Ghost Light Burns Bright at Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine with Maine Youth Playwriting Challenge
Maine Youth Playwriting Challenge Online
The Maine Youth Playwriting Challenge continues and you can still sign up and join us! So far, over 30 youth playwrights from across the state have signed up, and four of them have shared their original plays with other creative young people from across the state via dynamic zoom sessions. Our theatre educators continue to work with each young writer to help them make their goal. We also welcome the teachers who are using our playwriting challenge to support their writing (ELA) and performing arts curriculum.
If you are interested in participating, fill out this form to receive prompts and guidance from our theater staff.
Here’s what happens when you sign up:
You will receive 10 days of video-recorded playwriting challenges that will inspire and guide you, step by step, through the process of writing a play;
You will receive individualized support for writing from one of our playwriting mentors;
You will join a community of young playwrights from all over Maine, and will be invited to join in and participate in educator-led Zoom play readings.
GUIDELINES:
Anyone can participate, so long as you live in Maine and you are under 18.
Plays can be team written (you can co-write a play with a friend through google docs, or even minecraft!)
Playwrights are welcome to work closely with adult mentors if they’d like. (I.e. you can co-write a play with your dad! Or your entire family!)
Click the button below for a worksheet to help you get started with script formatting, then follow along with our theatre educators as they walk you through the process of writing a play in ten days!
PLAYWRITING SESSIONS
What is a Ghost Light?
Many theaters have a ritual at the end of the night. They leave a ghost light on, which is a single, incandescent bulb that lights a path for anyone working late. There’s superstition around this ritual–some say it’s to keep theatre ghosts happy. We think it’s a symbol of hope. That even if a theatre is empty, even if it’s one night, the theater itself is never dark.
The Children’s Theatre of Maine has been continually performing plays for a young audience since 1924. We are the oldest continuously running children’s theatre in the country! That’s nearly a century of plays for young audiences. While schools are not in session, and while theatres are dark, now is the time for artists to hunker down and turn on the ghost light while we write our stories. Join the Maine Youth Playwriting Challenge.
The Maine Youth Playwriting Challenge at the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine empowers families to:
Write stories
Document our world and the time we’re living in
Join in community
Celebrate the imagination of Maine Youth
The Maine Youth Playwriting Challenge is an online challenge for young playwrights in Maine, to challenge and support each to write a play during this unique time of social distancing. These plays may take many forms, from realistic family dramas to utter absurdity. This challenge will take place while school is not in session and challenge young playwrights to write short plays, focusing on: setting, character, structure and more!
If you would like to support this online educational programming, we welcome a donation of any amount. Thank you!