Next Link Project
THE NEXT LINK PROJECT is NYMF’s primary writer service program, empowering 12 teams of musical theater writers by providing entrepreneurial training, career networking opportunities, and dramaturgical support in addition to a subsidized production slot at the fall New York Musical Theatre Festival. The program’s multifaceted approach to helping writers advance their careers and bring their work from page to stage has helped numerous shows to garner industry attention and further productions, including “Altar Boyz,” “The Great American Trailer Park Musical,” “Meet John Doe,” “My Vaudeville Man,” “Kingdom,” “Yank!” and others.
From January through early March, the program receives hundreds of submissions of musical theater scripts and demo CDs by writing teams from around the world. In a double-blind evaluation process, each project is considered by 4 members of an all- volunteer group of musical theater professionals (including writers, directors, choreographers, producers, dramaturgs, and musical directors). Submissions deemed promising are then considered by a Grand Jury consisting of leaders in the field (the 2011 jury has been collectively nominated for 7 Tony Awards and won 7), which whittles the finalists down to a dozen works in April.
The writing teams of the 12 Next Link Project selections are invited to a private weekend-long conference in early June, where they attend seminars led by industry professionals related to the collaborative, logistical, marketing and producing skills they will need to bring their shows to production and to promote them. The writers are also introduced to producers, directors and designers at industry networking events designed to help them find potential collaborators and supporters. To further assist the writers in self-producing, and to ensure that a diverse array of artists can fully participate in the program, the Next Link shows each receive $4,500 subsidies towards their NYMF production fees.
NYMF also provides each team with a professional dramaturg, who consults with them from the conference weekend through September, helping them continue the artistic development of their pieces during the months leading up to NYMF, and ensuring that amid all the pressures of producing a show the writers stay engaged as authors.
The 2011 Next Link Grand Jury included choreographer/director John Carrafa, bookwriter/lyricist Joe DiPietro, producer Barbara Freitag, producer Amanda Lipitz, musical director/orchestrator Michael Starobin, director John Rando, writer/actor Anthony Rapp, and producer/actor Tamara Tunie.
The open submission period for the 2012 Next Link Project is September 12 - October 31, 2011; application info can be found by clicking here.
