PORTLAND — The Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine is offering an opportunity for budding playwrights aged 17 and younger to submit their original plays to the Youth Play Festival, set for June 1-2.

The festival, which kicks off the 101st children’s theatre season, aims to ignite a passion for theatre and nurture the imaginative talents of young writers, according to a news release from the museum’s Shultzie Fay Willows.

“We believe in the power of storytelling to inspire, connect, and empower young minds,” said Reba Askari, CMTM’s theatre artistic director. “Through our Youth Play Festival, we’re providing a platform for young playwrights to share their unique voices and creative visions with the world.”

The organization invites young playwrights residing or attending school in Maine to submit their original plays or musicals, between two and 10 minutes in length, for consideration. Co-authored works are welcome, provided all authors meet the eligibility requirements. There are no submission fees, and each playwright or team may submit up to three plays.

Winning plays will be selected based on their alignment with the core values of the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine: Curiosity, Trust, Community, Belonging, and Play. Selected playwrights will have their works mentored, directed, and performed by CMTM’s Acting Company during the festival.

“We’re looking for stories that captivate, inspire, and reflect the rich diversity of our community,” added Emily Dixon, theatre production manager at CMTM. “Whether it’s a tale of adventure, friendship, or self-discovery, we encourage young playwrights to let their imaginations run wild and share their unique perspectives.”

For playwrights ages 10-14, CMTM is offering a series of Monday workshops to help guide and support young people through the playwriting process. In this drop-in series, participants can bring a play they are working on already or come up with a new idea in the workshop. CMTM staff will help get the play ready to submit to the Playwriting Festival.

The 2024 Youth Playwriting Contest will be judged anonymously. Signing up for the workshops does not guarantee that a play will be selected. Visit kitetails.org for more details.

To submit a play for consideration, playwrights can complete the submission form at kitetails.org or mail printed scripts to the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine, 250 Thompson’s Point Rd, Portland, ME 04102 ATTN: Youth Play Festival Submission.

Submissions must include a cover sheet with essential details, including the title of the play, author(s) full name(s), date of birth, school name and teacher name (if applicable), mailing address, email, and phone number.

The submission deadline is Monday, April 15. Winners will be notified in May.

For more information, visit kitetails.org or email theatre@kitetails.org.

 

 

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