Proteus New Plays Submissions

PROTEUS NEW PLAYS

Submissions for the 2026 Season have closed.

Open to members of:
The Z Playwrights Lab, Z Artist Members

Proteus New Plays (PNP) is the theater component of The Z’s annual Proteus Festival, the kickoff festival for The Z season. PNP showcases community-driven rehearsed readings of scripts by members of The Z Playwrights Lab, Z Artist Members, or community playwrights who are invited to submit by The Z. Submissions are limited to these groups to highlight the collaborative writing & development opportunities at The Z for local playwrights.

PNP rehearsed readings give the playwrights an opportunity to work with a director and a volunteer cast to hear their script with actors’ interpretations. Technical components and staging are intentionally limited to focus the process on the script. Rehearsed readings are presented to an audience with actors on book, primarily standing or sitting at music stands.

The Z provides onsite rehearsal time and rehearsal support, limited technical support, and a stage manager and directing team for each reading.

Each reading is presented at least twice during Proteus Festival. Reading performances are open to the public, with a donation entry (suggested $10).

Submissions Open: April 13 - May 10 2026
Selection process complete and Playwrights contacted: June 12, 2026
Kick Off Meeting: July 2026
Director & Playwright meetings & revision period: July 2026
Rehearsal Draft from Playwright: July 22, 2026
Common Casting at The Z: August 2-3, 2026
Rehearsals: August 16 – September 5, 2026
PNP Public Readings: September 8 – 11, 2026
Proteus Block Party: September 12 2025
2 PNP Finalists Readings
Creative Sprint Arts Mixer and Awards
PNP Audience Favorite Rehearsals and Performances: January 4 2027 – February 6, 2027.

SUBMISSION INFORMATION

Submission Guidelines:

Submissions Open: April 13 - May 3 2026
Playwright must be a Z Artist Member, Z Playwright’s Lab Member, or a community playwright invited by The Z to submit.
Playwright has read the festival parameters and is interested in a collaborative process, actively engaging in honing their script with the directing team and cast throughout the Rehearsed Reading process.
Full-length, one-acts, and short-form scripts will be considered for participation in the PNP Readings, however, Audience Favorite candidates need to be at least one-act in length.
Scripts longer than 2 hours may be limited to presenting scene selections instead of the full script.
Due to the festival parameters, this opportunity is not open to musicals.

Proteus New Plays Staged Reading Performance Guidelines:

Run Time for each block of readings is 3 hours, total. Plays longer than 2 hours may be asked to present selections from the script, so that the Reading block can include more than one script.
Limited to 30 total hours of rehearsal (not including performances), 4 hours of which are reserved for an onstage staging rehearsal with tech elements added. .
2 public readings per show. Readings will take place in the Studio Theater for a Pay What You Will audience. Finalists for the Audience Favorite will have a 3rd public reading as part of the Proteus Block Party.
Actors will be On Book
Community-driven event; all volunteer actors & creative teams, with the exception of stage managers, technicians, and directors provided by The Z
Limited staging, no choreography. Actors will utilize music stands to hold scripts.
Stage directions must be read aloud as part of the ticketed performance. Choosing a stage direction reader will be part of the casting process.
One costume per actor, no costume changes. Full cast in a basic look, such as all one color, is allowed.
No scenery. Furniture must remain in a single location, with the exception of folding chairs, stools, stage blocks, or music stands. Actor staging can include moving those items, keeping in mind that actors will have scripts in hand.
Hand props, if used, should be limited to items critical to telling the story only, keeping in mind that actors will be at music stands.
Weapons of any kind must be approved by The Z’s Director of Production and handling during readings and rehearsals must follow The Z’s safety protocols.
Lighting will be a full-stage white wash with basic “lights up” at top of show -”lights down” at end of performance cuing.
Directing team may select or create a playlist of music on Spotify for preshow.
Directing team may submit one song file for use with curtain call. File must be in either .mp3, .wav, or .m4a format. Youtube and Apple Music links are not accepted.
No sound cues or sound effects. Necessary sound effects should be read (or performed) by the stage direction reader. Actors will live perform any scripted voice-overs from onstage.
Text-only projection slides are allowed but not required. No more than one per scene, to clarify scene location or similar. Text can be short location titles, dates, and/or times - no long descriptions.

The Z Provides:

Stage manager – to coordinate rehearsals, record blocking, and facilitate scheduling with The Z
Directing Team – to collaborate with Playwright on pre-rehearsal script work and to direct the rehearsed reading
Casting support through hosting Common Casting Auditions, sharing casting call announcements on Z Arts News, and in Audition and Artist Membership e-blasts. Casting is the responsibility of the director and playwright, in collaboration.
Participation agreement document for volunteer actors
Up to 26 hours of onsite, non-technical rehearsals, as available. Rehearsals will be scheduled with The Z Director of Production by the Stage Manager. Rehearsal locations will be assigned as available and may vary between the Studio, Main Stage, or Main Lobby.
Use of The Z furniture & prop stock and folding tables & chairs, within the reading parameters. List will be provided to the Directing team.
One technician. This technician will run lights, text projections, and preshow/bows/postshow music.
Staging and tech rehearsal time in the Studio Theater, in 1 four-hour block per show. Stage Manager will schedule Staging and Tech with The Z Production manager, within the allotted hours.
Standard pre-show music. The directing team may also select or create a playlist of music on Spotify for preshow.
Text-only slides using a template. No more than one slide per scene.
$50 budget for production materials.