Eugene O'Neill Theater Center Seeks New Musicals For Development In The 2021 Summer Season

Submissions for the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center's 2021 National Music Theater Conference are open! Writers may submit new musicals through the O'Neill's Open Submissions process through October 30. They are committed to the discovery of new and daring voices, vital to the future of the American theater.

The O'Neill's 2021 summer season, including the National Music Theater Conference, will likely look different than usual due to the continuing presence of COVID-19. However, the NMTC core tenets remain and feature a writer-driven development process with collaboration and rehearsal time with actors and creative teams. Writers selected through open submissions will experience these processes through in-person or digital development.

This is the fourth season under Artistic Director Alexander Gemignani who invites writers and composers to apply saying: "Musicals have the potential to galvanize communities, change a culture, and ignite conversation. Submit your work to the 2021 National Music Theater Conference, and your musical could spark these transformations across the field. For those at NMTC, bravery, and vulnerability lead the way."

Here's the need-to-know information about applying for the 2021 National Music Theater Conference:

• All applications are due by October 30 at 11:59pm PST, and early submissions are strongly encouraged.

• Only digital submissions are accepted.

• They strongly encourage women, nonbinary folks, and writers of color to apply.

• Musicals that have enjoyed a professional production are ineligible, and submitted scripts must remain unproduced through July 31, 2021.

• You do not need an agent to apply.

• NMTC develops all styles and genres of music theater, including song cycles, operas, and experimental works. However, because their process centers on writing and revising all project elements - book, music, and lyrics - jukebox and catalog musicals are ineligible for consideration.

Their website is a terrific resource for folks interested in learning more. There, they've provided detailed instructions for the entire application process and a comprehensive overview of frequently asked questions.

Since its inception in 1978, NMTC has developed over 145 works. Notable projects include: In Transit by Kristen Anderson-Lopez, James-Allen Ford, Russell M. Kaplan, & Sara Wordsworth; In The Heights by Quiara Alegría Hudes & Lin-Manuel Miranda; Avenue Q by Robert Lopez, Jeff Marx, & Jeff Whitty; The Wild Party by Andrew Lippa; Violet by Brian Crawley & Jeanine Tesori; and Nine by Arthur Kopit, Mario Fratti, & Maury Yeston; The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin by Kirsten Childs; Superhero by Tom Kitt & John Logan; Teeth by Michael R. Jackson & Anna Jacobs; and JEANNETTE by Ari Afsar & Lauren M. Gunderson.

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