Workshop New Musical with Music of The Arcadian Wild

CREW WANTED – BUCK NELSON WORKSHOP

Help develop a new musical with the music of The Arcadian Wild.
Bread & Wine Theatre is seeking an experienced cast and creative team for a week-long developmental workshop of BUCK NELSON, a new progressive folk jukebox musical inspired by the remarkable true story of Buck Nelson—the Missouri farmer whose claims of encounters with visitors from outer space drew thousands of pilgrims to the Ozarks during the flying saucer craze of the 1950s.

Set against one of America’s strangest forgotten cultural moments, Buck Nelson explores questions that feel even more urgent today: What is truth? Who do we trust? Why do people believe what they believe? How do we live together when certainty is elusive? Long before social media, viral conspiracies, and twenty-four-hour news cycles, one small Ozarks town became a testing ground for these same questions.

Featuring the richly layered, progressive folk music of The Arcadian Wild, the musical blends humor, mystery, compassion, and philosophical inquiry into an intimate story about doubt, faith, friendship, community, and our universal desire to belong. Rather than ridiculing belief or celebrating skepticism, Buck Nelson invites audiences to sit in the uncomfortable—and deeply human—space between them.

This workshop offers a rare opportunity to help shape an original musical from the ground up while working with material built around the music of one of today’s most distinctive independent folk bands. The Arcadian Wild has cultivated a passionate national following through intricate harmonies, literary songwriting, and emotionally resonant storytelling. Opportunities to develop new theatre alongside an established musical catalog with such a dedicated audience are exceptionally rare.

We’re looking for artists who love collaboration, embrace discovery, and want to help build a new work before it reaches the stage. This is not simply a rehearsal process—it’s an opportunity to influence the evolution of the script, characters, staging, and storytelling as the musical continues its journey toward future productions.

Workshop Dates & Location
October 12–17

Monday–Friday: 6:00–9:30 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Jefferson Avenue Mission – 2241 Jefferson Ave, St. Louis, MO 63104
Please note: This is a developmental workshop only. There is no public production or performance attached.

Seeking Creative Team:

Stage Manager
Music Director
1–2 Script Analysts / Dramaturgs
Videographer for Interviews; Documentation

To Apply please send headshot and résumé to:

owen@breadandwinetheatreco.com
afliimatta@gmail.com

Questions may be directed to owen@breadandwinetheatreco.com

If you’re excited by original theatre, collaborative creation, and stories that ask timeless questions through unforgettable music, we’d love to hear from you.