I’m a firm believer in just going for it. Just putting your stuff out there even if there’s the absolute smallest possibility of success. Also, it’s kinda fun. So, I always find myself searching through the internet for places to submit my songs. There are lots and lots of opportunities out there but they’re not easy to find. Google is NOT really helpful so I thought I’d put together this little list of submission opportunities for theater writers. I’ll try to update it periodically
Grants/Awards
Jonathan Larson Grant
Submission Window: Early Fall
“The Jonathan Larson Grant is an unconditional annual investment in individual talent. The grant is awarded to musical theatre composers, lyricists, and librettists, or writing teams, early in their career, to support artistic endeavors and safeguard long-term music writing careers”
My Thoughts: I consider this one to be the biggest of the big ones. If you look at the list of people who have won this in the past, there are some who’s who of contemporary musical theatre writers. Although the submission process is a little complicated (essays and whatnot), it’s all worth it for the off-off-off chance of even being a finalist. Also, if you ask, you can get your judges feedback and that’s a rare thing in this world.
Fred Ebb Award
Submission Window: June 1st – June 30th
The Fred Ebb Award is for a “composer/lyricist or composer/lyricist team wishing to create work for the musical theatre, and must not yet have achieved significant commercial success.”
My Thoughts: This $60,000 award goes to one writer each year… which is tough. There are some really great writers out there. But, the application process is pretty easy and it’s reviewed blind.
Richard Rodgers Award
Submission Window: Mid-Fall (Usually due by late October)
“The Richard Rodgers Awards were created and endowed by Richard Rodgers in 1978 for the development of the musical theater. These awards subsidize full productions, studio productions, and staged readings by nonprofit theaters in New York City of works by composers and writers who are not already established in this field. The winners are selected by a jury of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.”
The catch: Your show has to be DONE. It can only be submitted once. Period. Even if it is “substantially revised”. Which is the exact reason why I’ve never applied for this one. SOMEDAY.
The Kleban Prize
Submission Window: Spring
“Edward Kleban, the lyricist of A Chorus Line and other extraordinary works, created the Kleban Prize in his Will, which is given annually to writers of extraordinary promise – to a librettist and a lyricist, repectively. … The Kleban Foundation Board sets the amount of the Prize annually. In recent years, a sum of $100,000 in each category has been paid in two annual installments to Prize recipients.”
My Thoughts: This is maybe the easiest one to apply for. You only have to submit the songs (with lyric sheets). That’s it. AND it’s also reviewed blind! So, do you have 5 – 8 songs? Are you happy with them? Then there’s absolutely no point in not going for it.
Development Opportunities
O’Neill National Musical Theatre Conference
Submission Window: Fall
“The National Music Theater Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center is the nation’s premier program for the development of all styles and genres music theater, including musicals, song cycles, operas, and hybrid pieces. Every summer, three unproduced works are selected from a nation-wide pool of submissions for a two week long, artist-driven workshop residency on the O’Neill’s campus in Waterford, CT. “
My Thoughts: So, last October, we sent Make Me A Match in for this. It was a lot. Apply at your own risk. The nice thing is though, if you substantially revise your work, you can resubmit here.
Rhinebeck Writers Retreat
Submission Window: Winter
“The mission of Rhinebeck Writers Retreat is to provide a sanctuary for musical theatre writers to develop their musicals in the heart of the Hudson Valley, and to promote awareness for the creation of this uniquely American art form.”
My Thoughts: Of all of the residencies to apply for, none seem better than this one. They offer fully-funded weeklong solo residencies in New York and reimburse travel fees to get there (up to $750) in addition to a $600 stipend. No actors. No end of week performance required. Just a full week or writing. I WANT IT.
Johnny Mercer Songwriters Project
Submission Window: Early Spring
“The Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriters Project is a weeklong intensive for emerging songwriters in all genres between the ages of 18 and 30 held annually each June on the Evanston campus of Northwestern University. The highly competitive program attracts applicants from around the world and invites 12 songwriters or songwriting teams to spend a week in residence working with award-winning professional master teachers.”
The catch: This event is not only for musical theatre writing so there are all kinds of other writers in attendance. And, there is an age limit (18 – 30). Some of us are now too old for this…
Festivals/Other
Samuel French Off-Off-Broadway Short Play Festival
Submission Window: Winter
“The Samuel French Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival offers a prize of publication and licensing for six short plays in the notable off off broadway festival plays series. The application period for the Festival begins in in late fall and lasts for four weeks. Playwrights may submit one unpublished play or musical that may be up to 15 pages in length and a max run time of 15 minutes (ideal run times are between 8-13 minutes). All submissions are read by the Festival’s staff, and 30 semi-finalists are chosen to present their play during Festival week. Festival week starts with four nights of performance sessions that are presented in front of a judging panel comprised of professionals representing various parts of the theatre industry. At the end of each session, the judges deliberate and one to three plays are selected to move on to the Festival Finals. During the Finals, the Festival staff will watch the final 10 to 12 plays and select six authors to be a published in the Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival series, which is published and licensed by Samuel French, Inc.”
Chicago Musical Theatre Festival
Submission Window: Ongoing
Participation Fee: $1900
“CMTF is designed as a place to showcase the text, sound, and concept of your show, rather than glitz, glam, and crazy-expensive production value. Each show only gets 1/2 hour to set up before each performance, two hours to perform, and you must strike within 1/2 hour of curtain call… Minimum 5 performances”
My Thoughts: I personally participated in this festival with my show, Paper Swords. We ran into some issues (SNOW) that caused the festival to not be the best for us but I know that some of the other writers had a very successful experience. If you’re interested in having your work judged, this festival has a panel of three judges who watch every show and send very detailed and helpful feedback. If you do participate, I recommend personally advertising hard for your show and contacting reviewers early.
Festival of New Musicals
Submission Window: Fall
“NAMT’s Festival of New Musicals is the cornerstone of NAMT’s mission to be a catalyst for nurturing musical theatre development and production. Every year, we feature eight musicals in 45-minute presentations for an audience of over 700 industry professionals. We look for new musicals at all stages of development from the broadest possible range of voices… We never take any royalties from our writers or ask them to pay for their participation in the Festival.“
Bloomington Playwrights Project
Submission Window: Early Winter
Location: Bloomington, Indiana
“The Woodward/Newman Award is an exclusive honor offered by Bloomington Playwrights Project… It presents the best unpublished play of the year with a cash prize of $3,000 and a full production as part of BPP’s Mainstage season, along with travel reimbursement.
Phoenix Theatre Festival of New American Theatre
Submission Window: Not currently accepting submissions (it’s a COVID thing)
“The Festival of New American Theatre is the premiere new theatre works festival in the southwest. Hosted annually by The Phoenix Theatre Company, the festival brings together artists from across Phoenix, the southwest and the country to amplify new voices and expand the canon of new American theatre. The festival presents rehearsed readings, with script in hand, of new, unproduced plays and musicals and highlights the songs of emerging composers and lyricists at live cabaret performances. “
Submitting to Theaters
There are lots of theaters that offer script submissions. Although it’s another long shot, you never know what could happen! Here’s a little list of theaters that accept unsolicited scripts:
Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park
Foundation for New American Musicals
Porchlight Theatre (kind of accepts unsolicited scripts)
Playbill Jobs
And then, when there’s nothing else, there’s always the Playbill Jobs page. Random good stuff pops up on the “Festival/Competition Submissions” page sometimes.