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Village Theatre is highly respected on a national level for its significant contribution to the world of musical theatre through its Village Originals program. Only a handful of theatre companies throughout the country commission and develop new musicals.

Village Originals is an extensive year-round program, dedicated to every aspect of new musical development: workshops, readings, seminars, and full productions presented on the main stage.

Mainstage productions of new shows like Million Dollar Quartet, Once Upon a Time in New Jersey, Girl of My Dreams, Play It By Heart, Making Tracks, and The Ark means an exciting new show each season!

Readings: Have your heard about the Annual Festival of New Musicals? 2008 was the eighth year of this exciting event and our inaugural presentation of the Festival on the Mainstage! Readings are one of the earliest steps for a new musical — the actors don't memorize their lines, they have a very short rehearsal period, minimal staging and music, and no set, costumes, or lights. More than anything, staged readings are a first look at a musical from top to bottom, accompanied by acting and singing.

Workshops: Workshops are the next step after a reading in the development of a new musical. There are no costumes, set or props, and include minimal lights and music. Workshops are for shows ready to move beyond readings, giving them the opportunity to further develop and gain more in-depth audience feedback before becoming a staged production.

Developmental productions: Terezin (Spring, 2007), Fairystories (Fall, 2006), and Snapshots (Fall, 2005) are examples of a developmental productions. These shows have a full rehearsal period, essential production values, and a small band/orchestra. Developmental productions are for shows that are ready for, and need, a full production, audience, and run in order to get extensive feedback from Village Original's Members and others so they can develop into a "finished" musical!

If you want to be a part of the future of Musical Theatre, a Village Originals Membership is for you!

See it first! Join Village Originals and you'll enjoy a dozen new musicals every year. Village Originals Members are the ONLY people guaranteed admission to the Festival, which is the very first Village Theatre presentation of shows that reach full production on the Mainstage.

Help new musicals grow! You're the "Beta tester" for every new musical we work on. So not only will you be entertained by every musical, you'll be a vital component in helping the creators finish their work. You'll tell them your favorite songs, characters, and scenes, offer feedback on what works and what doesn't, and maybe even see your ideas come to life. "Research and development" has never been this much fun — fascinating and funny, melodic and moving, and endlessly surprising.

Get the "Behind the Scenes" treatment! Members at higher levels receive invitations to Readings, as well as special events, parties, and seminars with authors, actors, and musical theatre luminaries.

"In my professional opinion, the work of Village Theatre and their commitment to the development of new musicals is unique and exceptional."
–Gary McAvay, President of New York Columbia Artists Theatricals

"Village Theatre offers a vital contribution to American musical theatre. It has established itself as an essential part of the national fabric."
–Michael P. Price, Executive Producer of Goodspeed Musicals in Connecticut

"In a very short time, Brian Yorkey [former Village Theatre Associate Artistic Director] and his colleagues have parlayed Village Theatre into a significant voice in the development of musical theatre."
–David Spencer, author The Fabulist, Fifth Annual Festival of New Musicals

"Tom and I truly believe our show wouldn't be alive and kicking today without Village Theatre and the Village Originals program, and we're forever grateful."
–Brian Yorkey, author of Next To Normal, on stage in November, 2008 at Arena Stage, Arlington, VA.

August 14, 2008— Village Theatre's Festival of New Musicals Launches Aug. 14 with Chasing Nicolette –Playbill.com

August 10, 2008— Village Theatre's Festival Of New Musicals Rings In 8th Year –BroadwayWorld.com

August 4, 2008— New Musicals by Brown, Spencer, Spangler, Friedman, Kellogg, Warrender Heard in Seattle-Area Festival Aug. 4-7 –Playbill.com

April 21, 2008— Last Starfighter Musical Will Land at Village Theatre in WA; Iron Curtain, Too –Playbill.com

STEVE TOMKINS, (Artistic Director), began his active professional arts career in Seattle in 1972, as a member of The Empty Space's acting company. He has been the artistic director at Village Theatre for the past 15 years. Prior to his time here, he was the artistic director at Civic Light Opera for several years. As a director and choreographer, Steve's regional work has been seen at The Arkansas Repertory Theatre, The Arizona Theatre Company, Seattle Rep, ACT, and TAG. For seven years, Steve staged and choreographed production shows with Greg Thompson Productions. He has directed and choreographed numerous productions at Village Theatre including: Grease, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Joseph..., The Ark, Annie, West Side Story, Peter Pan, La Cage Aux Folles, Oklahoma!, Damn Yankees, How to Succeed..., South Pacific, Play It By Heart, The Music Man, CATS, Hello, Dolly!, EVITA, Bye Bye Birdie, ...Jersey, and The King and I.

ROBB HUNT, (Executive Producer), helped found Village Theatre in 1979 and has been involved as producer for the theatre ever since. Robb was an avid performer for many years with experience as a principal actor and dancer in several Puget Sound theatre companies. With a background in business, Robb was a strong hand as a consultant in the field of Arts Management; several of his clients included The 5th Avenue, the Metropolitan Museum, Seattle Repertory Theatre, Seattle Symphony, The Museum of Flight, The Carnegie, and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Robb is dedicated to commissioning and developing musicals and has been the driving force in the inclusion of new musicals in Village Theatre programming. He has collaborated on the creation of productions such as Eleanor, Next To Normal, The Ark, and Making Tracks. Village Theatre has become an active member of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre and Robb serves on its New Works committee and on the Board of Directors. He has also served as a peer panelist and evaluator for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).

For information on script submission, click here.