The Johnny Mercer Foundation Writers Grove
AT GOODSPEED MUSICALS
In 2013, Goodspeed Musicals began its 50th Anniversary Season with the announcement of a major new four-week residency program for musical theatre writers. The Johnny Mercer Writers Grove at Goodspeed Musicals is the first of its kind in the country dedicated solely to the creation of new musicals. In partnership with The Johnny Mercer Foundation, Goodspeed proudly offers established and emerging writers the unique opportunity to research, develop, and create new musicals. The Writers Grove is a unique, long term residency program devoted exclusively to musical theatre writing. It provides a sanctuary for composers, lyricists, and librettists to embark on new musical theatre work or to devote a substantial amount of time to a work-in-progress in an environment rich with creative energy. For four weeks each year, 14 to 20 writers are immersed in this stimulating environment with the singular purpose of allowing the writers to write.
At Goodspeed Musicals, writers find the freedom to work without the distractions of daily life, while receiving the support and encouragement needed to develop their works in progress. Each project is assigned a creative mentor drawn from the highest levels of musical theatre professionals. The Writers Grove affords the artists unlimited access to research materials in the Scherer Library of Musical Theatre, one of the most extensive musical theatre libraries in the U.S.; composition time in Goodspeed’s music studios; and collaborative exchange with their peers through a series of informal salons for presenting and sharing their work. Throughout the residency, members of Goodspeed’s artistic staff and professionals from the Johnny Mercer Foundation are on site to offer guidance and support for the writers. Each year, writers are invited by Goodspeed’s panel of industry leaders to participate in this prestigious program.
With the establishment of the Writers Grove in 2013, Goodspeed Musicals has cemented its position as the center for the American Musical, which it supports through producing new and valued musicals from our nation’s history; the comprehensive collection and services of the Scherer Library of Musical Theatre; and the educational and outreach activities of its Max Showalter Center for Education in Musical Theatre.
2022 writersCLICK HERE for a complete list of bios and projects. (in alphabetical order) |
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| Melis Aker Avi Amon Jake Bernstein Jonathan Brielle Ty Defoe Nolan Doran Dr. Amma Y. Ghartey-Tagoe Kootin Alex Hare Elliah Heifetz Paul Hodge |
Alphonso Horne Naomi Iizuka Jessica Kahkoska Jesse L. Kearney, Jr. Zhailon Levingston Nevada Lozano Peter Mills Cheeyang Ng Hayley Gene Penner Kyle Puccia |
Kalani Queypo Cara Reichel Jorge Miguel Rivera-Herrans Benjamin Scheurer Rona Siddiqui Eric Sorrels Khalil Sullivan Rotana Tarabzouni Joshua Williams Zack Zadek |
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2021 writersCLICK HERE for a complete list of bios and projects. (in alphabetical order) |
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| Preston Max Allen Avi Amon Jake Bernstein Jonathan Brielle Sammi Cannold Isabella Dawis Ty Defoe |
Nolan Doran Dr. Amma Y. Ghartey-Tagoe Kootin Jessica Kahkoska Kyle Puccia Kalani Queypo Jorge Miguel Rivera-Herrans Andy Roninson |
Rona Siddiqui Tidtaya Sinutoke Khalil Sullivan Rotana Tarabzouni Joshua Williams Zack Zadek |
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2020 writersCLICK HERE for a complete list of bios and projects. (in alphabetical order) |
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| Kevin Armento Jake Bernstein David Buskin Nick Butcher Carlton Byrd Rowen Casey Curt Columbus Sara Cooper Miranda Cooper Eloise Eonnet Joel Esher Sara Farb Paul Fujimoto Alex Grubbs |
Jake Holmes Khiyon Hursey Michael R. Jackson Creighton Irons Britta Johnson Jonathan Karpinos Henry Lin-David Tom Ling Montserrat Olmos Lozano Douglas Lyons John McGrew Sammy Miller Emily Orling |
Jason Pebworth |
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2019 writersCLICK HERE for a complete list of bios and projects. (in alphabetical order) |
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| Jill Abramovitz Janet Allard Brad Alexander Ross Baum Michael Bloom Matt Bogart Angelica Cheri Tom Coash Carmel Dean Ianne Fields-Stewart Erik Forrest Jackson Lance Horne |
Orion Stephanie Johnstone Melissa Li Ray Leslee Janine McGuire Toby Marlow Or Matias Michael Medeiros Lucy Moss Matte O’Brien Marshall Pailet Abby Payne Katy Pfaffl |
Lisa Diana Shapiro |
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2018 writersCLICK HERE for a complete list of bios and projects. (in alphabetical order) |
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| Zakiyyah Alexander Kevin Armento Gilbert Bailey II Rob Baumgartner, Jr.* Glen Berger Hunter Bird Molly Bogin Ben Bonnema Jeff Calhoun John Cariani Tom Coash Nathan Dame Colleen Dauncey Ty Defoe |
Hunter Foster* Scott Gilmour* Robin Holloway Oliver Houser Tor Hyams* Barry Kleinbort* Mike Lew Mark Mancina Claire McKenzie* Sammy Miller Rehana Lew Mirza Tekla Monson Jevares Myrick |
Ronve O’Daniel |
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| *Festival Alumni | ||||
2017 writersCLICK HERE for a complete list of bios and projects. (in alphabetical order) |
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Janet Allard |
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Drew Gasparini |
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Dan Marshall |
2016 writersCLICK HERE for a complete list of bios and projects. (in alphabetical order) |
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Aaron Albert |
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Marcy Heisler |
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Zoe Sarnak |
2015 writersCLICK HERE for a complete list of bios and projects. (in alphabetical order) |
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Rob Ackerman |
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Amanda Jacobs |
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Ryan Scott Oliver Ethan Pakchar Matthew Lee Robinson Heidi Rodewald Jean Rohe Dana Rowe Lisa Rothauser Brett Ryback Pete Seibert Stew Eric Ulloa Eric Webb Michael Weiner Alan Zachary |
2014 writersCLICK HERE for a complete list of bios and projects. (in alphabetical order) |
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Marc Acito |
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Joe Iconis |
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Jennie Redling Cara Reichel Will Reynolds Heather Robb Benjamin Scheuer Alan Schmuckler Kenny Seymour Joseph Thalken Jeff Thomson Nathan Tysen William Wade Jason “Sweettooth” Williams Sam Willmott Jacob Yandura |
2013 writersCLICK HERE for a complete list of bios and projects. (in alphabetical order) |
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| Aron Accurso Will Aronson Arthur Lafrentz Bacon Sean Barry Neil Bartram Rob Baumgartner Jr. Jonathan Brielle Ben Clark Sam Davis Christopher Dimond Harris Doran Laura Eason |
Jenny Giering Adam Gwon Christy Hall Brian Hargrove Laura Harrington Mark Hollmann Victor Kazan Hannah Kohl Michael Kooman Greg Kotis Patrick Lundquist Jordan Mann |
Daniel Maté |
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Please note: participation in the Writers Grove program is by invitation only; unsolicited submissions will not be considered.
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