Look Who’s Coming Upta Camp this Summer!
Drama Club, the world’s most prolific engine for developing new musical theater, is proud to announce the official artist selections for its 2026 summer residencies at Drama Club Camp. Chosen from an unprecedented pool of applicants - representing a staggering 227% increase over last year - this year’s pool reflects a massive global demand for high-level creative development.
As the industry’s largest developer of new musicals, Drama Club continues to redefine the musical theater landscape. A residency at Drama Club Camp is the cornerstone of a comprehensive ecosystem that also includes our International Fellowship, our Drafts reading series, and our consistent track record of well-produced developmental workshops and world-premiere productions. By providing a place for these new musicals to grow, Drama Club reinforces its commitment to moving stories from the page to the global stage.
Drama Club Camp is a one-of-a-kind creative haven designed intentionally for musical makers that offers:
65 acres on the shore of Torsey Lake in Mount Vernon, Maine
A century-old 14-bedroom lodge (Drama Clubhouse) with a Steinway baby grand, three fireplaces, an open bar, and private bedrooms with queen beds and electric pianos
Multiple private, quiet, rehearsal/writing spaces with electric pianos, instruments, printers, wicked-fast WiFi, and every tool a creative team could hope for
New in 2026: a state-of-the-art recording studio with all the equipment needed to make high-quality demos
Miles of hiking trails, secret art installations, hidden glens, Frog & Toad Pond, a lakeside firepit, and endless inspiration
The 2026 selections represent a vibrant tapestry of genres and perspectives. From hip-hop odysseys and VR-inspired comedies to historical epics and modern satires, the strength of craft in the material submitted this year was at an all-time high. These works tackle themes of identity, technology, and legacy, offering a bold look at the future of the medium.
Writers in this year’s class have been produced on stages around the world, and includes winners of nearly every major plaudit in the industry, including the Larson, Kleban, Rodgers, Obie, Broadway World, Princess Grace, Emmy, ASCAP Cole Porter, and Ebb awards; residencies at Cove Park, The Johnny Mercer Grove, Rhinebeck, The O’Neill, and Barn on Fire; and honors including Dramatist Guild Fellowships; Disney Imagineering’s New Voices Program; Sundance; MTI Stiles & Drew Prize; NAMT; Write Out Loud!; MSU New Musicals Lab; and many, many more.
"A 227% jump in applications is a clear signal that the creative community is in a period of immense output," says Scott Ihrig, Drama Club founder and Executive Producer. "We are honored to support these diverse voices at Drama Club Camp as they craft the next generation of the musical theater canon.”
“It’s getting harder and harder for new musicals to find a home on professional stages," says Founding Artistic Director Shannon Morrison. "That’s why we’ve built something so ambitious—we want to champion more writers and more diverse stories than ever before. It’s not just about the big names; it’s about giving 'unknown' artists the tools to level up. Because of the scale we operate at, we can take chances on people the rest of the industry might overlook.”
Five week-long cohorts of 13 artists each will begin in June and continue through August.
The 2026 Drama Club Camp Residency Selections:
A Pain in the Neck – Erin Reifler & Zonia Tsang
Americannibal – Nick Jonczak & Laura Lizcano
Bad Baby – Aaron Jafferis & Dahlak Brathwaite
barbara/tony – Adam J. Rineer
BLUDLINE: A Hip-Hop Odyssey – Pete White & Fermin Suero Jr.
Cocaine Cowgirl – Veronica Carrington & Indigo
COLE PORTER IS MY IMAGINARY VR BOYFRIEND – Charles Gershman & Dylan Schifrin
Contact – Eric Ulloa & Brett Ryback
Diamond – Morgan J. Smart & Crystal Moneé Hall
Diva of Oz – Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton
Everybody's Son – Alric Davis & Aaron Alon
FLORIDA MAN – Nico Raimont & Saúl Nache
Hijinx & Sue – Jessi Pitts & Daniel Wolfert
Life Goes On? – Damian Barray
Living: A Now Musical – Taylor Fagins & Michelle Kuchuk
Mumu The Musical – Saeed Malami & Dolapo Akinkugbe
My Husband, My Robot, My Lover, & My Husband's Robot Lover – Stephen Schmidt & Andrew Moorman
OFF SEASON – Selda Sahin, Derek Gregor & Andrew Coopman
Papers, Please (The Musical) – Julia Barry & Daniel Nagler
PHILIPPA – G. Victoria Campbell & Stephanie Henry
SPANGLISH SH!T – Samora La Perdida, Mobéy Lola Isiarry, Josiah Handelman & David Zwieibel
Take Two – Leta Harris Neustaedter
The Bigness of Us – Jord Liu
The Bozos – Adam Gwon & Michael Mitnick
The Chest – Charles Inniss & Christopher Inniss
The Closure – Dylan Thompson, Matt Sav & Molly Lyons
The Debutantes – Sam Norman & Eliza Randall
The Last Dance – Josh Walker
The Spell of Red River – EllaRose Chary & Brandon James Gwinn
The Untitled KUSAMA Project – Andrew Strano & Yuriko Shibata
WEEPING TIME [working title] – Postell Pringle
About Drama Club
Drama Club, led by Artistic Director Shannon Morrison and Executive Producer Scott Ihrig, is the world’s most prolific developer of new musicals. Through their uniquely situated and deployed resources, they move work through development phases in flexible, responsive, and focused ways. Beginning with their cornerstone offering of annual residencies at Drama Club Camp in Mount Vernon, Maine, Drama Club brings writers and their pieces through development, including readings, workshops, collaborations, and productions. Currently repped on the boards by: Mexodus; CATS: The Jellicle Ball; Upcoming: Wanted; The Fitzgerald’s of St. Paul; Past: DRAG: The Musical; A Strange Loop. In Development: DISCOVERY; The Ascendants
