The mission of the Virginia Arts Festival is to bring world-class performing arts to our citizens and visitors, impact the lives of students through outstanding educational programs, commission new works of national and international significance, and make a tangible difference in Hampton Roads through regional partnerships and cultural tourism.

Mission Statement To add diverse, relevant and underrepresented creative work to the American opera theater repertoire.

Virginia Opera Association, Inc., in its 46th year of operation, is known and respected nationwide for the identification and presentation of the finest young artists, for the musical and dramatic integrity of its productions, and for the ingenuity and variety of its education and outreach programs.

Zeiders American Dream Theater is a professional, non-profit theater company whose mission is to provide artistic experiences to the community in a forum that fosters and introduces new, exceptionally gifted artists, composers, and creative writers.

We are proud of being the longest continuously-operating professional theatre in the entire mid-Atlantic community producing works relevant to the LGBTQ+ experience. For over a quarter-century, RTP has produced hundreds of plays – including several world premieres – most of which would not have been produced anywhere else in the area. Our authentic voice is a major change agent in the region, elevating community conversations about the positive effects of diversity and inclusion. We are regarded as one of the major cultural entities in central Virginia, and have received international...

In its inaugural season of the Fringe Curated Series, the Fringe Festival commissioned three new plays derived from folklore or myth from non-western cultures. In exploring these narratives, we brought different perspectives to life. Always looking to grow, develop and take risks, in our second year we are choosing a different focus to commission from. FOR THE 2019 FRINGE FESTIVAL, WE ARE SEEKING TO COMMISSION AND PRODUCE WORK THAT EXPLORES KEY ISSUES CURRENTLY FACING HUMANITY: FORGIVENESS, TRUST AND HOW TIME CAN EITHER UNEARTH OR LEAVE COVERED PROGRESS. What are the challenges we face in...

Independent, intercultural, entertaining, and uncensored, Mosaic Theater Company is a not-for-profit organization committed to making transformational, socially-relevant art. We produce plays by authors on the front lines of conflict zones, and to building a fusion community to address some of the most pressing issues of our times.

WNO’s acclaimed commissioning program for contemporary American opera enters its tenth exciting season, showcasing three new one-act operas by talented composer-librettist teams. This season, American Opera Initiative (AOI) mentorship is led by newly appointed AOI Artistic Advisor and librettist Kelley Rourke, librettist and filmmaker Kimberly Reed, composer Carlos Simon, and WNO Principal Conductor Evan Rogister, who will lead a chamber orchestra of WNO Orchestra members. The concert staging will be directed by WNO Artistic Director Francesca Zambello.

In 1956, the sound of opera rang out in DC, heralding the birth of a new company. More than six decades and countless artistic leaps later, Washington National Opera continues to move boldly forward on the great adventure that began years ago in a university auditorium. Washington National Opera is now one of the nation's leading opera companies and plays to standing room audiences in the Kennedy Center.

The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival National Playwriting Program (NPP) offers three (3) programs for student-written work: ten-minute plays, one act plays, and full-length plays. See below for specific guidelines and awards for each program, but please make note of these overall guidelines for ALL manuscripts: All plays must be blind submissions, which means that the playwright’s name and any identifying information (including school information) must be removed from the manuscript in its entirety. This includes the title page, and all headers and footers throughout the text...

The Kennedy Center is the nation's busiest performing arts center, hosting approximately 2,000 events each year for audiences numbering more than 2 million. Since 1971, we have been bringing the world to Washington with magnificent performances of music, dance, theater, and more. The Kennedy Center, located on the banks of the Potomac River near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., opened to the public in September 1971. But its roots date back to 1958, when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed bipartisan legislation creating a National Cultural Center. To honor Eisenhower's vision...

Since its founding in 2010, UrbanArias has produced over 25 operas, 11 of which were world premieres and seven of which were UrbanArias commissions. In 2019, UrbanArias released its first commercial recording, Gregory Spears’ Paul’s Case, which was selected by Opera News as one of the best albums of the year. Since the company’s inception, UrbanArias has demonstrated a commitment to the highest quality of musical and theatrical performances and has been recognized by The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and other leading media outlets as the premiere purveyor of...