Musical Theatre Lab
A Glimpse Inside the 2009 Musical Theatre Lab Season

June 1, 2009 - August 30, 2009

Barrington Stage Company’s Musical Theatre Lab (MTL) will begin its fourth season of new musicals in June 2009.

MTL supports emerging writers, composers and lyricists and provides an encouraging, creative environment where new musicals are written, rewritten, workshopped and produced.

The inspiration for the MTL came after Barrington Stage Company’s workshop and world premiere of the Tony Award-winning The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (music and lyrics by William Finn, book by Rachel Sheinkin). BSC Artistic Director, Julianne Boyd, and William Finn conceived of the MTL to offer support for new musical theatre writers, composers and lyricists.

In 2006, Finn returned to Barrington Stage Company to head the MTL and work side-by-side with these new talents, guiding and nurturing musicals from readings to full production.

“Rather then choosing works that emerging artists have written,” explains Finn, “we are choosing artists for what we hope they will write…creating a real theatre for the future.”

Currently, MTL presents three productions each summer in BSC’s Stage 2 theatre. In addition, staged readings and cabarets featuring the songs of musical theatre writers are also presented through out the summer.

If you are interested in finding out more about MTL, please join our MTL newsletter.