2026 Chicago Musical Theatre Writers Workshop
Call for Applications
The American Music Theatre Project (AMTP) at Northwestern University is pleased to announce an open call for applications for the 2026 Chicago Musical Theatre Writers Workshop! Now in its second year, the Workshop is a weekly writers’ lab for Chicago-based musical theatre composers, lyricists, and bookwriters, held in a 10-week session from late September to early December. Selected participants are provided with a forum to develop existing work and build vital skills in the craft of writing/composing for the musical stage, free of charge. In addition to serving early-career writers/composers from Chicagoland music and theatre communities, the Workshop provides Northwestern students with the opportunity to learn from rising professional artists by performing new work and assisting with the process of new musicals development. The Chicago Musical Theatre Writers Workshop is led by Tony-nominated songwriter Masi Asare, associate professor of Theatre and artistic director of the American Music Theatre Project at Northwestern University.
The Workshop serves as an incubator for new work, whether in the early phases of development or in the midst of significant revision. The program also enables participants to strengthen fundamental skills in musical theatre writing and composing through guided feedback. It will culminate in an informal sharing of work, performed by Northwestern students, in early December. Industry professionals, including additional NU faculty members, are invited to give feedback and share insights at key points throughout the fall.
Interested composers, lyricists, and bookwriters should apply in teams (or as an individual composer/bookwriter/lyricist), submitting work samples relevant for a newly conceived show or current musical-in-progress as well as a statement of creative goals. See below for more details below on the application process.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: August 14, 2026
PDF of the below Submissions Guidelines HERE
To aid in preparing your online submission, Word doc of the Application Form HERE
Eligibility
To be eligible for the 2026 Chicago Musical Theatre Writers Workshop, you must:
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Reside in the Chicago area and be able to regularly attend weekly, in-person meetings on Monday nights from late September to early December.
- Be working on a new musical, even if in the very early stages, that has a fully staffed writing team–composer(s) and writer(s) attached.
(Note: If you are a playwright searching for a composer collaborator, you are not eligible to apply alone. Once you have a composer who is committed to working with you on the project, you are welcome to apply together.) - Not be a full-time student at Northwestern.
(Northwestern students who wish to study musical theatre writing/composing, please reach out to Prof. Masi Asare and Prof. Ryan Nelson about the Creating the Musical module courses.)
2026 Application Process & Timeline
August 14. Application Deadline.
Late August. Finalist Interviews
September 14 (at latest). Selected Participants Notified
September 28. First Workshop Meeting
2026 Workshop Dates & Location
In Fall 2026, the Chicago Musical Theatre Writers Workshop will take place on Monday evenings from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Meetings will be held in person, primarily in downtown Chicago at Northwestern’s Wirtz Center Chicago in Abbott Hall (710 N. Lake Shore Drive), with an additional session to be held on Northwestern’s Evanston campus. The Workshop meets every Monday from September 28 – December 7 (except October 12).
Selection Criteria
The Workshop will select writers/composers and shows that allow us to:
- welcome new and underrepresented voices to the genre
- create opportunities for mid-career artists to explore new directions in their work
- support distinctive, innovative approaches to the musical in content, style, and form
- bring together writers and composers who are excited to participate in a process of discovery, writing, and revision (i.e., not just pitching a “finished” musical)
- build a thoughtful, generous, and intergenerational community of writers and composers committed to sharing reciprocal feedback and insights.
About the American Music Theatre Project (AMTP) at Northwestern
The American Music Theatre Project was created in 2005 to support the development of new musicals, providing artists and their work-in-progress with the resources and dramaturgical support to meet key creative goals along an individualized developmental journey. By inviting artists and their work to Northwestern’s campus, AMTP enables Northwestern students to engage with new work in rewarding and illuminating ways through performance opportunities, assistantships, and observation. AMTP strives to foster a welcoming environment for artists of all backgrounds to create vibrant new songs and stories that bring original and valuable perspectives to the musical theatre.
About AMTP’s Artistic Director
Dr. MASI ASARE is a Tony-nominated songwriter and dramatist and associate professor of theatre at Northwestern. Her work includes Paradise Square (Broadway, Chicago), Monsoon Wedding (Off-Broadway, Delhi, Doha), Odyssey (SF Bay Area, national tour), Delta Blue (in development), Marian, or the True Tale of Robin Hood: The Musical (Concord, 2025) and Mirror of Most Value: A Ms. Marvel Play (Concord, 2019). She is currently at work on multiple commissions and a jukebox musical. A past Dramatists Guild Fellow, her honors include the Ziegfeld Award for a woman composer of musicals, a Theater Hall of Fame grant, and inclusion on the “Women to Watch on Broadway” list. Masi is a member of the Recording Academy and a Grammy Awards voter.
Testimonials from Past Participants
“Learned a ton, wrote a ton, loved every minute! It’s the kind of opportunity that moves your work forward in ways you can’t get on your own. Masi is amazing!”
“The AMTP was really transformative for me in terms of artistry. Chicago is truly the next big musical theater incubator and the AMTP has served as the nexus and foundation for the art that is to be developed here. Through the program, I was able to get a stronger grasp on lyric writing for characters, book writing, song spotting, and book/song integration. My project has grown leaps and bounds during the 10 week program last fall. It was the best part of my week!”
“This workshop was challenging, inspiring, enlightening, and so much fun. To be in a room of other passionate nerds sharing ideas got me jazzed up every week. Writing can be isolating at times, so to have a space once a week to throw my ideas at like-minded creatives was one of the coolest experiences of my professional career. I likened it to the Great British Baking Show without the eliminations. Ever since, our group has kept in touch with our own hangs and readings. Thank you, Masi, for creating the community you sought to start here in Chicago. It’s here and it’s thriving!”
“The Chicago Musical Theatre Writers Workshop was an incredible experience to work with passionate, new musical theatre writers while also receiving invaluable guidance from industry professionals. Masi Asare was a visionary leader, and I am so grateful for this opportunity to work with so many amazing artists.”
How To Apply
Complete the application form here – COMING SOON!
Questions? Email amtp@northwestern.edu with any questions.