Hey all, I'm super excited to announce that this month, on July 26, ShowLAB is going to be hosting Adam Gwon to talk about creating compelling musical arcs in songs.
While the live event is for Premium members, ALL members have free access to Masterclass replays, so there's no pressure to join.
If anyone is interested, let me know, and I'll share a link.
I know we're mostly playwrights in here, but if anyone submits to NAMT, let me know. There's a free Masterclass/Q&A with Tom Morrissey of Theatre Now (a long-time submission reader for NAMT) this evening, where he'll talk about best practices for submitting your project. If you're interested, let me know, and I'll send the link.
I originally shared this in the ShowLAB Skool group, but thought I'd share here as well:
This question has come up from a number of people, and I took the risk to ask about it directly at the NAMT Summit yesterday.
"How does the industry feel about vocal synthesis?"
The temperature CHANGED quickly. I felt everyone's blood pressure rise... seriously.
I mentioned that writers feel pressure to produce high-quality demos, but the answer was unanimous: not at the expense of the human voice.
They know it's hard to find or pay for professional singers, but as long as the notes and rhythms are represented, they don't care. If you aren't comfortable singing your own melodies, they suggest doing the community work to make friends with anyone who can help. It's more effort than plugging notes into a machine, but it turns out it's worth the effort, because Vocal Synth, or "AI vocals," are immediate disqualifiers in the eyes of the industry, as it stands today.
Thought I'd pass this along!
TLDR: Don't use vocal synthesis when submitting. Find real people to sing.
Hey all, I have my MFA in Theatre Writing, and I'm super curious who else has considered doing one. And, if you decided against it, what were the reasons?
Money? Time? Having to move? Curious what people's reasons are.
Cohort 2 of ShowLAB's Catalyst Cohort starts Monday, June 8. We're at 8 of 10, and the doors close when the cohort begins.
It's a 14-week development program for theatre writers building a new musical or play: three live sessions a week, 1:1 coaching, and a four-phase process that takes you from idea to a draft you're actually ready to send out.
If you've got a project you've been carrying around for too long and you want to actually finish it this summer, this is the last chance to join this round. Next cohort isn't until later in the year, and the price goes up once this one sells out.
DM me or book a call: https://cal.com/jesse-hampsch-5nlnho/discovery.
I'm holding time this weekend for last-minute calls. If it's a fit, we'll know on the call. If not, no pressure
Happy Summer writing, y'all.
Hey writers, I'll be hosting a free masterclass/workshop with Tom Morrissey of Theatre Now on June 19, 6:30 pm EST.
He is a longtime reviewer of NAMT submissions, and he and I were having a conversation about the various states of the projects he sees come in.
He had some really wonderful insights, so I asked if he'd be willing to come speak to our group, and he said he'd be happy to!
If you have submitted in the past or are planning to submit, this would be a great workshop to attend.
Details in the group: https://www.skool.com/showlab
Full disclosure up front: I run this, so this is me talking about my own program. Mods, remove if it's not allowed here.
I run ShowLAB's Catalyst Cohort: a 14-week program for theatre writers developing a new musical or play. Three live sessions a week, 1:1 coaching, and a structured process from idea through a submission-ready draft. Cohort 2 starts June 8.
I'm posting because I've got a handful of spots left (5 out of 10 are filled) and figured someone here might be sitting on a project they keep meaning to finish. If that's you and you want details, comment here or message me. No pressure either way.
Happy to answer any questions about how it works in the comments, including the honest "is this right for me / not right for me" stuff.
On June 29 at 6pm EST, ShowLAB will be hosting a masterclass with Kleban and Richard Rodgers Award-Winner Sam Carner! Premium members have the opportunity to submit for workshop feedback, but ALL members can view the masterclass 100% free once it's posted to the archive (available to all members)
Hey writers, is anyone here looking for help developing their musical?
I'll be running a cohort of no more than 10 writers this summer from June 8 to Sept 14. If you've been stuck on an idea, or if you know there's a gap in your level of experience to finish your show, please DM me, and I'd love to chat about it!
This is the second cohort I've run, and Cohort 1 has made huge strides with their shows 😄
Is this helpful to anyone?? If you've been struggling with writing your protagonist, I'd be super curious to hear your thoughts in the comments!
I break down three qualities that can make a protagonist more engaging. Also, let me know if y'all want more of this stuff. I hope it's useful :)
