American Reject, Saved By the Bell: the Musical), musical director Andy Collopy (Lightning Thief), and other Broadway professionals still being confirmed.

The Institute for American Musical Theatre Creators is now accepting applications from aspiring composers, lyricists, bookwriters, and directors with a passion for new-work development. Fall 2020 courses will include Lyric Writing; Music Composition; Music Composition for Words People; Musical Theatre Bookwriting, Structure and Aesthetics; The Business of Musical Theatre; and The Core, a collaborative workshop / master class intended to foster a community of musical theater creators. Students will also be able develop their work (remotely) with IAMT performance students and musical directors throughout the program.

Originally conceived as a full-time, in-person, two-year certificate program, the Covid-19 pandemic prompted IAMT Creators' shift to a la carte online classes this year. Program designer and director Sam Carner said, "It's a big adjustment, but big adjustments are an essential part of the musical theater development process. Musical theater creators are always responding to a changing world and the shifts in the moving parts of any production. Our program is no different." IAMT founder Andrew Drost added, "Even before the pandemic, IAMT's performance program was offering online courses, so we feel confident launching our Creators curriculum online-especially under Sam's guidance."

Sam Carner has over 25 years of musical theater writing experience. With awards to his name including the $100,000 Kleban Prize and the Richard Rodgers Award and work that is performed regularly around the world, Carner has also taught various musical-theater-related courses at Yale, NYU, and Temple University. Andrew Drost, founder of IAMT, said of Carner, "I can't think of a better person to lead this new initiative. I've been a fan of his work for years. And, on top of his real-world creative experience and achievement he brings a solid analytical and academic know-how."

According to Carner, "We want to build a community of musical theater creators, providing a space for writers to find collaborators and mentors. Our curriculum will foster individual artistic expression and collaborative exploration while also providing a solid framework and technical training in the craft of musical theater creation. Above all, we'll be working to keep our students inspired and fruitful during this all-too insular moment in our lives."

Marlo Hunter, director of the upcoming movie musical American Reject, who will also be teaching in the program, said of Carner, "He is a true master, in study and practice, of the genre. As an artist he is uniquely adept at creating organically idiosyncratic characters who surprise us (and often themselves) with their layers and complexities. His facility with comedy, without sacrificing craft, is also a gift for any project. And the fact that he's not only an exceptional writer, but can then dissect and contemplate why certain choices work or don't work in the context of a particular moment or framing device makes him an invaluable teacher of the form."

Said Drost, "Just as our Performance program engages Broadway professionals to teach its students in a 'learn from those who do' model, our Creators students will be learning from a remarkable group of professionals currently working in the highest levels of the business."

For more information and the application visit: www.iamusicaltheatre.com/creators