The pool is full—in fact, it’s overflowing.

In musical theatre, we talk a lot about breaking in. Getting picked. Being chosen. Opportunities like national grants, major awards and institutional development slots are all important. But they’re also slow-moving, highly competitive and rarely in your control.

Last year, in a conversation with Dramatist Magazine, I mentioned something that I think about often:
It’s important for writers to have two operations running: you absolutely must find a place to be a big fish in a small pond any time you are also a small fish in a big pond.

Small ponds might be local. They can feel like home, have a signature scrappiness, be doing something old-school, trying something new or be a bit eager. But, smaller ponds have more room for you. 

This isn’t just strategic, it can often be the difference between sustainable momentum and burnout. A small pond has value as you reach for more intense opportunity. It gives you community. It gives you practice. It gives you proof of concept. It doesn’t need to be fancy. It needs to be active. It’s a familiar place where you get to build visibility, and maybe most importantly, fail safely.

And when you bring that small-pond swagger into the big pond? Suddenly, you're not just trying to get ahead, you’re arriving with your own ecosystem in tow.

Now, does this mean you give up on the big pond? Absolutely not. Big ponds matter. They hold capital, scale and infrastructure that most small ponds don’t. But the big pond doesn’t move on your timeline. Waiting for those big ponds to notice you can be paralyzing, and if that’s the only place you’re playing, you risk sitting still. That’s why it’s critical to remember where you came from and build upon the spaces where you’re already swimming freely.

The key is balance. Yes, learn to pick your battles, and keep the long game in motion. But make sure you’re not losing your power in the meantime. You don’t need an ocean to make waves. The small pond is where you build muscle. The big pond is where you flex it.

Keep both alive, and be a big fish, too.

Stay in the loop! Check out announcements from the NAMT Network:

PROUD MARYS READING: Jennifer Paz & Anthony Fedorov (both Fest '24) host reading presentation of PROUD MARYS at Dramatists Guild Foundation on April 25th. 

BEAM2025 SHOWCASE: Parisa Shahmir (Fest '24, MEDUSA) announced for Artist Spotlight for BEAM2025 Showcase. 

OLD GLOBE: Casting announced for HOUSE OF INDIA by Deepak Kumar (Fest '22, BAKED! THE MUSICAL) at Old Globe, opens May 15th. 

SIGNATURE RESIDENCY: Signature Theatre (NYC) announces Heather Christian (Fest '22) and Lauren Yee as resident playwrights for 25/26 season. 

CLASS IN SESSION: Olney Theatre Center announced casting for SENIOR CLASS by Melvin Tunstall, Greg Borowsky & Kevin Duda (all Fest '21), directed by Amy Anders Corcoran. Performances begin May 16th. 

FILM FESTIVAL WIN: Documentary on the creation of FALLOUT by Dmitry Koltunov & David Goldsmith (both Fest '23), "Our Hands," wins top prize at New York Istanbul Short Film Festival. 

CO-FOUNDERS INDUSTRY PERFORMANCES: Industry Performances announced for World Premiere of CO-FOUNDERS by Ryan Nicole Austin, Beau Lewis, Adesha Adefela (all Fest '21) on June 19th through 21st at A.C.T. San Francisco, Jamil Jude directs with Irvin Mason Jr (FEAP '22) as Assistant Director. 

TL;DR @ THEO: Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre announces 25/26 Season including TL;DR: THELMA LOUISE; DYKE REMIX by EllaRose Chary & Brandon James Gwinn (both Fest '21). 

New@NAMT: The Next Wave of Musical Theatre Writers is a bite-sized series dedicated to spotlighting the emerging voices in musical theatre.

New@NAMT is hosted by Jean-Paul Yovanoff in partnership with Musical Theatre Radio, and each episode features interviews with key figures at NAMT and provides a unique glimpse into the creative minds behind the next big musicals. Whether you’re a producer, theatre lover or even simply curious about the future of musical theatre, New@NAMT offers a front-row seat to a new generation of writers.

Season 3 of New@NAMT turns the spotlight toward the decision-makers shaping the future of new musicals. This season, we sit down with Artistic Leaders from NAMT’s Member Theatres across the country to uncover how new work gets chosen, developed and launched into the world. From regional powerhouses to incubators of innovation, each episode offers a candid look into the creative and curatorial philosophies of those championing the next generation of musical theatre writers.

Co-hosted by NAMT’s New Works Associate Skye Cone Ivey, this series invites you into the rehearsal rooms, season planning meetings and artistic huddles where the next big musicals and programs that develop them are taking shape. Whether you're a writer navigating submissions, a producer seeking new collaborators or a fan curious about how musicals are built from the ground up, this season offers a rare behind-the-scenes perspective on what it means to lead—and lead with vision—in today’s musical theatre landscape.

Check out past seasons of New@NAMT here, featuring Festival Selectees from the 36th Annual Festival of New Musicals and Winning Student Songwriters from the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge for High School Students. 

Listen to the first airing of each episode on Mondays at 7pm ET on Musical Theatre Radio and weekly on your favorite podcast platform. 

Featuring Interviews with:
(in order of airing) 

MICHAEL FLING
Associate Artistic Director,
Goodspeed Musicals (CT)

AMBER WALLACE
Artistic & New Works Associate,
Ogunquit Playhouse (ME)

BRANDON IVIE
Associate Artistic Director,
Village Theatre (WA)

CAT BRINDISI
Associate Artistic Director,
Asolo Repertory Theatre (FL)

MICHAEL BAXTER
Associate Artistic Director,
The Muny (MO)

ELISSA ADAMS
Associate Artistic Director &
Director of New Work,
Theater Latte Da (MN)

KIAN KLINE-CHILTON
Artistic Producer,
Diversionary Theatre (CA)

DEV BONDARIN
Associate Artistic Director,
Prospect Musicals (NY)

Funding for Writers Residency Grants increases by 20% this season. 

A part of the Frank Young Fund for New Musicals, NAMT's Writers Residency Grants are an excellent supporting resource in cultivating artistic collaborations. Theatres may bring composers, lyricists, bookwriters, songwriters and other artists to your venues locally or work with a creative team virtually from all corners of the world.

The Writers Residency Grants provide $500-$2,000 supplemental funds to not-for-profit NAMT members to work with writers on developing a new musical. All projects are expected to have a culminating activity equal to or smaller in scale than a public minimally-staged reading presentation, including but not limited to: a new draft of the script, a Zoom-style virtual performance, a public concert performance, cast album or any similarly scaled deliverable culminating from the residency.

If you have questions regarding the Frank Young Fund for New Musicals, please email New Works Associate Skye Cone Ivey.

Applications open May 1st and are due on May 31, 2025 (no intent to apply required). This round is for projects taking place from July 1, 2025 - December 31 2025. 

You can read more about the grants and find the application on our website (don't forget to log in!). 

Making Friends with Risk – Becoming More Resilient
May 7, 2025 2:00 pm ET

Anna Glover, CSP, CMIOSH, IRM CERT
Director of Theatre Safety and Occupational Health & Assistant Professor Adjunct,
David Geffen School of Drama at Yale and Yale Repertory Theatre

Risk is an unavoidable part of producing theatre—whether you’re overseeing a regional musical, a national tour, or a new work in development. But how we understand, communicate, and respond to risk can make the difference between a reactive production environment and a resilient, high-functioning one. This session will start to explore how with a little bit of risk literacy, risk can be repositioned as a strategic ally rather than an obstacle to overcome. This online event is open to NAMT members and invited guests only.

Online Town Hall: Meet the Songwriting Challenge Winners 2025
May 19, 2025 7:00 pm ET

Save the date for a virtual evening getting to know the Winning Participants of this year’s Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge for High School Students. Join us for a conversation with each of the Winners about their songs, the songwriting process, and how their songs evolved from Draft 1 to Draft 2! Meet the Writing Mentors who will be working with the Winners to continue developing their songs. We hope to see you there!

No advance registration is required. Times are Eastern. A recording will be also available after the event is over.

NAMT Spring New Works Summit
June 14, 2025 10:00am ET to 2:00pm ET

$30 Registration Fee, Limited Availability 
Public Registration Opens May 6, 2025 (Pre-registration has closed)

Join us in New York City for NAMT’s Spring New Works Summit, a dynamic gathering designed for composers, lyricists, playwrights and administrators dedicated to musical theatre’s future. This year’s theme, “Finding Visibility During Creative Development,” explores how artists and industry professionals can build audiences while shaping their work, ensuring their voices are heard long before opening night.

Through a mix of engaging panels, roundtables and networking opportunities, attendees will gain insight into leveraging digital spaces, navigating career growth and activating audiences for both artistic and advocacy-driven goals. Whether you're emerging, mid-career or a champion of new works behind the scenes, this summit is designed to provide actionable strategies, meaningful connections and a forward-thinking approach to audience development.

Full lineup to be announced soon!

Save the Date: Challenge Accepted! 2025
A Concert Presenting the Winners of the Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge for High School Students
Livestreamed & Live on June 16, 2025 at 7:30 pm ET

NAMT is excited and honored to partner with the National Endowment for the Arts on the 2024-25 Musical Theater Songwriting Challenge for High School Students. This unique opportunity gives high schoolers across the United States the chance to submit, workshop, revise and re-submit original musical theatre compositions. Learn more about the program here! Please email events@namt.org if you have any questions!

Online Town Hall: Festival Announcement 2025
July 10, 2025 5:00 pm ET

In this very special Town Hall, we are excited to introduce you to our 37th Annual Festival of New Musicals writing teams. The eight shows were selected this year from 537 submissions from more than 900 writers! We’ll announce the shows and you’ll get to meet the writers and hear directly from them about their work. Then we invite attendees to join us in a toast to this year’s Festival participants!

No advance registration is required. Times are Eastern.

NAMT’s Songwriting Resource Center is back for a second season, serving as both a hub for student songwriters revising their work and a resource for any musical theatre writer looking to sharpen their craft. With the motto “Writing is Rewriting (& Rewriting),” this year’s center expands with new tools, events and insights designed to support the creative process. Find more at namt.org/rewriting.

A hub for everything above and more, NAMT Staff are excited to announce a new page on our website at namt.org/recommended. We hope this becomes a useful and fun resource for discovering new musicals and a means of creating awareness for successes in all corners of NAMT’s New Works community.

Pearl Studios is the official rehearsal studio for the NAMT Festival of New Musicals. Pearl Studios is conveniently located in Midtown Manhattan on 8th Avenue between 35th & 36th Streets, and offers two floors of clean, bright and flexible rooms fit for all your rehearsal needs. For bookings, call 212-904-1850 or email contactus@pearlstudiosnyc.com.