9th Annual Festival of New Musicals

Darrah Cloud’s first play, The House Across the Street, was produced by Ensemble Studio Theatre. Since then, productions include The Stick Wife, Our Suburb, The Mud Angel, Dream House, Braille Garden, The Sirens, Heartland, The Boxcar Children, Honor Song for Crazy Horse, Understudy Jesus, and the stage adaptation of Willa Cather’s O Pioneers!, filmed by American Playhouse. Cincinnati Playhouse toured Joan the Girl of Arc, and What’s Bugging Greg? Two new plays, Turning and Sabrina, will premiere in 2021 and 2022 at Centenary Stage and Portland Stage. She is currently working on The Imaginary Life of Alexander McQueen for Ark Productions. She has written for CBS, Fox and NBC. Alum of New Dramatists, co-directs Howl Playwrights in Rhinebeck.

Other recent scores: NOW COMES THE FUN PART (written with James Hindman, Mark Waldrop, Lynne Halliday)- Penguin Rep 2022, THE PIN-UP GIRLS (written with James Hindman)- Casa Mañana 2018, interstitial music for POPCORN FALLS (a play by Jim Hindman)- Off-Bdwy 2018. THE PIN- UP GIRLS CHRISTMAS (written with James Hindman and Mark Waldrop), MERRILEE MANNERLY – Playhouse On Park 2019, TOP OF THE HEAP- WBAI Radioplay 2020, BABY BUMPS- Curtain Call Theatre, DISNEY’S DOUG LIVE!, (MGM- first original book musical produced in Disney World’s history). With John Allen: YOUNG ABE LINCOLN- Theatreworks, USA- US tour, REBELS 1775- Starlight Theatre.ABOUT FACE(with writer David Arthur)- 2006 International Festival of New Work (Cardiff, Wales), NAMT, 1997.
Music Director/Arranger: PETE ’N KEELY- Papermill Playhouse, A LETTER TO HARVEY MILK- Off-Bdwy 2018, LIBERTY- Off-Bdwy 2017, others.
Pianist/Conductor: Chita Rivera, Andy Gibb, Mongo Santamaria, others. Faculty- American Music and Dramatic Academy. Member- Dramatists Guild, BMI, AFM, SAG-AFTRA.

KIM SHERMAN is a composer whose music covers the spectrum of genres from musical theater to opera. Her musicals include O PIONEERS!, HONOR SONG FOR CRAZY HORSE, THE BOXCAR CHILDREN, HEARTLAND, MAKEOVER, and THE TWO ORPHANS. Her incidental music has been heard on Broadway (I HATE HAMLET) and in regional theaters throughout the United States. Recent compositions include an opera about Ada Lovelace, and a song cycle about Clara Schumann. Awards include the Bay Area Theatre Critics Award, the Frederick Loewe Award, a NYFA Fellowship, and annual ASCAP awards. She has been a fellow at The MacDowell Colony, and was awarded a Rhinebeck Writers Residency in 2011. In 2013 she spent a month in residence at The Banff Centre. Ms. Sherman received a Bachelor of Music from Lawrence University, and studied composition with Thea Musgrave. She is a volunteer composer and mentor for The 52nd Street Project.