M³
Music × Motion × Momentous
M³ is Makai Music's programmatic framework—
supporting new musical work through momentum-driven labs, development initiatives, and process-based exploration.
Accepting Applications Until March 2, 2026
WIP²
Works in Progress /
Writers in Process
A momentum-driven musical theatre development studio
A momentum-driven musical theatre development studio where writers enter with a draft and leave with clarity, confidence, and a show ready for its next step.
Learn what WIP² is all about below.
Program Overview
Duration: April-August 2026 (every other week, then weekly in August)
Format: Two cohorts (In-person NYC + Online)
Cohort size: 8 writing teams per format
Session structure: 3-hour sessions with theme presentations + feedback rounds (Liz Lerman method)
Culmination: Professional showcases (in-person concert + online salon)
Fee: $3,000 (in-person) / $2,500 (online) with scholarships available
Writers leave with clear direction, stronger discernment, collaboration skills, an expanded network, and tools to sustain momentum beyond the program.
WIP² Information
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This is a working studio for writers who want their musical to materialize. You come in with a draft; you leave with clarity, confidence, and a show that's ready for its next step — a submission, a reading, a workshop, or dare we say, production.
We're building a space for dedicated musical theater writers to develop their work in a supportive, consistent, and creatively rigorous environment. We want anyone who is writing a fresh, exciting, boundary-breaking, chance-taking musical.
You enter with a show in motion. The early phase of the lab focuses on clarifying what the show is and where it's headed, with pages to support that direction.
As the work develops, writers build discernment and collaborative communication — learning how to take in and give feedback without being overwhelmed or making it personal, and how to make quicker, more confident decisions that keep the work moving.
Midway through the lab, the cohort develops a shared vocabulary around story, music, and structure. This shared language strengthens collaboration, allowing for disagreement and difference without destabilizing the work.
Writers leave not at the destination, but with a road map and GPS — with tools, habits, and momentum that carry the work forward into its next phase of development.
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Writers leave with:
Clear direction for where your show is headed, with pages in hand that reflect real progress and support continued momentum
Stronger discernment about what feedback to take and what to leave, recognizing that all feedback is information, but not all of it is necessary
Quick, confident decision-making without stalling the work — failing fast and falling small when needed
A shared, precise vocabulary for discussing story, music, and structure, transferable to conversations with collaborators
Collaboration skills that allow for disagreement without derailing the work, making conflict productive rather than destructive
Confidence presenting your work to collaborators and institutions, rooted in clarity about your show's identity
A visible marker of progress that helps others understand where your show is in its development
An expanded network of supportive writers and industry professionals familiar with your work
Tools and habits that sustain momentum beyond the studio, ensuring the work keeps moving after the program ends
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Schedule & Format
Duration: April 2026 – August 2026
Sessions: Every other week (April-July), weekly in August
Session length: 3 hours per session
Time: Outside business hours and weekends (exact time TBD based on space and participant availability)
Two cohorts: In-person in NYC and Online
Cohort size: 8 writing teams per format
Session Layout
Theme Presentation (30-40 minutes): Sessions begin with discussions that enhance your musical theater writing technique, including collaboration techniques, exploration of opening and closing moments, and guest presentations.
Break (10 minutes)
Feedback Rounds (15 minutes per team): Each team receives a dedicated slot to present new material and receive feedback based on Liz Lerman's Critical Response Process.
Culmination Showcases
In-Person Cohort: A curated, industry-facing evening in NYC featuring two songs from each musical (16 songs total) presented with a small rhythm combo. This celebration and professional milestone allows writers to share progress with invited guests.
Online Cohort: A digital salon featuring pre-recorded video presentations shared live in a facilitated Zoom event, followed by brief Q&A sessions focused on process and next steps.ve with clarity, confidence, and a show that's ready for its next step — a submission, a reading, a workshop, or dare we say, production.
We're building a space for dedicated musical theater writers to develop their work in a supportive, consistent, and creatively rigorous environment. We want anyone who is writing a fresh, exciting, boundary-breaking, chance-taking musical.
You enter with a show in motion. The early phase of the lab focuses on clarifying what the show is and where it's headed, with pages to support that direction.
As the work develops, writers build discernment and collaborative communication — learning how to take in and give feedback without being overwhelmed or making it personal, and how to make quicker, more confident decisions that keep the work moving.
Midway through the lab, the cohort develops a shared vocabulary around story, music, and structure. This shared language strengthens collaboration, allowing for disagreement and difference without destabilizing the work.
Writers leave not at the destination, but with a road map and GPS — with tools, habits, and momentum that carry the work forward into its next phase of development.
Eligibility & How to Apply
Who Can Apply
You may apply as a solo writer or as part of a writing team. All team members must attend sessions. Teams with out-of-town collaborators will be considered for the online cohort.
Applicants must:
Be developing a new musical or doing a major revision
Have a full detailed outline of your show by scene (rough is fine)
Have at least 5 songs written (demos must be submitted with application)
Commit to attending at least 10 of the 12 sessions
Not have had a major first-class production (Broadway, West End, LORT A, etc.)
Important: In order to foster momentum, clairty, and collaborative spirit, the entire writing team must be present at all sessions.
Application Requirements
Short synopsis, production history, and bios in one PDF. The show title must be clearly visible on top.
A paragraph explaining how this lab will benefit your show
Five demo tracks with lyric sheets, and a chord chart or sheet music.
Either:
A fully detailed outline by scene of the show and 30 script pages (must include lyrics if applicable)
Entire draft of the musical with lyrics
Submissions may be in any language. Translation is appreciated. Fluency in English is necessary to participate in the lab.
Program Fee
$3,000 per team (in-person NYC cohort) — If entire team is NYC-based, you must apply for in-person sessions
$2,500 per team (online cohort)
Fee covers space rental, administration, final showcase, and accountability. Limited scholarships available.
Important Dates
Application Deadline: March 2, 2026 at 11:59 PM EST
Notifications: March 16, 2026
Program Begins: April 4, 2026
Every other week sessions from April 2026 – July 2026. Weekly August 2026.
Final Showcase: September 2026
Your Facilitators
Lead Facilitator (In-Person & Online)
Brett Macias is a Mexican composer who has composed music for The New Group (daddy!), Repertory Theater of Saint Louis, City Center Encores! (NYC), and many others. He wrote the music for the musicals FISHING THE MOON, THE LAVATORY, and BENEATH THE SURFACE with Caroline Murphy. He was featured in American Theater Magazine as a writer to watch.
Works in development include TUESDAY with Caroline Murphy, AN UN-HERO'S JOURNEY with Jessica Carmona, CRAFT SHOW with Fred Sauter, and BAYOULAND with Alexandria Beech. He is also an orchestrator, musical director, arranger, and certified success coach.
M.F.A. from the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at NYU.
B.F.A. from Webster University.
Brett Macias
Shoshana Greenberg
Co-Facilitator (In-Person NYC Cohort)
Shoshana Greenberg is a lyricist, librettist, screenwriter, singer, and theater journalist. Her musicals include Days of Rage and A Story No One Knows with composer and bookwriter Hyeyoung Kim and Lightning Man with composer Jeffrey Dennis Smith.
She has written opera librettos for "The Community" with Kevin Cummines (named Best of 2019 by WQXR) and "Margaret" with Paulo Tirol. She has written for American Theatre magazine, The Hat, and Theatermania and created and hosts the musical theater podcast Scene to Song. She serves on the board of The Thornton Wilder Society.
M.F.A. from the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at NYU. B.A. from Barnard College.
Alexandria Beech
Co-Facilitator (Online Cohort)
Maria Alexandria Beech is a US-educated Venezuelan American writer and producer for screen and stage living in Los Angeles. Her screenplay Constance is in pre-production with Director Mark Pellington and Prolific Content. Her TV comedy series TeleMamas was a finalist in the Sundance Episodic Lab.
Her musicals in development include Blue Skies with Christie Baugher (recipient of 2022 Jonathan Larson Grant) and Bayouland with Brett Macias. Her musical Class was a finalist in The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center. Her plays have been performed in New York, Colorado, Illinois, California, Massachusetts, South Korea, and Venezuela.
As a literary translator, Alex translated several plays in the US/Mexico Exchange Program at the Lark Play Development Center. She teaches screenwriting at The Los Angeles Performing Arts Conservatory.
Alex earned a BA and MFA in Playwriting from Columbia University and MFA in Cycle 21 of The Graduate Musical Theater Writing Program at NYU.
The
Darius Smith
Writers Fund
“I promise I have a life outside these pits. That life is all writing right now, but I did get a haircut today!” #2019gonnabelit #comingoutthepits #musicdirector #orchestrator #composerlyricist
~Darius Smith
When I met Darius in the Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program at NYU, I was in awe of his talent—but we didn’t see eye to eye at first. We both thought the other thought a little too highly of themselves. Then we were assigned work-study together.
We ate pizza. He belted out Wicked. I sang The Light in the Piazza. Together, Dreamgirls. We debated the merits of various shows in the musical theatre canon. More importantly, we got to know each other.
We both came to see that we were scared young writers who believed we had to put on a hard shell to survive—to protect our artistry so no one could pierce it. There was so much we learned from each other.
Darius and I went on to collaborate professionally on each other’s work, as well as with prominent theatres in New York. He passed in 2019, before the world could fully know his brilliance. At the time, we were music directing an Off-Broadway show together. Darius was a deeply sensitive composer who appreciated every style of music and met it where it was—not where he thought it should go.
Our friendship and professional relationship were major motivators for creating this workshop. I want to instill in our cohorts the belief that you don’t have to love everything someone else writes—but if you respect other writers and meet them where they want to be, you can build a creative family for life.
We begin The Darius Smith Writers Fund in his honor - so all unique voices can shine, pierce their hard shells, and let their artistry fly.
~Brett Macias
About the fund
Limited need-based tuition assistance is available for WIP² participants through The Darius Smith Writers Fund, established in memory of our beloved colleague and musical theatre writer Darius Smith.
If you would benefit from financial support to participate in the program, please indicate your interest in the application. Awards are determined based on need and available funds.
For inquiries or to donate to the fund, contact info@makaimusic.net.
Big Ideas,
Real Impact
Check out Darius’s work. Here’s a little taste.
The Framework
M³ is Makai Music's approach to developing new musical work. It's a framework that encompasses structured programs like WIP² alongside experimental initiatives exploring the intersection of music, movement, and innovative performance concepts.
This framework supports:
Cohort-based development labs
Momentum-driven creative processes
Experimental performance concepts
Cross-disciplinary collaboration
Process-based exploration
