The O'Neill Launches A National Search For New Musicals Under Artistic Director Alexander Gemignani

The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center announced today that it is now accepting submissions for the 2019 National Music Theater Conference. Writers may submit new musicals to the O'Neill's Open Submissions Process through Friday, November 2, 2018.

The National Music Theater Conference provides a supportive and challenging environment in which emerging and established creative artists take risks in order to refine and illuminate their musical's vision during its formative stages. Selected writers will receive a two week residency during June or July 2019 with a stipend, housing, meals, and transportation to support an intensive rehearsal process and four script-in-hand public readings with a professional cast and creative team.

Submission Details:
-Apply at www.theoneill.org/nmtc
-The submission fee is $35, which covers the cost of the application administration and reading process.
-Early submissions are strongly encouraged.
-We strongly encourage women, nonbinary folks, and writers of color to apply
-No agent is required.
-Both electronic and hard copy applications are accepted.

Since its inception in 1978, NMTC has developed over 120 works. Notable projects include: In Transit by Kristen Anderson-Lopez, James-Allen Ford, Russell M. Kaplan, and Sara Wordsworth; In The Heights by Quiara Alegría Hudes and Lin-Manuel Miranda; Avenue Q by Robert Lopez, Jeff Marx, and Jeff Whitty; The Wild Party by Andrew Lippa; Violet by Brian Crawley and Jeanine Tesori; and Nine by Arthur Kopit, Mario Fratti, and Maury Yeston; The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin by Kirsten Childs; and Superhero by Tom Kitt and John Logan.

The 2019 season will be the second under the direction of Artistic Director Alexander Gemignani who notes "I am looking for pieces that challenge and inspire, written by diverse theatermakers-both culturally and artistically-who are bold enough to create fresh ideas and new ways of storytelling, while having respect for the American musical tradition."

Gemignani continues: "I encourage writers with every level of experience to apply through our Open Submissions process: seasoned pros as well as those who have never applied to NMTC or anywhere else. Our readers represent a vast array of artists and administrators who are hungry to be a part of the next generation of groundbreaking musicals developed at the O'Neill."

Open Submissions is a key element of the National Music Theater Conference's mission to develop diverse voices and new works for the American stage, requiring neither agent submission nor previous experience. Both original and adapted works are accepted; written rights to any material not in the public domain must be included with application and materials submitted. Projects that have already been produced by a professional company are not accepted.

Readers for the 2019 National Music Theater Conference include: Ari Asfar, Artist; Matt Castle, Orchestrator/Musical Director; Martine Green, President of LMDA/Assistant Professor; Jin Ha, Actor/Activist; Nehal Joshi, Performer; Lindsay Levine, Casting Director; Megan McGinnis, Actor; Lindsay Mendez, Actor; Gina Rattan, Director; Awoye Timpo, Director; Tatiana Wechsler, Actor; and Arielle Jacobs, Actor/Singer. A full list of 2019 NMTC readers can be found here.

Visit www.theoneill.org for application and guidelines. Please direct any questions to the Literary Office at (860) 443-5378 ext. 227 or litoffice@theoneill.org. An online Office Hour about the process will be held October 24th at 7pm with Lexy Leuszler (O'Neill Literary Manager) on Facebook.

The O'Neill continues to build an endowment to support Open Submissions. Initiated in 2006 with donations made in honor of O'Neill playwright Wendy Wasserstein, interest income helps support the submission and selection process.

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