New Line Theatre is very proud to announce the creation of the New Line Theatre Arch Incubator, to find, develop, and nurture new works of musical theatre, under the leadership of St. Louis native Wilson Webel.
The Arch Incubator will be an accepting, inclusive, and collaborative space for the creation, development, and production of original, innovative, and diverse musical theatre in the St. Louis metro area.
The incubator will also connect with educational, commercial, and nonprofit organizations in St. Louis and New York, to foster a growing partnership and understanding between the communities within the cities and to extend the life of new musicals beyond the St. Louis region.
New Line artistic director Scott Miller says, “I’ve been wanting to create something like this for years, but it’s been just too much to take on. When Wilson came to me and proposed this project, I was immediately on board. This is so important – for our company, for our audiences, and for the art form. Our region needs this Incubator.”
The Incubator will be a comprehensive program that gives artists a financially feasible environment in which to create musical theatre, and gives audiences a continuing source of the excellent musical theatre for which St. Louis is so well-known.
Webel has laid out a five-phase plan for the Incubator, which will be implemented over ten years, creating a lasting hub for new musical theatre and all those who create it, support it, and find joy in it. The first phase will include some small performances but will focus largely on fundraising.
Wilson Webel is a multi-skilled artist with a focus on theatrical production and management, and writing for the stage. He graduated in 2017 with a BA in Theatre from Saint Louis University and recently earned his MFA in Musical Theatre Writing from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
During his time in St. Louis he worked with various theatre companies taking on many roles, from stage manager to dramaturg. While in New York he had the privilege of working with, and being mentored by, some of the leading artists in the musical theatre world today.
Briana Whyte-Harris will be the Incubator’s Development Coordinator in New York.
Musical theatre artists interested in getting involved with the Incubator, in assisting, submitting work, learning through, collaborating with, or just wanting to know more, can email Wilson atUnderthearchincubator@gmail.com. At this time, the Incubator is taking only single song submissions for our first cabaret, and looking to connect with established composers, bookwriters, and lyricists.
ABOUT NEW LINE THEATRENew Line Theatre is a professional company dedicated to involving the people of the St. Louis region in the exploration and creation of daring, provocative, socially and politically relevant works of musical theatre. New Line was created back in 1991 at the vanguard of a new wave of nonprofit musical theatre just starting to take hold across the country. The company has given birth to several world premiere musicals over the years and has brought back to life several shows that were not well served by their original New York productions. Altogether, New Line has produced 88 musicals since 1991, and the company has been given its own entry in the Cambridge Guide to American Theatre and the annual Theater World. New Line receives funding from the Regional Arts Commission and the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.
New Line’s upcoming 29th season will include Cry-Baby, Head Over Heels, and Urinetown, as well as the company’s new film series, a reading of a new show, and more. For information about season tickets, visit the New Line subscription page.
For other information, visit New Line Theatre’s full-service website at www.newlinetheatre.com. All programs are subject to change.
Lynn (Zipfel) Venhaus has had a continuous byline in St. Louis metro region publications since 1978. She writes features and news for Belleville News-Democrat and contributes to St. Louis magazine and other publications.
She is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic, currently reviews films for Webster-Kirkwood Times and KTRS Radio, covers entertainment for PopLifeSTL.com and co-hosts podcast PopLifeSTL.com…Presents.
She is a member of Critics Choice Association, where she serves on the women’s and marketing committees; Alliance of Women Film Journalists; and on the board of the St. Louis Film Critics Association. She is a founding and board member of the St. Louis Theater Circle.
She is retired from teaching journalism/media as an adjunct college instructor.