Future Broadway Creators Launches Gen Z Writers

Future Broadway Creators launches the next generation of musical theatre writers with an exclusive online program from writers Morgan Smith and Abigail Greenwood. Creators of viral internet musicals, Tiktok influencers, and Gen-Z activists, Morgan and Abigail are fierce proponents of a more inclusive Broadway. When asked "what will the new Broadway look like?" they have turned to their generation to find the answer. FBC, a weekly class hosted on Zoom, challenges 250 students (from an applicant pool of 600) to create musicals that grapple with the world we live in today. As the students learn the basics of script formatting and song structure, they are also challenged to think about how to address physical and financial accessibility, confront systemic racism in the industry, and fight for gender parity in the boardroom. With students writing about everything from 17th-century French chemists to femicide in Latin America, the first class of FBC is envisioning a future for Broadway, even while the Great White Way remains dark.

A question often asked at theatre conferences is "what is the best theatre can be?" The students of FBC are answering- and the future looks bright.

FBC at a glance:

74% of FBC writers are women.

10% of FBC writers are nonbinary.

Writers come from 42 countries.

The average age is 15.

When asked why they want to write musical theatre, the answer is almost unanimously "because I want to change this industry for the better."

As they meet on Zoom calls, talk on Discord, and post clips of their songs to Tiktok, this next generation is challenging Broadway to think bigger about what musical theatre can be- and they are setting the bar.

Morgan Smith is a writer, model, and activist, and social media influencer whose writings have been published in the US and internationally, winning over 20 national awards. Writer of Oceanborn, an internet-famous musical called "sweeping and confident" by the New York Times, and Averno, a multimedia franchise including 6 plays and musicals, Morgan is an experiential storytelling designer, a fandom creator, a legislative advocate, a medieval history literature specialist, and an avid proponent of fairy-tale revolution. Morgan has studied at Juilliard, Yale, MIT, and NYU.

Abigail Greenwood is a composer and writer known for Antonia the Musical and Two Maiden Ladies. She is a junior at Charleston School of the Arts. Abigail is passionate about representing women throughout history and educating today's audiences about the stories they may never have heard.

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