About The New Theater
The New Theater is a Nashville-based nonprofit dedicated to originating, developing, and producing new works of musical theater. We exist to give original musicals a home—from the spark of a new idea to full production.
We bring writers, composers, performers, and producers together through staged readings, developmental workshops, monthly artist meetups, and seasonal networking events. Our work is rooted in Nashville and oriented toward the future of the art form — building the creative infrastructure that new musicals need to exist, and finding the audiences they deserve.
Our programs serve emerging and established theater artists alike, offering professional development, educational programming, and a sustained community of collaboration. Everything we do is in service of one goal: advancing original musical theater and the new voices that define it.
Our Advisory Board
The New Theater is guided by a board whose members bring expertise across the performing arts, music, nonprofit leadership, branding, and community engagement. Together, they share a commitment to building something Nashville has never had — a dedicated home for original musical theater.
Zach Adam
Zach Adam is a Nashville-based songwriter, producer, and musical theatre writer whose work spans pop, theatre, and film. A Billboard Songwriting Contest winner with multiple Top 20 Billboard hits, he has written and produced for artists including Martha Wash, Offer Nissim, and the First Ladies of Disco. His work has earned major national recognition, including Composer of the Year and Song of the Year, and his rock-opera adaptation of Oedipus the King received three of his country's top musical theatre honors. Zach is the co-writer of Voice! (with Eidan Lipper), currently under option by a Broadway-aligned production team. He is the founder and artistic director of The New Theater, dedicated to developing new musicals in Nashville.
FOUNDER / ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Eric Rasmussen
Eric Rasmussen is an actor, director, and writer with roots in New York's experimental theater scene. He performed in original productions of Jean-Claude van Itallie's Master and Margarita, Yoko Ono's Hiroshima, and the American premiere of Hanoch Levin's Job's Passion, and was a member of the Mint, Monkey Wrench, and Workhouse theater companies. His autobiographical work has been presented at Second Stage Theater, the 92nd Street Y, and other venues. He holds a Master of Liberal Arts in Dramatic Arts from Harvard University, where his thesis — Queeritage: LGBTQ Family Legacy in American Dramatic Narratives — was awarded the Dean's Prize for Outstanding ALM Thesis.
TREASURER
Christi Dorch
Christi Dortch is a seasoned arts executive, producer, and consultant with more than 35 years of experience across venue management, creative production, and strategic development. She has held leadership roles across the nonprofit and commercial sectors, including Executive Vice President of Programming at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, and has delivered regional premieres, new musicals, and nationally broadcast specials at historic venues across the country. Through her consultancy, Airlie Strategies, she advises cultural institutions on programming, revenue development, and community engagement. She has served as a TEDx speaker and trusted advisor to organizations including the Franklin Theatre and the History & Culture Center of Williamson County.
DEVELOPMENT ADVISOR
Rony Goffer
Rony Goffer is an actor, recording artist, songwriter, and translator whose work is shaped by an international background spanning Israel, the Philippines, the Netherlands, and the United States. An alumna of Beit Zvi School of the Performing Arts — Israel's premier conservatory for musical theater — she has also built a significant presence in the pop music industry. As lead vocalist of the dance-pop duo XELLE, she has toured extensively across the United States and reached No. 11 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart with "Lightbeams." An experienced writer and translator, Rony brings a global perspective and deep commitment to cross-cultural storytelling to her role supporting the development of new work.
SECRETARY
Robbie McCown
Robbie McCown is a Nashville-based designer with over 15 years of experience in web design and brand identity. His work has centered on artists and creative institutions, with clients including the Prince Estate, the estate of David Bowie, and musicians such as Liz Phair and Lisa Germano. Known for bringing visual clarity and strategic thinking to complex creative projects, he has built a practice around helping artists and organizations present themselves with intention. He joins the board of The New Theater through his friendship with founder Zach Adam, bringing his creative leadership and deep familiarity with the intersection of art and identity to the organization's branding efforts.
BRANDING SPECIALIST
Tony Barrow
Tony Barrow brings extensive experience in both the administrative and artistic sides of community theatre to his role on the board of The New Theater. He has previously served on the boards of Playhouse 615 and the Keeton, and his experience spans performance, stage management, and production, with credits including Arsenic and Old Lace, Good People, and A Tuna Christmas. Outside the theatre, Tony works in the telecommunications industry and sings with Nashville in Harmony, often finding that the problem-solving demands of both worlds are more complementary than they might appear.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH