The “Bold New Works for Intimate Stages” initiative began with a five year commissioning project with Matt Conner and Stephen Gregrory Smith. Five, unique, original musical premieres were mounted between 2015 and 2019. A new round of musical commissions "Bold New Musical Voiices" featuring works by women, or women-identifying writers and composers is currently underway.
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ON AIR 2019

Amidst the tumbling torrent that was the 1920s, Frank and Flora Conrad were on the edge of discovering mass broadcasting. These two unsung radio pioneers broke through the static and established the first radio station in America in their unassuming garage in East Pittsburgh. ON AIR follows their untold love story, and how radio became a constant companion, messenger and soundtrack of our lives over the past century of American life.
Just as Frank and Flora’s creative partnership brought a bold new invention, Conner and Smith bring us this captivating final “Bold New Work,” a celebratory culmination of their five year cycle of critically acclaimed musical premieres at Creative Cauldron. (The Turn of the Screw 2015, Monsters of the Villa Diodati 2016, Kaleidoscope 2017, Witch 2018). Now available as a Radio Broadcast!
Just as Frank and Flora’s creative partnership brought a bold new invention, Conner and Smith bring us this captivating final “Bold New Work,” a celebratory culmination of their five year cycle of critically acclaimed musical premieres at Creative Cauldron. (The Turn of the Screw 2015, Monsters of the Villa Diodati 2016, Kaleidoscope 2017, Witch 2018). Now available as a Radio Broadcast!
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Witch 2018
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Kaleidoscope premiered in 2017. Featuring Broadway veteran Flo Lacey in the leading role. As a new work, as a learning experience, as a piece of theatre that reveals what it is to be a human being facing incredible odds and struggling to find her light, Kaleidoscope wins on all counts." DC Theatre Scene
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Witch our 4th BNW premiere in 2018. "Works like this are essential in sparking conversations necessary for our society's advancement." Broadway World "With an astute, quality production of Witch, its latest Bold New Work for Intimate Stages creation, Creative Cauldron continues to show what a nimble, un-fossilized theater company can do, even on a smallish budget and in a tight space." DC Metro Theater Arts
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Monsters of the Villa Diodati 2016Monsters of the Villa Diodati was the second "Bold New Work" to premiere at Creative Cauldron (2016). Broadway World said it was a "a must-see for fans of Gothic literature."
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The Turn of the Screw
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Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith are the driving creative team behind the "Bold New Works for Intimate Stages" productions. Both as life partners and artistic partners, Matt and Stephen have spent more than a decade together in the Washington DC metropolitan area building careers as two of the most sought after musical theater professionals. Both have extensive credits as both performers and directors at all of the major DC stages. The two have collaborated on more than a dozen productions over the years in various capacities. In 2016, the duo was nominated for the Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Direction in a Musical - Helen for their direction of The Turn of the Screw.
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