Virginia Beach – Art that pushes the envelope is taking over The Z this April. The Z Fringe Festival returns to Virginia Beach Town Center with performances of theater, comedy, and new works, alongside a visual arts installation. 

This year’s selections include local and national artists, featuring performances of theater, comedy, music, in a 2-day festival celebrating storytelling of all genres.  

New to the 2024 Festival 

This year, the festival returns with 2 new categories of works: Visual Arts and Works-in-Progress. 

Visual artwork will be displayed gallery style in the lobby through the entire festival. Artist submitted individual works, full gallery displays, and maker space crafter tables. Artists will sell their work and be available during the Festival Gallery Tour, Saturday, April 6 from 12:00PM to 4:00PM. 

Pieces submitted as “Works-in-Progress” will allow artists to present a new work still in the creative process for audience feedback on performance day. 

This Year’s Performances 

The 2024 Festival features 25 acts selected by lottery from over 50 submissions, and will showcase new plays, poems, stand-up routines, music acts, and visual galleries. 

Performers are traveling from out of town, as well as local favorite creators debuting new works, with the total number of artists involved hitting over 200! Some of the featured works include: 

• Operation Smile’s Puppet Friends Show 

“The Puppet Friends Show” presented by Operation Smile’s Interactive Learning Center, is a captivating performance that will delight audiences with the stories of our Puppet Friends. This dynamic show uses puppetry, song and interactive storytelling to explore the challenges faced by children with cleft conditions and the life-changing work of Operation Smile. 

• Steadfast by Chris Anderson, a new musical 

Steadfast is the story of brilliant reformer and public servant Frances Perkins. Set in 1911, before women even had the vote, Miss Perkins sets out to end child labor and improve living conditions for the working poor. 

• Meet Me at The Casino, a new play by Ashlee Rey 

Meet Me At The Casino” is a riveting play that delves into the complexities of family dynamics against the backdrop of a lively casino setting. The story follows the King family as they gather for a long-awaited reunion on Father’s Day weekend. 

What is a Fringe Festival? 

The Z’s Fringe Festival is a celebration of self-produced performance art that pushes the envelope and makes a statement. Performances at The Z Fringe are theatrically-based, meaning they have a viewpoint, tell a story, or connect multiple pieces with a theme. Like the origin story of Fringe Festivals, The Z Fringe was created to give performing artists access to performance space and the opportunity to explore new concepts and performance formats that don’t fit a ‘traditional’ production model.  

A full list of performances and the full performance schedule can be found at thez.org/zfringe. All-access passes, single day passes, and single-show tickets are available online or by calling the box office at 757-499-0317.  

AUDITION For Artist-Produced Works at the 2024 Z Fringe Festival

AUDITIONS: STEADFAST

WANTED – Actors who can SING for an excerpt of a new musical play by award-winning songwriter to be presented at the Z FRINGE FESTIVAL on Saturday, April 6 (late afternoon.)

This show is part of the works-in-progress portion of the Fringe. Lyrics and recordings to practice with by early/March. Some rehearsals via Zoom. MAXIMUM in person rehearsals = 4.
Parts – 3 males and 3 females. Some parts already cast.
Want more details? Please get in touch.

AUDITIONS: BACK FROM IRAQ

For New Musical Concert Reading
at Zeiders Theatre Festival on April 6, 2024
Each Cast Member to be Paid $100 for Performance on April 6th

Auditions Locations
Friday, March 1, Audition : Denise Walls Dance Studio, 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm
4020 Bonney Road, Suite 116, Virginia Beach 23452
Or Saturday, March 2, Audition: Fairfield Inn & Suites Town Center, 10:00 am to Noon
Meeting Room, 20 Constitution Drive, Virginia Beach 23462
Sunday, March 3, First Rehearsal: Harmony Yoga Studio, 3:15 to 6:00 pm
4540 Princess Anne Road, Suite 109, Virginia Beach 23462

RSVP Zoe Conner, Producer, by TEXTING 415-264-4941 with your name and which day you will audition. Be prepared to sing Happy Birthday and read scenes.

BACK FROM IRAQ Musical follows the young men and women from diverse backgrounds on a 90 minute fast-paced modern musical “boots on the ground” tour of duty in the Middle East.

See the CAST BREAKDOWN below. Also needed is a STAGE MANAGER as Narrator and two

FEMALE DANCERS. The Cast will not be needed again until April 1st through April 6, 2024 for rehearsals, tech and performance.
PIN-UP GIRL – Think Gwen Stefani. Pop singer/dancer with her own “Pussy Cat Dolls” dancers. She is a modern icon of the 1940’s bombshell who exudes self-confidence.
CAPTAIN – Male, about 30 years old, experienced with successful missions but bravado covers his fear of failure. He tries to live up to an idealistic role of a leader.
GRAMPS – Grandfather to Captain, sadder but wiser after Viet Nam. He is a bit stoic and hesitant to ever talk about his own war.
GUNG HO – The youngest recruit, athletic, strong, aggressive but feels pressure to please Marine Dad who has a chest full of medals.
GRIM REAPER – Black male knows violence from roaming with a gang in the streets but wants a better life for himself.
LEGS – Asian female Medic from a formal cultural background who wants to feel brave and empowered. She cannot dishonor her parents but she also can no longer live as a shadow of herself.
BRAINS – Very intelligent male who signed up after 9/11 to outsmart the enemy but has spent his life adrift and unattached to anyone.
BEAST – Male, funny, self-deprecating but a smart computer wiz. He loves to cook and eat and play video games and is very hairy.
HERRERA – BASED ON REAL SOLDIER (Mary J. Herrera) – Latin female gunner (from dancing/singing CORPS)
ACE – Male constantly focused on flying Apache helicopter (from CORPS)
FARSI – Female Interpreter educated from Iran (from CORPS)

This audition offers the opportunity to contribute to a vital conversation, shedding light on topics such as postpartum depression, societal pressures, and domestic challenges within relationships. Join us as we aim to educate and inspire our community through the art of storytelling.

Calling all visual artists! Submit original works of art now through March 1!

Art that pushes the envelope is taking over The Z this April. The Z Fringe Festival showcases unique creative works in a weekend of adventurous theater and performance art. The Z is seeking talented visual artists to display their new individual works, gallery displays, or maker space crafts for a Fringe Gallery space.

Visual arts is a new category in the 2024 Festival, along with performance “works-in-progress”.

We are seeking:
🖌Single Artwork Submission – A single piece of visual art, any medium.
🖼Gallery Submission – Up to 4 pieces of artwork that are connected by a theme. Art mediums can be varied or the same for all 4 pieces. Connecting theme must be part of the Artist Statement.
🪆Maker Space Submission – 6’ table space for display of applied arts and crafts.

Learn more & Submit now

Justin Kauflin’s GSA Jazz Series continues this month featuring The Z’s own Liz Brydge along with Chris Brydge on bass and Alan Parker on guitar. Admission is donation-based with proceeds benefitting the GSA Jazz Program.

Date: February 29, 2024
Time: 7:00 pm -8:15 pm
Location: The Governor’s School for the Arts
Miner Music Hall, 3rd FL
254 Granby Street
Norfolk, VA
McArthur Center parking garage recommended for parking

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/367842552560903