Faculty Spotlight: Jennifer Stafford

Meet Jennifer Stafford

Degrees and Experience
  • MFA, Musical Theatre Writing (New York University - Tisch School of the Arts)
  • BFA, Musical Theatre Performance (Shenandoah Conservatory)
Biography and Professional Achievements

Writer: Her lyrics have been heard on Broadway (Paramour, cast album available through Sony). Other works include Prodigy (workshop productions through Collaborative Development Project, Two Rivers Theatre Company, and Indiana University, Harrisburg Theatre Festival), To Have and to Hold (commissioned and produced by Prospect Theatre Company and Barrington Stage), Cinderella (commissioned and produced by the Spotlight Youth Theatre), Two Bugs are Better Than One (commissioned and produced Off-Broadway by the New York City Children's Theatre, all with Willem Oosthuysen), The Artist and the Scientist (with Brandon Anderson, produced Off-Off-Broadway at CAP21), The Star Child (with Sarah Underwood and Josh Freilich, produced at French Woods), Awakening (with Joel B. New and J. Oconer Navarro) and Beating a Dead Horse. Her work has been featured at the Lincoln Center Songbook Series (The Lyrics of Jennifer Stafford), Prospect Theatre Company, The National Alliance for Musical Theatre Songwriter Salon, the New York Musical Theatre Festival, 54 Below, Ars Nova, Joe's Pub, and numerous other NYC venues, including multiple inclusions in William Finn's Ridiculously Talented concert series. Awards include finalist status for the Yale Institute for Music Theatre, the Eugene O'Neill Musical Theatre Conference, and the Ronald M. Ruble New Play Competition, as well as second prize in the McLean Drama Company Playwriting Competition, and the Paulette Goddard Award. She's been an Artist in Residence at Goodspeed Musicals, CAP 21, the Ross Ragland Theatre and the Berkshire Playwrights Theatre. Dramatists Guild member.

Teaching Artist with the Metropolitan Opera Guild (where she was awarded the title of "Master Teaching Artist"), the New York City Children's Theatre, and Trinity Music NYC. She has been a guest lecturer at New York University, Baruch College, Colorado Christian University, the Wise Institute, and the Rocky Mountain Library Writer's Association.

Other professional credits include working as a script reader for 21-time Tony Winning director/producer Hal Prince, and working on the production teams of several Broadway musicals. Worked with William Finn, Michael John LaChiusa, and the writing team of Ahrens and Flaherty.