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 embracing inclusive excellence and to create well-rounded theatre artists, including areas such as dramaturgy, theatre history, and other facets of theatre
Each year, the School of Performing Arts will invite guest artists to campus with the end goal of performing a staged reading of a musical to be performed 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 the 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.
In 2024, the Jo Zakas Legacy Foundation, continued their funding of this program. Due to their support, the program was officially renamed the Jo Zakas Musical Theatre Incubator Program. Read more about their experience with the progam here.
What new works have been through the program?
