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MUSICAL THEATER LAB

2025 Lab Cycle - Application Now Open!

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Since 2008, Prospect has offered an annual musical theater developmental program which brings together 8-10 teams of writers, challenging them to create short (10 minute) musicals in response to a curated assignment.  

 

From the start of the lab process, writers have one month to write the first draft of their piece. During this month, they meet with Prospect's Associate Artistic Director, Dev Bondarin, and fellow lab writers to discuss their project and the culminating lab performance. 

 

This is followed by a two-week process during which each piece is rehearsed with a cast. The short pieces are presented in a culminating concert performance for the general public.

Lab participants are selected through an open application process.  A panel of Prospect's artistic staff members review each application.  The submission period is generally one month long and occurs in the months just preceding the lab.  Watch our social media for announcements!  

 

Prospect’s musical theater lab is a high-impact generative opportunity for writers that serves a broad network of artists, providing a platform to share work, create in community, and build professional relationships.

History of the Musical Theater Lab

We invite writers to be as intimately and frequently engaged with the Lab process as possible.  Please review the timeline below to confirm the team’s availability for this project.  The Lab intentionally operates on a compact timeline and incorporates random, playful elements in order to encourage writers to make bold and in-the-moment choices in their creative process.  If you or your team members will be unavailable for much of the planned process, it is best to wait for a future cycle to apply.

We will begin with a meet & greet with writers and the director on Mon 1/6 to discuss the general process.  If you apply, please hold open this date in the evening -- as well as Mon 1/20 in the evening -- for in-person group Lab meetings.  Teams will be notified of the application process outcome not later than Mon 12/9/24. 

The presentation will be performed by a versatile and diverse cast of actor-singers, drawn from Prospect’s network of alumni performers and other recommendations.  For the 2025 Lab, cast size will be targeted to 2-4 performers who are dedicated to working on one primary project.  Writers are encouraged to attend rehearsals, which take place over a two week period at a location in midtown Manhattan. The rehearsals will be a combination of day and evening time slots based on availability schedules submitted by the writing teams.
 

LAB TIMELINE:
Mon Jan. 6 - First group meeting of writers in evening (please hold this evening open.)
Fri Jan. 10 – Show concept pitches due.
Wed Jan. 15 – Cast breakdown due.
Mon Jan. 20 – Second group meeting of writers in evening (please hold this evening open.)
Fri Jan. 24 – Libretto first draft due.

Sat. Jan 25 - Fri Jan. 31 – Individual writer team meetings with director to be scheduled. 
Sat Feb. 1 – Completed rehearsal drafts of script and score due.
Tues Feb. 4 – Earliest first rehearsal date.
Tues Feb. 4 - Wed Feb. 19 – Rehearsals for each piece scheduled during this period.
Thurs Feb. 20 – Afternoon tech rehearsal at Symphony Space. 7:30pm performance.

THE FINE PRINT

  • Writers receive a modest honorarium for their participation in the Lab.

  • Writers retain all copyright/ownership of their work.

  • Writers who have previously participated in the Lab are welcome to re-apply, but not in the session immediately following their participation. (Ie: Writers may not participate in two back to back Labs, they must take one year off before re-applying.)

 

Previous Lab projects include Museum Pieces (2008), Map Quest (2009), Snapshots (2010), Souvenir Stories (2011), Rites of Passage (2012), Portraits (2013), Street Seen (2014), By The Numbers (2015), Stage Fright (2015), Archetype (2016), World Views (2017), Monument (2018), Message In A Bottle (2019), Move Meant (2020), Rule of Three (2021), Caption This (2022), Potluck (2023).

The Logistics

  • We strive to keep our open application process simple and efficient with a quick turnaround.

  • Please submit the name, role (composer, lyricist, bookwriter), pronouns, and a brief bio / info for each member of the writing team. 

  • Writers should apply with their intended collaborator(s).  Individual "team of one" writers who wear multiple hats may also apply.  New collaborative teams may also apply.  (Prospect doesn't create teams or pair writers.)

  • Writers are asked to include links to 3 sample songs (either mp3s or videos are acceptable) along with a brief scene sample.  Work samples that are representative of the collaborative team applying are best.  If the application marks a new collaboration, please be clear in describing the relevance of each sample to the application.

  • SUBMIT BY:  11:59pm on MONDAY NOV. 18, 2024

How To Apply

Selected Lab writers will be invited to pitch three show concepts.  With curatorial input, writing teams will select one of these ideas to develop into an 8-10 minute long musical.  The short, new works will be written between Jan. 6 - Feb. 1, and then workshopped and rehearsed between Feb. 4 - 19, and presented as a single evening's concert.  The culminating Lab presentation will be directed by Dev Bondarin, Prospect's Associate Artistic Director.

How It Works

Prospect Musicals seeks applicants to participate in the 18th installment of its annual Musical Theater Lab program. 

Applications are accepted via GOOGLE FORM

Submissions are due by Monday, November 18th at 11:59pm.

Each year, Prospect's Lab brings together writing teams to create short musicals in response to a curated assignment.  The 6-week program culminates in a public presentation of the new works generated through the lab process.  The 2025 Lab features in-person writer meetings, rehearsals, and concert performance.

As Prospect is in the midst of celebrating the company’s 25th year of producing new work, this year's Lab — titled JUMP CUT — will have a central theme of time, and how change occurs over time. From dawn to dusk, the Renaissance to the Roaring 20s, or 11:01 to 11:30, each writing team will randomly be assigned a length of time and asked to create a short piece which jumps through time to create narrative arc, character growth, and discovery.  We look forward to exploring all facets of this theme in our curatorial process with the selected writing teams.

 

Each selected Lab writing team will create a short (8-10 minute) musical sparked by the writing prompt, to be performed by a cast of 2-4 performers. Works generated in the Lab will be presented in a one-night-only, concert-style public performance on Thursday February 20, 2025 @ 7:30pm at Symphony Space (2537 Broadway, NYC) in the Peter J. Sharp Theater.

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