It's that time again—it's Mainstage Proposal Season!

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The 2026-27 proposal cycle will open on May 15th and close on June 20th for musicals and on June 30th for plays. There are proposal guidelines below, but if you'd like a really in-depth exploration of the process, we have a free upcoming proposal preparation workshop on May 10th!​

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The slots we are seeking to fill for our 2026-27 season are as follows:

• Summer Outdoor Play - July 2026

• Fall Mainstage Play - September 2026 

• Fall Mainstage Musical - November 2026

• Winter Mainstage Play - January 2027

• Spring Mainstage Play - March 2027 

• Spring Mainstage Musical - May 2027

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Brand-new for this, the 2026-27 proposal cycle, we're adding an outdoor summer slot to our Community Theatre program for performance on the Peffer Amphitheater stage in Starker Arts Park in July. This production slot is intended to showcase works of classical theatre (i.e., Greek playwrights, Oscar Wilde, Aphra Behn, etc.) with minimalist staging in a festive outdoor setting.

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Please note that starting this year, Plays and Musicals will have separate proposal processes. Both applications open on May 15th.

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Deadline to Submit a Play: Monday, June 30th at 11:59pm.

Deadline to Submit a Musical: Friday, June 20th at 11:59pm.

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We expect to let director teams know by early August 2025.

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The 2026-27 Proposal Process

Plays

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The Play Reading Committee, a group of community volunteers, will be selecting four plays for this season, three straight plays for our Mainstage season and one classical work for outdoor presentation.

 

Play Proposal Criteria:

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1. You cannot submit if your partner, spouse, or direct family member is on the Play Reading Committee.

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2. You must have demonstrable senior crew or directing experience (either at the Majestic or at another theatre) in order for your proposal to be considered. The capacity to rally volunteers to sign on to your production is also required!

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3. You must have at least one senior crew member provisionally committed to work on the production. Applicable senior crew positions include: Assistant Director, Stage Manager, Costume Designer, Lighting Designer, or Set Designer.

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As you think about what plays you might like to submit for consideration, be aware that the PRC will look at both the suitability of the script itself and the strength of your vision for what you'd like to do with that script. We are particularly excited to see proposals for plays with large casts, plays which are out of copyright, plays with name recognition, and most of all, plays with roles that could be played by actors of many ages, especially youth. Also, because we are a community theatre serving our local community, we always preference local directors from nearby counties. We will not consider straight plays with live music at this time, and we tend to shy away from plays that require extravagant sets, shows with fewer than ten roles, and original works. 

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Our Fall, Winter, and Spring Mainstage Plays have the capacity to be fully staged, fully memorized, and fully designed productions of plays both in and out of copyright, with the full technical capabilities of Starker Auditorium at your disposal. 

 

Our new Summer Outdoor Play will be a fully staged and fully memorized production of an out-of-copyright play with minimal set, lighting, and sound design. 

Once you've settled on your script(s), you'll need a detailed and Vision Statement for each one. This will be the lens through which the Play Reading Committee reads your proposed script. 

Once you have submitted your proposal, Majestic Staff will review it and may reach out to you to schedule a meeting to discuss it. We might want to know more about your vision and your ideas so that we can position you for optimal success before you meet with the PRC. We may recommend changes or edits to your proposal before it gets passed along.

After the PRC has read and discussed your production proposal, you'll be officially assigned an interview slot between the dates of July 14 and July 24. You'll meet with the PRC to present and answer questions about your proposal. You will be given 15-20 minutes to present your vision in any way you wish—you are welcome to bring props, look books, PowerPoint slideshows, sketches, actors, videos, costumes, a statement to read—whatever you'd like to use to most compellingly present your vision to the Committee. After your present, the PRC will ask questions about your play, your vision, and your plans for the production.

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Apply to Submit a Play HERE  (deadline June 30)

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Musicals

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The sphere of responsibility for our two yearly musical selections has moved to a process led by the Theatre Supervisor with input from senior Parks & Recreation staff. This new paradigm will allow greater flexibility for the Majestic to better coordinate with rightsholders and other local theaters to ensure that specific shows can be scheduled successfully.

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Proposal Criteria:

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1. You must have some demonstrable senior crew or directing experience (either at the Majestic or at another theatre) in order for your proposal to be considered. 

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2. You must have a Music Director.

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3. The capacity to rally volunteers to sign on to your production is also required!

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We are particularly excited to see proposals for musicals with large casts, name recognition, and most of all, plays with roles that could be played by youth actors. Also, because we are a community theatre serving our local community, we plan to preference local directors from nearby counties.

Once you've settled on your musical(s), you'll need a vision statement for each musical you're proposing. You'll want to answer some or all of the following questions: What is your hot take on this musical? What inspired you to propose it? How would you describe your vision to a complete stranger?

Once you have submitted your proposal, the Theatre Supervisor will review it and reach out to you to schedule a meeting to discuss and have any questions answered. 

After that meeting is completed all Musical Proposals will go through a vetting process by the Theatre Supervisor with input from senior Parks & Recreation staff for review and recommendation.

Apply to submit a Musical HERE (deadline June 20)