Bring your coffee and your questions – we’ll get to know each other, pass out worksheets and pre-festival materials, and have folks there to answer any quick festival, technology, or MusicalWriters.com questions you have.

Write a summary that makes people want to read your show. Implement the skills in real time and walk away with a new tried-and-tested synposis, gaining feedback from industry professionals along the way.

Logline - Learn the one-sentence method that has the power to make your submission memorable.

Character Descriptions - Describe your characters in a way that builds the world of the show before people even start reading.

Writer Bio - Craft a version of your bio that not only highlights your accomplishments, but makes it clear that you are the one to write this story for this moment.

Take this opportunity to verbally pitch your show to actors, directors, and theatre makers, learning to tailor your pitch in ways that promote curiosity.

The only thing better than learning how to pitch is actually doing it!

By the end of this work session, you should have a new draft of a pitch deck for your show. Gain access to a Canva pitchdeck template and collaborate with colleagues to workshop pitchdeck sections such as:

Why Me / Why Now - Learn to articulate the relevance of your show to a contemporary audience and relate it to your own experience or story.

Additional Content - Discover the details that producers care about: production requirements, development history, work samples, media, etc.

Long day of travel?
Freshen up, grab a bite, or take a stroll around the mall!

The first official event of the weekend! All attendees may enjoy drinks from the bar and snacks from the grazing table.

Meet-and-greet Artist-in-Residence Alyssa Payne, Writers-in-Residence Ash & Elle G. Tyler, and your fellow Festival attendees!

Friday’s main event! Celebrate the first day of the Festival with a powerhouse live concert featuring select songs written & submitted by your fellow attendees!

Click here for the event program.

Grab another glass and stay up late with us!

Enjoy a selection of attendees' cut songs followed by improvised scenes by Totally Made-Up Musical, giving them brand-new and totally ridiculous context!

Click here for the event program.

Your official welcome before a jam-packed day featuring door prizes and more coffee!

Our 2026 Artist-in-Residence Alyssa Payne is back with a new-and-improved guide for artists on how to use your social media as a tool to extend the reach of your incredible art!

For so many opportunities, it isn’t just about your show. It’s about you. Artist Statements are the way that you position yourself as a creative expert, present yourself as someone people want to work with, and articulate a vision that organizations can’t help but want to be part of. Join Trent and Ally, who have read innumerable Artist Statements over the years, and learn what stands out in the submission pile.

Chocolate Cures Everything from Letters the Musical by Tom Schneider & Andrew Friedrichs
Performed by Melania MacDonald

Courtyard Duet from Turn of the Cards by Rick Campbell
Performed by Rowan Gilvie & John Wenzel

In the Closet from Songs for the End of the World by Janna O'Leary
Performed by Natalie Hinds

Light of the Crescent Sun from Teen Paranormal Romance (A Musical) by Christine Hand Jones
Performed by Gideon Ethridge & Brigitte Wilson

Get Incorporated from Hijinx & Sue by Daniel J.F. Wolfert & Jessi Pitts
Performed by Lexi Nieto

Musicals are so much more than words and music. They require choreography, costumes, lighting, set, props, direction, and more. Come and learn from industry professionals with extensive new works experience on what it is exactly they bring to the table and how they might benefit your show. What excites them within a script? Do they have any pet peeves on the page? At what point do they like to be included in the process of a production? What are they looking for within a script to do their job most effectively? What makes certain stories stand apart from others, from their particular perspective? Discover the full picture of what it takes to bring your show from page to stage.

Come and learn from Ash and Elle, MusicalWriters.com’s inaugural Writers-in-Residence, about how they approach the process of submitting their shows into the world. These two have an above-average success rate, and we’re going to find out why! Moderated by MW’s own Trent Clifford, who has experience on both sides of the submission table, this session is perfect for those who are hoping to start seeing a few extra YESes in their inbox.

The Odd Ducks from Pinteon the Musical by Ana Vidina Hernández
Performed by Kya James, Roel Garza, Robbie Mosley, & Natalie Merrell

Dreamland's Door from Book Club by Chari Smith
Performed Brett Warner

The Night of Christmas Eve from The Seven Deadly Elements by Autumn Choate
Performed by Octavia Thomas

Kinda Crunchy Mom from The Middle-Aged Adventurer's Club by Joanna "Jo" Sisk-Purvis
Performed by Katie Porter & Natalie Merrell

Summer Camp from A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting by Brian Christensen
Performed by Kelly Wolff

Head into the mall to the Showroom at Dave & Buster’s! Desserts & drinks provided.

SELL ME YESTERDAY by Stephanie Ren & Michael Matlock

PINTEON THE MUSICAL by Ana Vidina Hernández

BATTLE CROWN: THE LEGEND OF PRINCESS PINK by Amanda Dills

HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITH A VAGINA by Marisa Mitchell, David Thomas Jones, & Kelly Krebs

EVERY COLOR by Elle G. Tyler

HIJINX & SUE by Daniel Wolfert & Jessi Pitts

Click here for the event program.

Get a first look at four staged reading snippets of new shows in development with MusicalWriters.com: two upcoming productions and two encore performances!

SELL ME YESTERDAY by Stephanie Ren & Michael Matlock

HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITH A VAGINA by Marisa Mitchell, David Thomas Jones, and Kelly Krebs

BATTLE CROWN: THE LEGEND OF PRINCESS PINK by Amanda Dills

THE SCARLET LETTER MUSICAL by Kenady Sean & Christine Hand Jones

Click here for the event program.

Grab another glass and stay up late with us... again!

Be brave! We would LOVE to hear what you’ve been working on!