On Friday, July 26, I had the extreme privilege of visiting Cabot Vermont. As noted in my previous post, my friend Karen Mueller-Harder runs a children’s theater camp there, and had commissioned me to write two new plays for the kids: “Reunion” (for 11- to 16-year-olds) and “How I Became the Nightmare Queen” (for younger kids). Karen worked with the kids over the course of the week leading up to the 26th, rehearsing “Nightmare Queen” in the morning and “Reunion” in the afternoon.”

My wife Vinita and I got to Cabot shortly before noon, giving us a chance to meet the younger set after their last rehearsal. We sat in a big circle and talked about the process of writing scripts and turning them into plays. Though young, the kids were no strangers to the stage; every one of them had appeared in front of an audience before now! They were smart, friendly, and engaging, and asked thoughtful questions.

In the afternoon, I met with the older participants. Once again, we sat in a circle(somewhat smaller, this time), and talked about how “Reunion” had come to be, and going into detail about the creative process.

In the evening, it was time for the show! First came “Nightmare Queen,” a rousing and funny production in which the performers gave their all, playing characters like the Software Bug, the Were-Terrier, and the Fish-Eating Zombie. To fit all the participants in, the major characters were portrayed by two actors (and in the cast of the protagonist, Cass, by three). The large audience (there were more people than seats) responded enthusiastically.

Then came the more thoughtful “Reunion,” featuring seven young actors who deftly portrayed the humor and drama in this tale of a handful of cousins at a family reunion, coming to grips with what it means to grow up.

All in all, it was a marvelous experience. I want to thank Karen for bringing me on board, and all the participating kids for bringing life to my scripts.