by Clyde Santana

Directed by Leila Stephanie and Patrick Mullins

On the eve of his retirement, a frustrated undercover officer, reflecting on some of his past experiences, questions his decision to retire and return to his family and his artistic life or continue to work undercover for his former bigoted supervisor.
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The Proteus New Plays Festival showcases community-driven staged readings of 4 scripts that have been developed in the Z Playwrights Lab or by Z Artist Members. The staged readings give the playwrights an opportunity to work with a director and a volunteer cast to see their script “on its feet” for the first time, and add the most crucial element to developing a play, The Audience!

Each reading is presented twice during the 2 weeks of Proteus Festival. Audiences are given the opportunity to rate the plays via a survey focused on the elements writing an engaging script and story. Ratings are averaged to select the PNPF Audience Favorite. The Audience Favorite receives a workshop production 2-week run in November, as the second Curtain Up! New Plays Series play of the 23-24 season.

VIEW THE FULL PROTEUS LINEUP

NEW PLAYS FESTIVAL SPONSORED BY

David R. Goode Charitable Lead Annuity Trust
The Shubert Foundation
Clyde Santana and Valli Meeks
City of Virginia Beach Arts and Humanities Commission

PROTEUS FESTIVAL SPONSORED BY

Meet me at The Z to get creative! Form a Creative Team at Proteus Festival. All ages and levels of experience are welcome. Grab up to 5 friends and come to The Z on 9/27 at 6pm to receive your prompt. Then, over the course of 5 days, create a new work in one of these disciplines: theater, music, film or a mix of all three, and on opening day of Proteus Festival, 10/5 at 7:30pm, present that new work at The Z on the Main Stage. Creative Teams receive rehearsal space, technical support, and special access to all Proteus Festival events. Local professionals in each discipline are available to provide mentorship and lend a helping hand when you need one.

On October 5, our creative teams will kick off the Proteus Festival with performances. 

All levels of experience are welcome. For ages 16 and up! Email our Community Engagement Liaison Heather Shannon with questions.

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by LouJ Stalsworth
directed by Sharon Cook

Widower Ray Calabria battles 42 years of haunting memories as he nears the sale of his house to a young couple who, that same day, must make a life-shaping decision of their own. This is a love story of then and now.

“Boxes of Someday” is told alternately in real time and as a memory play during which promises are made ~ some kept, others put away and forgotten, only to be remembered too late to be kept. The play is funny at times, tearful at others, and it is likely the story someone we know has already experienced, or one which we will eventually live ourselves.

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The Proteus New Plays Festival showcases community-driven staged readings of 4 scripts that have been developed in the Z Playwrights Lab or by Z Artist Members. The staged readings give the playwrights an opportunity to work with a director and a volunteer cast to see their script “on its feet” for the first time, and add the most crucial element to developing a play, The Audience!

Each reading is presented twice during the 2 weeks of Proteus Festival. Audiences are given the opportunity to rate the plays via a survey focused on the elements writing an engaging script and story. Ratings are averaged to select the PNPF Audience Favorite. The Audience Favorite receives a workshop production 2-week run in November, as the second Curtain Up! New Plays Series play of the 23-24 season.

VIEW THE FULL PROTEUS LINEUP

NEW PLAYS FESTIVAL SPONSORED BY

David R. Goode Charitable Lead Annuity Trust
The Shubert Foundation
Clyde Santana and Valli Meeks
City of Virginia Beach Arts and Humanities Commission

PROTEUS FESTIVAL SPONSORED BY

Meet me at The Z for the FREE Proteus Block Party! Showcases of music, comedy, theater, kid’s entertainment, open mics, and interactive art projects take over Town Center this October in the don’t-miss free event of the season! Come see what The Z is all about-there’s no arts fest like Proteus!

FEATURING:

On the Terrace & Plaza: Join in our community art project and outdoor performances, plus an open mic sampler featuring a preview of our spring musical, Rathskeller: A Musical Elixir!

Studio: Rotation of performances by the Children’s Theater of Hampton Roads, Plan B Comedy, and more!

Main Stage: Relive some of our favorite performance highlights and see what our main stage is all about!

Main Lobby: Interactive art projects, a vendor fair, and family fun area!

VIEW THE FULL PROTEUS LINEUP

By Marissa Alaniz Directed by Jason Kypros When two sisters start a house renovation, they begin to uncover its secrets, and the mysterious history of the Sally sisters from the 1860s. As their stories converge in a visit from the afterlife, it becomes clear that the real horror is breaking the tight bonds of sisterhood. In this love letter to the paranormal that touches on the topics of feminism, mental health and society as a whole, the past and present are closer than they seem. Tagline: A love letter to the paranormal where the past and present are closer than they seem. OR A love letter to the paranormal. 1/25, 1/26, 2/1, 2/2: 7:30PM 1/27, 2/3: 3PM and 7:30PM