Local State Lawmakers Celebrate the 40th Anniversary of Eugene O’Neill’s Music Theater Conference

State Senator Paul Formica (center) and State Representatives Holly Cheeseman (left) and Kathleen McCarty (Right) attended the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s Summer Gala on July 22 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the National Music Theater Conference and its founding artistic director Paulette Haupt.

“This theater conference is a national treasure right in our own backyard,” said Sen. Formica. “So many incredible productions started as ideas here in Waterford. It’s amazing to see the success of so many talented artists as a result of the opportunities offered by the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center and the outstanding efforts of people like Paulette.”

The National Music Theater Conference has developed more than 120 new musicals including: Nine, Avenue Q, Violet, The Wild Party, and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In The Heights.

The mission of the National Music Theater Conference (NMTC) is to provide a supportive and challenging environment in which emerging and established creative artists can take huge risks in developing new work. Each summer, the National Music Theater Conference includes several playwrights, lyricists, and composers endeavoring to create fresh and bold work from an array of music theater genres.