Theater Resources Unlimited Seeks Submissions for 2014 TRU VOICES New Musicals Reading Series; Deadline Today

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) seeks submissions for the 14th Annual TRU Voices New Musicals Reading Series. Writers, producers and theater companies are welcome to submit new musicals for consideration in the developmental series. Non members may submit to the TRU Voices New Musicals Series (completed musicals only) for a $25 fee. The deadline for submission is today, August 8, 2014 (deadline is extended to August 15th for TRU members and shows with a producer attached).

The TRU Voices New Musicals Reading Series will take place in January 2015 and will consist of 2-3 new works presented on consecutive Monday evenings in Manhattan. The purpose of the series is to help develop new musicals, help producers develop the skills needed to produce new works, and foster the producer-writer relationship for future development beyond the series. Each reading will be followed by a "Dollars and Sense" panel discussion with prominent New York producers, general managers and artistic directors focusing on potential venues, marketing and budgeting of the work.

Last year, one of the selected musicals in the 2013 series, My Life As a Musical was optioned directly out of the series by producers from the TRU "Dollars and Sense" Talkback: Patrick Blake, Martin Platt, Dave Elliott and Cheryl Wiesenfeld. They partnered with the producers we matched to the show for the series, Molly Morris and Cate Cammarata, did developmental readings in New York and are currently opening a full production at Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbour.

"I wanted to thank you again for another amazing year with TRU.... I'm making my commercial 'debut' and none of it would be possible without you and TRU. I wouldn't have the show, my partners, and my investor if it weren't for the support you and this organization have shown to me," said Molly Morris, producer of My Life is a Musical.

"Our purpose is to put writers and producers together and nurture relationships that will take shows beyond our reading and into full development. My Life Is a Musical proves that our series works. We look forward to more and more producer-writer teams using the TRU Voices Series as a stepping stone to production," stated TRU executive director Bob Ost.

Other shows that started in the series include The Forgetting Curve by TRU member Vanda, optioned out of the series by TRU producer Kimberly Eaton, and currently in production in Boston; Pied-à-Terre, which played off-Broadway at The Kirk, Theatre Row; The Great American Trailer Park Musical by Betsy Kelso and David Nehls, which enjoyed an off-Broadway run and national tour; Normal by Yvonne Adrian, Cheryl Stern and Tom Kochan, which played a limited run in fall '06 in the East Village starring Barbara Walsh and tours throughout the country; and Saint Heaven by Martin Casella and Keith Gordon, which has had successful runs at the Stamford Center for the Performing Arts and the Village Theatre in Issaquah WA. A finalist in the 2006 series, Missives by Garret Jon Groenvald, had a production at 59E59 Street Theatres directed by Elysabeth Kleinhans; TRU was a co-producer with Animated Theatreworks and PlayGround.

Theater Resources Unlimited (TRU) is a twenty-one year old 501c3 nonprofit organization created to help producers produce, emerging theater companies to emerge healthily and all theater professionals to understand and navigate the business of theater. Membership includes self-producing artists as well as career producers and theater companies.

TRU publishes an email community newsletter of services, goods and productions; presents the TRU VOICES Annual New Play Reading Series and Annual New Musicals Reading Series, two new works series in which TRU underwrites developmental readings to nurture new shows as well as new producers for theater; TRU offers a Producer Development & Mentorship Program whose mentors are among the most prominent producers and general managers in New York Theater, and also presents Producer Boot Camp workshops to help aspirants develop the business skills they need. TRU serves writers through a Writer-Producer Speed Date, a Practical Playwriting Workshop and a Director-Writer Communications Lab; programs for actors include an Annual Combined Audition and quarterly Resource Nights and "Speed Dating" as well as free monthly actor workshops, in partnership with Weist-Barron Studios.

Programs of Theater Resources Unlimited are supported in part by public funds awarded through the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, 9th district Council Member Inez Dickens and Council Member Christine Quinn; The Montage Foundation, as well as generous support from the Friar's National Foundation Association.

For more information about TRU membership and programs, visit www.truonline.org or call (212) 714-7628.