Maine High School One-Acts

Opportunity in communities across the state

This weekend, March 8 and 9, in nine high schools across Maine students will be putting on their best performances as part of the Maine Drama Festival. It’s a great opportunity to support students in the arts, specifically drama, and a wonderful chance to enrich your lives by viewing several short plays in one location. Not to mention, it’s Maine, it’s winter, it’s March – what a great way to spend a weekend!

Below shows you which schools are performing where and the order of the performances. If you click on the image you’ll be able to see it at a larger scale. In blue are the schools performing on Friday night and in salmon are the schools performing on Saturday.

Students are scored by three judges on all kinds of categories including by not limited to: Ensemble Acting, Set Design, Scenic Art, Set Construction, Lighting Design, Sound Design, Special Effects, Prop Design/Construction, Costume Design/Construction, Make-up, Choreography, Stage Combat, Overall Technical Excellence, Original Music by a Student, Student Direction, Student-Written Script. You can imagine after practicing for several weeks, hundreds of students are ready and excited!

Cast and crew of Waynflete School’s (Portland) production of SAINT JOAN by George Bernard Shaw

Schools who come out on top will advance to the States being held on March 22 and 23.

Maine Drama Festival

March 11-12

Regionals: Friday and Saturday, March 10th and 11th
State Finals: Friday and Saturday, March 24th and 25th

Photo by Marti Stone

In the upcoming weeks, over 2000 students from 75 high schools will be preparing for the 86th annual Maine Drama Festival.

March 10th and 11th, at nine regional competitions across the State, schools will present plays ranging from the classics to original student-written plays. Schools compete in two classes: Class A (over 525 students) and Class B (less than 525 students).

At each of the regional competitions, a panel of three judges will decide which performances advance to the State Finals (March 24th and 25th). The Class A finals will be held at Falmouth High School and Class B will be held at Yarmouth High School. The outstanding performance at each State Final will be nominated by the judges to participate in the New England Drama Festival (April 20th, 21st, and 22nd in Norwood, MA)

Photo by Marti Stone

The performance schedules for each of the regional sites will be available on the Maine Drama Council Facebook page www.facebook.com/medramafest/

Please feel free to contact me for further information. A list of Regional winners should be posted on the MDC Facebook page on Sunday, March 12th. If you have questions please contact Maine Drama Council Coordinator Tom Heath at thomas.heath@fivetowns.net.

Maine Drama Festival

March and high school drama

In the upcoming weeks, nearly 3000 Maine high school students from 81 high schools will compete in the 85th annual Maine Drama Festival. The event is sponsored by the Maine Principals’ Association and the Maine Drama Council.  March 4-5, at nine regional sites, schools from Class A (at least 525 students) and Class B (524 or less students) will present plays ranging from the classics to original student-written plays.  Winners from each regional will be selected by a panel of judges to advance to the State Finals on March 18-19.  The Class A Finals will be at Camden Hills Regional HS and Class B at Stearns HS. One school from each State Final will be selected to advance to the New England Drama Festival April 21-23 in Old Saybrook, CT.

Please feel free to contact either of the MDF Coordinators (see below) with any questions or for further information including contact information for individual schools and directors. MDF Coordinators: Rick Ash rick.ash@fivetowns.net Robin Lisherness rlisherness@gmail.com

RESOURCES

• The Maine Drama Council website (site assignments, script selections, etc.)   www.mainedramacouncil.com
• Maine Principals’ Association website http://www.mpa.cc/index.php/interscholastic-activities-and-committees/drama
• History of the MDF https://sites.google.com/site/medramacouncil/about-us/festival-history
• Festival rules and regulations https://sites.google.com/site/medramacouncil/about-us/festival-rules

For additional information contact Main Drama Festival or e-mail MEDramaCouncil@gmail.com. A list of Regional winners will be available, Sunday, March 6.

In Today’s News

Maine Sunday Telegram

Youth Art Month celebrates the visual arts

Youth Art Month celebrates the visual arts – Read about the present exhibit with 100 Maine student artists from grades PK-12 at the Portland Museum of Art. For several years the Maine Art Education Association and the museum have partnered on the YAM student exhibit. To read the entire article written by Bob Keys please go to http://www.pressherald.com/2015/03/01/youth-art-month-celebrates-the-visual-arts/.

Maine Drama Festival signals hopeful change of season

Over 2,500 high school students from 80 schools located throughout Maine will perform their one-act plays at nine sites next Friday and Saturday. This annual event weekend has been taking place since the 1930’s. It is a great way to see several 40 minute plays while you are supporting the school communities. To read the entire article written by Bob Keys please go to http://www.pressherald.com/2015/03/01/maine-drama-festival-signals-hopeful-change-of-season.

The playwright’s the star of this show

Morse High School’s one-act play was written by senior Morgan Quigg. Next weekend 60 Morse students involved in the One-Acts will be keeping their fingers crossed that the play ‘Look Up,’ by Quigg will do well. To read the entire article written by Bob Keys please go to http://www.pressherald.com/2015/03/01/the-playwrights-the-star-of-this-show/.

In Today’s News

Morse High School One-Act

In today’s the Forecaster newspaper there is an article called VHS makes bold return in Bath school’s 1-act play. It is a great review of the student play written by senior Sophie Mayo which will be performed in March called “Str8-2-Vid3o” (pronounced “Straight to Video”). Sophie has been involved with the 1-acts all four years of high school. Nine schools will compete on Friday, March 9 and Saturday, March 10. Sounds like this funny play will be one that you just might want to travel Morse High School in Bath to see.