The 5th Avenue Theatre Looking for Creative Teens to Participate in New 10-MINUTE MUSICAL PROJECT

Seattle's The 5th Avenue Theatre is seeking the most creative and ambitious teens with a love for the stage to participate in an exciting new program called the "10-Minute Musical Project," which involves local students in the process of creating new works in the musical theater genre. Washington State students ages 14-19 are eligible to apply for a variety of roles: composer, lyricist, playwright, stage manager, director, music director and marketer. Students will participate in workshops throughout the summer, culminating in a two-week long intensive rehearsal process and a staged reading presented as part of The 5th Avenue's NextFest: A Festival of New Musicals in October 2016.

The deadline for student composers, lyricists and playwrights is June 15, 2016. Student directors, music directors, stage managers and marketing team members must apply by August 10, 2016. Applications may be found at www.5thavenue.org/10minute-musicals

"Creating new musicals is a thrilling process," says 5th Avenue Theatre Producing Artistic Director Bill Berry. "It is also a challenging and complex process that demands critical and creative thinking. By involving students-by giving them a platform for their own creative voices and giving them a front-row seat to witnessing professionals at work-we hope to inspire not only future leaders in musical theater, but also future creative thinkers who will be innovators in any field."

The 10-Minute Musical Project joins 5th Avenue education initiatives such as the Adventure Musical Theater Touring Company and the Rising Star Project in proactively using the medium of musical theater to support student achievement. The overarching mission of this project is to empower students and support their future achievements by introducing them to professional skills associated with songwriting, book writing, directing and the workshop process.

"Research is increasingly supporting what our theater educators have known for years," said Director of Rising Star Project and Internships Orlando Morales. "This art form engages students in such a profound way and on so many levels simultaneously. It's linked to higher test scores. It's demonstrated to foster empathy. And in the new works process, as it happens in the professional world, revision and reworking is crucial. The more that young people can practice looking at their own work in a critical way-and creating work with intention and purpose-the more empowered they'll be in the 'real world.' Also, creating a new musical is a lot of fun!"

About The 5th Avenue Theatre's New Works Program

The 5th Avenue Theatre's commitment to new musicals runs much deeper than the fully realized productions audiences see onstage. Under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Bill Berry and The Alhadeff Family Director of New Works and Music Supervisor Ian Eisendrath, the New Works Program fosters the creation of new musicals in each phase of development through writer's retreats, table readings and workshops. The New Works Program creates specially-crafted development programs for each show that comes under its care, and is committed to creating a positive and safe environment that supports the unique needs of each project. Every year, the program culminates in a concentrated period of development called "NextFest: A Festival of New Musicals," bringing new musicals from around the country to rehearsal halls at The 5th and across Seattle.

The New Works mission is to advance the art form of musical theater through the creation and production of the next generation of musicals; to support and respond to the specific needs of individual projects throughout each phase of development; and to create integrated, dynamic partnerships between The 5th Avenue Theatre and writers of new musicals in Seattle, across the country, and around the world.

About The 5th Avenue Theatre

The non-profit 5th Avenue Theatre is acclaimed as one of the nation's leading musical theater companies and is especially renowned for its production and development of new works. Since 2001, the Seattle-based company has produced 17 new musicals. To date, nine (including the sensational hit Disney's Aladdin) have moved on to Broadway premieres, earning a combined 15 Tony Awards®, including two for Best Musical (Hairspray and Memphis). The 5th Avenue Theatre is also known for its world class, critically acclaimed productions of musicals chosen from both the contemporary canon and the Golden Age of Broadway.

Unique in its Chinese-inspired design, this exquisite theater opened in 1926 as a venue for vaudeville and film. Today, under the leadership of Executive Producer and Artistic Director David Armstrong, Managing Director Bernadine C. Griffin and Producing Artistic Director Bill Berry, this non-profit theater company attracts an annual attendance of more than 300,000, including over 25,000 subscribers-one of the largest theater subscriptions in North America.

In addition to its main stage productions, The 5th Avenue Theatre is also committed to encouraging the next generation of theatergoers through its extensive educational outreach programs. For more information about The 5th Avenue Theatre, its season and its programs, please visit www.5thavenue.org.

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