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 of music theater, including musicals, song cycles, operas, and hybrid pieces. Every summer, three unproduced works are selected from a nationwide pool of submissions for a two-week-long, artist-driven workshop residency on the O’Neill’s campus in Waterford, CT. Each piece is matched with a team of industry-leading directors, dramaturgs, musicians, and actors for an intensive 60-hour rehearsal period, culminating in three public, script-in-hand staged readings. At every step in the process, the O’Neill strives to foster an inclusive, collaborative environment in which artistic exploration and experimentation is encouraged.
2024 NMTC Submission Window: October 2–16, 2023! For updates and reminders, sign up for the mailing list.
If you are interested in submitting a play, the 2024 NMTC Application Guide is available here for your reference. The application itself will be hosted on Submittable, which you’ll be able to access through this webpage when applications open. Be sure to sign up for email updates, too, to stay in the loop about NMTC applications. Eligibility requirements and a rundown of application materials can be found below.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Writers must be at least 18 years of age or older and have the right to work within the United States.
- Work must not have had a professional production prior to submission, and that the work remain unproduced until July 31, 2024. A professional production means that the artists working on the show were compensated for their time, and that all the theatrical or production elements desired were present. If your piece was produced but the production lacked significant and necessary theatrical elements — a Zoom or virtual reading, stage lighting, projections, or puppets, for instance — we do not consider that a “professional production.”
- NMTC has no specific requirements regarding the form or content of the piece. NMTC supports the development of all styles and genres of music theater, including song cycles, operas, and experimental works.
- You may submit an adapted work, providing that the rights to any material not in the public domain have been granted in writing, and a copy of the release is sent along with the script. You must provide proof of rights at the time of submission.
- Jukebox and catalog musicals are ineligible for consideration.
- The O'Neill requires vaccination for all staying on campus; therefore, all writers must be vaccinated against Covid-19.
- Only complete applications will be accepted.
The administrative fee for NMTC 2024 is $20 per script submission. This helps offset the costs of the application process itself: its organization, staffing, administration, and submission platform. A number of fee waivers are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. If you would like to request a fee waiver, please use this Request Form before you begin your application.