What is the Jo Zakas Musical Theatre Incubator Program?
The School of Performing Arts envisions the Musical Theatre Incubator Program as the
leader in the creation of original (new) works. This niche provides unique and rare
training to each Musical Theatre major and extends to all the students in the School
of Performing Arts. Gaining recognition as a program that produces relevant, timely,
thought-provoking musical theatre, the Incubator Program has many benefits:
- It places Wichita State University on the cutting edge of innovation in Musical Theatre
- It elevates student performing artists and technicians to professional applied learning
experiences
- It facilitates a growing a network of established musical theatre artists
- It brands the program as a destination for new works that create well-rounded theatre
artists, including opportunities beyond performance in areas such as dramaturgy, theatre
history, and other facets of theatre
Each year, the School of Performing Arts invites guest artists to campus with the
end goal of performing a staged reading of a musical at the conclusion of their workshopping
experience. Guest artists could be playwrights, composers, designers, choreographers,
and other related professions. Each will interact with students in-person at least
two weeks each year: one week prior to and the week of a reading or production.
How is the Program Funded?
For our first project, the funding was generously provided by the Jo Zakas Legacy
Foundation which enabled the School of Performing Arts to bring two of the writers
to campus for two days. They visited two theatre classes and answered questions at
talkbacks following the first two performances of the show. Funds were also used for
artists fees, marketing, and the music director of the show.
The Jo Zakas Legacy Foundation, has continued funding the program and due to their incredible generosity, the program
was officially renamed the Jo Zakas Musical Theatre Incubator Program in 2024. Read
more about their support for the program here.
What new works have been through the program?
PSYCH!
In 2026, the first act of PSYCH! was written for the Jo Zakas Musical Theatre Incubator. The writers Amanda D'Archangelis (music) and Sami Horneff (lyrics) met in the world-renowned BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop. They
joined our Musical Theatre Program in the fall semester to hold auditions and get
to know our students. They then spent the following months creating this new work
to fit our students talents, and to show off their individuality while also pushing
them to learn at a professional pace.
PSYCH! is a hilarious, 90’s inspired musical retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche.
When Aphrodite is banished to high school, her schemes to control love spiral into
chaos, culminating in a Homecoming night where secrets spill, hearts open, and kindness
finally wins. Smart, joyful, and full of pop-culture flair, this show is a celebration
of love in all its messy magical forms.
Express
In 2023, Express was chosen as a new work for the program. Created by Janine McGuire & Arri Simon,
Express is an immersive musical by Arri Simon (composer) & Janine McGuire (lyricist). It is a transportive new musical that unfolds entirely within the bustling confines
of the New York City subway on a real-time subway ride. Set against the backdrop of
pivotal moments from World War II through the turn of the 21st century, the show traces
the journeys of three generations of an American family navigating personal and cultural
change.
In 2024, work will continue on this musical & culminate in a fully produced show in
Sept 2024. In the second year of creating this new work, the artists & students began
exploring how the characters in Express move with a choreographer and how a designer can bring the environment to life with
a lighting designer all while McGuire & Simon continue to fine tune the script and
score based on these new collaborative influences. For the students, revisiting the
material will be like they are taking a next level course in the creation of new musicals.
The Fox Sisters
In 2022, The Fox Sisters was the first production for the Musical Theatre Incubator
Program. Not only was this the first staged read-through of this piece, our cast and
crew also got to work with the original creators of The Fox Sisters. Not only did this process benefit our students, but also the ongoing development
of the script and score. Follow the links below to find out more about the librettist,
composer, and lyricist of The Fox Sisters.
