New and Original Works

Create | Collaborate | Innovate

Shape the future of the performing arts through new works.

The performing arts thrive because artists continue to ask new questions, tell new stories, and imagine new possibilities. New works are the foundation of artistic innovation, providing spaces where creators, performers, designers, directors, and audiences collaborate to bring original ideas to life.

Jo Zakas Musical Theatre Incubator Bela Kiralyfalvi National Student Playwriting Competition Audio Storytelling Original Design and Production Innovation

Photo at the top of the page is from an original film, "It's Nice to Finally Meet You," by Assistant Professor, Kate Compton, cinematography by Aaron Kunkel. Pictured are students Pashence Adkins, Liliana Jimenez, Mia Dennett, Kelsi Harris, & . Photo credit by Bartlett PhotoArt.

Creating the Future & Expanding Career Opportunities

At our School of Performing Arts, students are not only trained to interpret and perform existing works - they are empowered to create new ones. Through experiences such as our playwriting competition, musical theatre development, film production, audio storytelling, choreography, design, and collaborative devising, students help develop original projects from concept to production while learning to generate ideas, conduct research, write and revise, collaborate across disciplines, lead projects, and transform artistic vision into reality.

Creating new work requires a distinct set of skills beyond performance alone. These experiences expand students' abilities beyond their degree concentration, developing creativity, leadership, communication, entrepreneurship, adaptability, and project management skills. By learning how to create, develop, produce, and promote original work, students expand their career opportunities across the arts and entertainment industries as performers, writers, choreographers, directors, filmmakers, designers, producers, arts administrators, content creators, and creative entrepreneurs.

Innovation begins with imagination. Through new works, our students and faculty bring new stories to life while developing the creativity, collaboration, leadership, and entrepreneurial skills that shape the future of the performing arts.

Cheyla Clawson,
Director, School of Performing Arts

Jo Zakas Musical Theatre Incubator

New musicals begin with bold ideas and collaborative artists. Our Jo Zakas Musical Theatre Incubator supports the development of original musicals by connecting student performers, writers, composers, directors, choreographers, and designers in the creative process.

Through workshops, readings, developmental productions, and collaborative exploration, students gain experience helping bring a new musical from the page to the stage.

Pictured left in the foreground are students Ava Wiechman, Dot McMillen, & Elena Cianciolo in the original musical, "PSYCH!," created by the writing team of Amanda D'Archangelis (music) & Sami Honeff (lyrics). You can read more about this production & it's creation.

Bela Kiralyfalvi National Student Playwriting Competition

Our National Student Playwriting Competition celebrates emerging voices and encourages the creation of new theatrical works. Selected plays receive staged readings, audience feedback, and development opportunities led by guest directors who are professional actors with experience in theatre, film, and television. Working directly with playwrights and industry professionals, students learn how new plays are developed, revised, rehearsed, and brought to life while gaining valuable experience in script development, collaboration, creative problem-solving, and originating new roles.

Pictured right are students Jordan Bodenhamer & Colton Farmer performing in the reading of "Now We Are A Hundred" written by the 2025 Winner Alaina Tennant & directed by alumna Jane Gabbert '77.

Original Films

Faculty-led film projects immerse students in the development and production of original cinematic works. Students gain experience both on screen and behind the scenes through acting, designing, editing, and production support roles. These collaborative projects expand students' skills beyond their degree concentration while providing valuable experience in visual storytelling, teamwork, and creative project development. In addition, faculty produce dance films on a biannual basis, exploring the intersection of choreography and film as an innovative form of artistic expression.

Audio Storytelling

Students participate in original audio shows and narrative storytelling projects that emphasize performance through voiceover and storytelling. Through these experiences, students develop skills in vocal expression, character creation, script interpretation, collaboration, and communication while gaining experience relevant to careers in voice acting, podcasting, broadcasting, narration, and digital media.

New Dance Works

Original choreography is at the heart of dance as a living and evolving art form. Through faculty collaborations, senior concerts, and the annual Student Choreography Showcase, students create and present new dance works while developing skills in movement creation, artistic research, collaboration, leadership, and creative problem-solving. These experiences broaden students' abilities beyond performance and prepare them for a variety of careers in choreography, performance, education, and arts leadership.

Pictured left is alumna Lille Nightengale ('25) performing her orginial dance capstone project, "Lord Have Mercy." In February of 2025, Lille was selected to present her “Embodied Research on the Physical and Emotional Challenges Wildebeests Face While Migrating” at the Ungergraduate Research Day at the Capital. This research was also used in Nightingale's senior capstone project. Photo credit Bartlett PhotoArt.

Original Design and Production Innovation