Menken wrote several shows that were not produced, including "Atina, Evil Queen of the Galaxy" (1980), with lyrics by Steve Brown. He also wrote "The Thorn" with lyrics by Brown, which was commissioned by Divine in 1980. This was a parody of the film "The Rose", but they could not raise the money to have it produced. He collaborated with Howard Ashman in an uncompleted musical called "Babe" (c. 1981), with Tom Eyen in "Kicks: The Showgirl Musical" (1984), and with David Rogers in "The Dream in Royal Street" (c. 1981), which was an adaptation of "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Menken contributed music for the film "The Line" (1980), directed by Robert J. Siegel.