NEW WORK AT LATTÉ DA
My Antonia - 2026
Peter Rothstein | Founding Artistic Director
“Theater Latté Da believes it is the responsibility of the regional theater not only to speak to audiences today, but to contribute to the dramatic canon of tomorrow featuring the diverse voices of contemporary playwrights, composers, and lyricists. Through NEXT initiatives, TLD invests in the future of the great American Musical by commissioning new works, providing year-round developmental opportunities, through world premiere productions, the annual NEXT Festival, and NEXT Generation commissions. Some of our most memorable and beloved productions developed by TLD including All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914, A Christmas Carole Petersen, Five Points, and Twelve Angry Men. As a matter of fact, new works debuted on the mainstage for 13 of TLD’s 25 seasons.”
Supporting the Development of New Musicals and Plays With Music
Commissions: Paying writers to create the work. TLD may initiate the conversation, or the creative team may initiate the conversation.
Residencies: Bringing the creative team together. Residencies may take place locally or remotely, or in conjunction with a locally based workshop.
Workshops: Bringing together and compensating creative team members with actors, directors, music directors and sometimes audiences as part of the new work development process.
NEXT Festival: Our annual Festival provides a two week combined residency and workshop opportunity for three to four creative teams each summer. Each project culminates in two public presentations.
NEXT Festival
The NEXT Festival is Theater Latté Da’s New Work Festival showcasing three works that stretch the boundaries of musical storytelling. Held annually every summer during July and August, each show in the Festival receives public performances providing audience members the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of the creative process.
Twelve Angry Men - NEXT Festival - 2012
NEXT Generation Commission
A $20,000 commission to support the creation and development of a new musical theatre project by a creative team that includes BIPOC artists and women artists.
Theater Latté Da’s NEXT Generation Commission is designed to support the early, generative stages of a new work—not one that is already in process. Teams may pitch a specific idea for a new musical or play with music as part of their application, but a pre-existing idea is not required. Creative teams will be selected based on evaluation of their extant bodies of work. Creative teams must consist of at least 50% women artists or artists of color to be eligible.
In addition to $20,000 (to be shared among the creative team), each project will receive creative and developmental support over an 18-month period, including two developmental workshops totaling 50 hours
The current NEXT Generation Commission process has been completed. We anticipate opening submissions for the next bi-annual cycle in Fall 2027.
Completed Initiatives
NEXT 25x25
NEXT 25 x 25 is our commitment to support the development of 25 new musicals or plays with music by 2025. This is an ambitious goal, but one TLD approaches with confidence. This initiative would not be possible without the support of the following theater lovers.
NEXT 20/20
NEXT 20 x 20 was TLD’s initiative to support the development of 20 new musicals or plays with music between 2015 and 2020. We thank the supporters of this aslkfslkdfjsalkfj….
