Theater fans, clear your weekend calendar: it’s time for the Goodspeed Festival of New Musicals.

This 17th annual event, which runs Friday through Sunday in East Haddam, is a celebration of stage musicals. It boasts a trio of new shows, seminars about aspects of the art form, cabarets and more. Phew.

See the schedule below.

FRIDAY

Staged reading of “Double Helix,” 7:30 p.m., The Goodspeed

Book, music and lyrics by Madeline Myers

Rosalind Franklin is a brilliant young researcher who’s part of the race to find the structure of DNA in the mid-20th century.

Festival Cabaret, 10 p.m., Gelston House

SATURDAY

Seminars, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Gelston House and other locations

Terris Theatre season announcement, 3:30 p.m., The Goodspeed

Symposium, 4:30 p.m., The Goodspeed

Staged reading of “The Great Emu War,” 7:30 p.m., The Goodspeed

Book by Cal Silberstein and music and lyrics by Paul Hodge

Inspired by when the Australian government sent their army, with guns, to wage war on emus who were feeding on farmers’ wheat.

Festival Cabaret, 9:30 p.m., Gelston House

SUNDAY

Staged reading of “Little Miss Perfect,” 1 p.m.

Book, music and lyrics by Joriah Kwame

A bi-racial teen named Noelle gets a study-abroad student as her roommate, thanks to her parents. And when a classmate becomes a victim of systemic racism, Noelle has to decide what to do.

Meet the Writers Q&A, 3:30 p.m., The Goodspeed

Goodspeed Festival of New Musicals, Fri.-Sun., The Goodspeed, 6 Main St., East Haddam; single tickets are $25 ($15 for students) for each staged reading; a $100 Festival Package is also available; goodspeed.org, (860) 873-8668.