Why We Are Here
The Atlanta Musical Theatre Festival is spearheading a new cultural tradition in Atlanta by creating a place for musical writers to get their stories on the stage. Atlanta is an artistic hotbed and we have created an outlet for the incredible talent that lives and thrives in the southeast. We accept and are thrilled to read submissions from all over the world and select stories that move us with their music and characters to bring our community together. That way those stories can continue on to show the whole world how we are all more alike then we think.
…simply saying; we are here to create some new musicals.
Now entering our 5th year, the Atlanta Musical Theatre Festival is becoming the premiere musical theatre festival in the Southeast. In just 4 years, we have presented 15 new musicals over 13 days, in 4 venues, to more than 2,000 patrons! We remain committed to providing actors, directors, music directors, choreographers, designers, and technicians with opportunities to develop their craft.
In just 4 years, AMTF has connected more than 300 artists and provided them with the resources they need to develop new musicals here in Atlanta. We have had artists from all over the country come over to Atlanta for the festival. Will you join us?
This is how it started…
"The AMTF was born out of a desire to motivate artists to write new musicals. We are most excited about creating a safe space for national and local artists to develop new work. We also want to make sure we provide an opportunity for emerging actors, directors, choreographers, musicians, and all theatre artists to hone their craft. The Festival encourages artists to create their own opportunities, and to support and learn from each other.”
— Benjamin Taylor Davis, Founder & Executive Director
Who We Are
Benjamin Taylor Davis
Benjamin Davis graduated cum laude from The University of Georgia with a B.A. in Theatre and a B.S. in Psychology. He is also a graduate of Aurora Theatre's Apprentice Company. In addition to Aurora Theatre, Ben has appeared on stages at the Alliance Theatre, Actor’s Express, Theatrical Outfit, City Springs Theatre, Horizon Theatre, Arís Theatre, Dad’s Garage, Synchronicity Theatre, Stage Door Players, The Warehouse Theatre, and TheatreZone. Benjamin is a proud member of Actor's Equity. His Film & TV credits include The Fat Boy Chronicles, Fun World, The D.U.F.F., “Dream Writers,” and “Doom Patrol” now streaming on DC Universe. He has also appeared in commercials & industrials for the Georgia Lottery, North Carolina Education Lottery, Equifax, The DVI Group, Eli Inc., Ensign Studios, Top Flite, Zaxby’s, Home Depot, Harveys Supermarkets, and RaceTrac. For 7 years, Benjamin was involved with the Broadway Dreams Foundation as a production assistant, lead intern, performer, and student under the direction of Annette Tanner, Nicholas Rodriguez, Matt Lenz, and Stafford Arima among others. Benjamin serves as the Head of Theatre Division for Phoenix 4 Productions where his credits include Associate Producer for Breathe: The Prequel and The Run Saga: Breathe. He was also an Associate Producer for The Last Time We Were Here, an official selection of the 2015 New York Musical Festival.
Jeff McKerley
Jeff has made Atlanta his artistic home for 33 years as an actor, singer, dancer, director, choreographer, and educator. He has had the honor of receiving 3 Suzi Bass Awards (Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical, Outstanding Choreography, and Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play). He has performed at The Alliance Theatre, The Atlanta Lyric Theatre, Theatrical Outfit, Actor’s Express, The Shakespeare Tavern, The LaGrange Lyric Theatre, The Aurora Theatre, The Horizon Theatre, Theatre in the Square and many other local and regional community-based and semi-professional theatres. From 1988-1992, he served as a founder and Artistic Director of Southern Fried Productions, an Atlanta-based theatre company that focused on cultivating new Southern plays, musicals, and authors. Jeff wrote the lyrics and a portion of the music for The Fine Art of Forgetting, one of the musicals chosen during the AMTF’s inaugural year. He has also adapted several Native American and international folktales to the stage. He also teaches acting and musical theatre privately, and is involved with several after-school arts programs in the Atlanta area.
Casey Gardner
Casey Gardner is a photographer and actor in Atlanta. She has done quite a few head shots in the Atlanta area for local actors and does production photography work for Theatre Buford, Actor’s Express, Aurora Theatre, Catalyst, Atlanta Theatre Club, Found Stages, Georgia Ensamble Theatre, Horizon, Serenbe Playhouse, Theatrical Outfit, The Weird Sister’s Theatre Project, and more.
Her work has been featured in American Theatre Magazine, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Edge Atlanta, Creative Loafing, Atlanta ShowGuide, Simply Buckhead, ArtsATL along with many other wonderful publications.
She has a degree in Performing Arts from the Savannah College of Art and Design and lives with her cat Otis and fiancé Dan.
Ryan Oliveti
Ryan Oliveti is excited to join the AMTF Team! Ryan is the currentMarketing Director at Theatrical Outfit after being on staff at Horizon Theatre Company and Serenbe Playhouse.
Ryan is also a director in ATL–credits include:Slow Food (TheatricalOutfit); A Nice Family Christmas (Stage Door Players), ART, Charlotte’s Web,The SecretGarden, The Sleepy Hollow Experience,The Snow Queen (Serenbe).
Assistant Director : many at Serenbe; Candide, Warrior Class (Alliance Theatre);Hands On A Hardbody (Aurora Theatre),Detroit (Horizon Theatre);Dividing the Estate (Theatrical Outfit); Equus, Seminar (Actor’sExpress);Picnic (Stage Door Players). Ryan is a graduate of Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ & the Actor’s Express Apprentice Program. Thanks to my family, friends, mentors.
@ryanoliveti
Kayla Zinke
Kayla is pleased and excited to be returning with AMTF as the Production Stage Manager. She was most recently the assistant stage manager for The Alliance’s productions of Seize the Kingand Becoming Nancy. Kayla has also been the stage manager for Horizon Theatre’s Madeline Christmas since 2014, as well as been a member of stage management teams for many other theatres in the Atlanta area. Kayla’s passion for the arts does not stop at theatre. For three summers she site managed for an arts initiative in Atlanta called “Little Five Arts Alive”. Kayla would like to thank you for your support of the arts here in Atlanta especially new musicals.
Becca Twiggs
Becca Twiggs is an emerging theatre artist and a recent alumnus of Georgia Gwinnett College (Go Grizzlies!), graduating magna cum laude with a B.A. English and a minor in Media Arts Production. While at GGC, she co-founded and served as producer and script editor for the Grizzly One Act Series, an annual festival showcasing new plays by student writers.
She’s been lucky to work with many wonderful theatres and arts organizations in the Atlanta area, including Aurora Theatre, Herschend Family Entertainment, The Make Mom Proud Project, Essence to Crux Theatre, Second Star Entertainment, The Atlanta Shakespeare Company, and now The Atlanta Musical Theatre Festival!