Director Guidelines for Submitting Plays for the 2025-26 Mainstage Season

This coming season, A2CT is committed to creating a fiscally responsible, sustainable budget while offering the community an exciting slate of performances and events.  “Mainstage” will feature four productions: one or two at the Arthur Miller Theatre (University of Michigan’s North Campus) and two or three plays at the A2CT’s Studio Theater (322 W. Ann St. in Ann Arbor), for a total of four mainstage shows. We are currently looking for directors to propose plays for the Mainstage season. Below are some guidelines and information. Improv shows and jams, two Junior Theatre productions, classes, and pop-up theatrical and musical experiences will be selected after the mainstage season is set.

All directors must complete a director application, due by midnight, April 17th.

Play selection: We will be primarily considering plays with well known titles, and larger casts (4 or more characters required). We are committed to staging at least one royalty-free production, and to featuring at least two well-known titles. We avoid staging plays or musicals that A2CT has staged in the last ten years (a complete show history can be found here). We have developed a list of suggested titles, and–while it’s not required–we encourage you to select at least one of your allotted two proposals from the list. 

Below are possible production dates. (Note that shows run Thurs-Sun for one weekend at AMT, and Fri-Sun for two weekends at the Studio). We will be selecting the actual dates depending on which shows are chosen and which venue best suits each show selected.

At AMT

Oct 16-19, 2025 (the Sunday is not available for load in), Mar 8-15, 2026, May 3-10, 2026

At the A2CT Studio

Mid-October, 2025, Early November, 2025, Early December, 2025, Mid-January, 2026, Early February, 2026, Late April, 2026, Late May, 2026, Early June, 2026

Number of proposals: Directors may submit one or two plays for consideration.

Production staff: All directors proposing for this season must have a producer in mind by the final interviews. The producer need not have prior producing experience but must be organized, detail-oriented, and committed to the process. The Programming Committee has a very comprehensive list of producer duties and will provide orientation and guidance throughout the production. However, ultimately the task of staffing productions is up to the show’s production team.

Scripts and royalties: Because royalty/script costs will be factored into the selection process, all proposals should include the script and royalty costs for each show being proposed as well as a digital version of the script. Script and royalty info is usually easily obtained online from the royalty company representing the play. Please email manager@a2ct.org if you need assistance. 

Director Interviews: The committee will decide which proposals will be considered sometime between April 21-25, and every applicant director will be informed whether or not which–if any–of the plays they submitted will be given final consideration and a time slot for an interview. Interviews take place Saturday, April 26, and April 27, between 1-5, each day. Directors who absolutely cannot make that date and those times may contact the committee at psc@a2ct.org.