A talking balloon, a girl stranded in the Sea of Lost Things, a school show and tell via Zoom. Welcome to the scripts that make up Make/Believe 2021.
Make/Believe is a theatre festival that challenges its young – and young at heart – audiences to throw out the way things have always been done and indulge their imagination.
More than 100 scripts were submitted from all over the world for consideration in 2021’s festival. The short plays had to be adaptable to both virtual and live performances. Script selection was made earlier this month. Performances are scheduled for June.
Selected scripts include:
Best Friends, by Dallas playwright Adam Eugene Hurst, tells the story of Brooklyn, a dog that wants nothing more but to play and be best friends with Chops. But Chops, a well worn stuffed animal dog toy, wants nothing to do with that.
A Blue Hydrangea, by Oregon playwright Eric Braman, takes place in the backyard of The Great Gardener Carole, as a hydrangea bush wakes up from its winter slumber. What has always been a fully pink hydrangea bush suddenly has a head of flowers that are blue. The flowers explore the concepts of identity, acceptance and vulnerability as they wait in fear of Carole’s judgement.
The Friend Box and The Box Friend, by Chicago playwright Kim Z. Dale, takes place during a school show and tell when two friends both bring a very different “friend in a box” as their item and an argument ensues. But both kids come to realize that friendship — even if it comes in virtual or stuffie form — is more important than being right.
It's Poppin' , by Georgia playwright Steven San Luis, is the story of a young girl who is afraid of moving to a new city and a blue balloon that is afraid of being let go. Together they find the courage to embrace the unknown ahead of them.
Splash of Magic, by Chicago playwright Lori Taylor, teaches boys and girls to overcome their fears by believing in themselves. Diane is an eight-year-old black girl who is scared to go in the pool without something to keep her afloat. When she discovers her black girl magic, she realizes she can conquer any fear as long as she believes in the magic that lives inside her.
Sunshine and the Sea of Lost Things, by California playwright Sarah Lina Sparks, follows a young mixed race Filipino girl, Sunshine, who is stranded on a ship in the Sea of Lost Things. Joining her on the ship are two heroes, Peter and Anagolay, who must navigate her home — wherever that home may be — before she is lost at sea forever.