Mark Blankenship Announced as New Works Director for National Alliance for Musical Theatre

National Alliance for Musical Theatre and its Board have announced Mark Blankenship as New Works Director, a role previously held by Ciera Iveson.

As New Works Director, Mark is responsible for producing and managing every aspect of the annual Festival of New Musicals, from selection to presentation. He also oversees the Frank Young Fund for New Musicals as well as several committees that are dedicated to the advancement of musical theatre.

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"We are thrilled to welcome Mark as our New Works Director. He brings a vast array of experience to the role as a journalist, content creator and event producer. After a year online, Mark is the perfect person to shepherd this post-COVID Festival as we begin to return to an in-person format."

Betsy King Militello, NAMT Executive Director

"I was exposed to NAMT through my work as a journalist and then again through my audience research projects, and I was always struck by their mission to create platforms for writers and composers. Joining the team -- and contributing to so many programs that let artists' voices be heard -- is a thrill, and I relish this chance to support the NAMT membership and broader theatre community." Mark Blankenship, NAMT New Works Director

Mark Blankenship founded the magazine TDF Stages for Theatre Development Fund. He also created the Theatre Dictionary, helmed the Meet the Theatre documentary series, and helped lead the Triple Play audience research project. In addition, he founded The Flashpaper: Theatre's Thoughts on Right Now, created and hosted the podcast The Showtune Countdown for iHeartRadio Broadway, and served as Director of Integrated Content at AKA NYC, where he worked on long-form content projects for Broadway clients like The Band's Visit, Once on This Island, and Be More Chill. He served as a key collaborator on SDC's Next Stage project, and he regularly hosts live and online events for the Thornton Wilder Family, John Ridley's NO Studios, Yale School of Drama, and others. He has contributed to The New York Times, NPR, Vulture, Fortune, Variety, American Theatre, and many others. A native of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Mark is a graduate of Emory University and Yale School of Drama.

The FESTIVAL OF NEW MUSICALS is the cornerstone of NAMT's mission to assure the advancement of the musical theatre field. Each year, the Festival presents eight shows before an audience of over 800 industry professionals, highlighting quality new works with a wide range of subjects and forms. With an explicit commitment to nurturing composers, lyricists and book writers of all identities and backgrounds, the Festival seeks to expand the musical theatre repertoire and advance the musical theatre art form.

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