A Brief Guide to 10-Minute Musicals
And getting them up on stage!
Sair here! Who doesn’t love a 10-minute musical? Our craft, condensed to its bare essentials: beginning, middle, end. Training programs such as the prestigious BMI Musical Theatre Writers Workshop culminate in writing one, and - especially in NYC - there are many ways to get your shortform piece seen. As we look towards the year ahead, here are some opportunities to keep an eye on.
Deadline in Autumn
Annually, the good folks over at Prospect Theatre Company select up to 10 writing teams to participate in this fast-paced, generative lab, where you are challenged to write a 10-minute musical in response to a chosen prompt. Every participant receives a stipend, but the real value is found in the experience itself. Where else can you pitch a show, write a show, rewrite a show, oversee casting, rehearse a show, and work closely with a director (Dev Bondarin) in preparation for a staged reading, all in a matter of weeks? I’ve participated in the lab twice now, and it’s truly an unmissable experience.
Deadline in Winter
Sound Bites is a staple of the 10-minute musical scene, selecting 10 musicals annually to be featured in the festival. Theatre Now provides writers with a significant show budget with which to self-produce their piece and with mentoring and guidance throughout the process. This culminates in a fully off-book production to an often-sold-out audience. Occasionally, Theatre Now may also reach out to license your piece through MTI, adding it to their collection of 10-minute-musicals. Overall, it’s a great opportunity and practically a write of passage for NYC-based theatre writers. (See what I did there?)
Samuel French Off-Off-Broadway Short Play Festival
Deadline in Spring*
A wide pool of writers is selected to present a reading of their shortform piece in the first round (plays and musicals welcome). Selected semi-finalists are then invited to present again the next day. Selected finalists then get one more opportunity to put their piece on stage, and five winners are chosen from the finalists. Winners get their piece published and licensed by Concord Theatricals. Of all the festivals I’ve participated in, this one was a highlight, (and not just because my piece won). Getting to present multiple times was fantastic, plus as a writer you get a stipend and free admission to all the different presentations.
*It looks like the festival is on hiatus this year but will be back in 2027.
A note on filming: Due to equity regulations and venue restrictions, don’t be surprised if you don’t get any video of your lab/festival presentation, or if the video you do receive is strictly for archival purposes. Your best bet (if your actors consent) is to grab a few videos yourself throughout the rehearsal process. But keep in mind that if footage is your priority, you may be better off gathering a few friends in a rehearsal room and propping your phone on a tripod.
If you’re not based in NYC, keep an eye out for local opportunities, too, such as the King’s Shorts Festival in Nova Scotia, or Pyro PlayFest in Texas. Go out to a few of your local theatre companies - you never know what they might be doing that can’t be found online.
Huge thanks to Stacey Luftig for subscribing and requesting more info on the 10-minute musical scene. If anyone else has special requests, please feel free to drop them in the comments. Happy applying!