Several Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program alums have had their musicals selected for the 2021 NAMT Festival of New Musicals. Among the eight selected musical, two are written by Program alums:
- Māyā by Cheeyang Ng & Eric Sorrels (both Cycle 28)
With book & music by Ng and lyrics & book by Sorrels, Māyā is many things: it's a philosophy of Hinduism; the idea that the world around us is really an illusion; and a girl's name. Set in the British Raj in 1930, Māyā is the story of a struggling poet in need of an awakening, not unlike India herself. When Gandhi's non-violent Independence Movement arrives on Māyā's doorstep, she is thrust into one of the most turbulent political climates in history. When she commits herself to the cause, she begins to shatter the illusions that have been deceiving her to discover the difference she'll really make.
- TL;DR: Thelma Louise; Dyke Remix by EllaRose Chary & Brandon James Gwinn (both Cycle 19)
With book & lyrics by Chary and music & lyrics by Gwinn, the show starts with T and L suspended in mid-air over the Grand Canyon—they promptly make out and then, with the help of their newfound queer community (The Band), seek a queer future that has never been modeled for them, the happy ending they deserve.