STANDISH, Maine — Every year, high school drama departments from around the state come together to compete and perform in what’s known as the Maine Drama Festival or "One Act" festival.
Students must assemble their set, perform their play, and take it all down in under an hour or else face elimination. Judges decide which shows move on to the next round of the competition.
The coronavirus pandemic halted the festival in 2020 but organizers were determined to make the festival possible for students this year. They did that by eliminating the competition portion of the festival and making the entire event virtual. Instead of presenting their production on stage, they will submit a recorded version performed remotely via Zoom.
"If someone punches in one screen then someone reacts in another screen," Bonny Eagle High School (BEHS) senior Sarah Durocher said. "It’s a little difficult but it’s going to look cool."
Durocher and the rest of the BEHS cast will be performing the Zoom-adapted version of "She Kills Monsters: Virtual Realms" at the festival this year.
The Maine Principals’ Association's executive director, Holly Couturier, said a lot of thought went into how they could make the festival possible after having to cancel last year due to the pandemic. This way everyone can participate safely and without fear of disqualification.
"It’s a different time," Couturier said. "So, to be able to take something that they love and kind of morph it into the world we’re in right now… it’s pretty exciting."
"I’m so glad it’s non-competitive so we don’t have to stress about that," Director and Drama teacher, Marianne Pillsbury said. "We’re just going to have fun exploring this new way of doing theatre."
"It’s kind of a win to even be doing a show," Bonny Eagle High School senior, Alison Jones said. "It’s kind of cool to be working with a new medium."
The festival is set to kick off on March 13 online.
