51Æ·²è

Add Verb Productions, a program of the Westbrook College of Health Professions at the 51Æ·²è specializing in performance for health and wellness education, has won the for Best Anthology for its first publication, Out & Allied; An Anthology of Performance Pieces, written by LGBTQ Youth and Allies.

Add Verb Productions' programming is a unique and carefully researched hybrid of theater, education, community action, and local resource collaboration designed to foster discussion on difficult social issues and find ways to make communities safer, stronger, and healthier.

The Maine Literary Award is sponsored by the Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance, which has been supporting writers and the literary arts in Maine for over 30 years. This year, more than one hundred books were entered into the award’s various categories.

Add Verb’s Anthology includes thirty-four monologues, short plays and poems that were selected from well over 100 submissions from youth in Maine and across the country.  The material focuses on the experiences of LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning) youth and the importance of allies. Included is a guide for directing, producing, and writing original pieces and other resources.

The creation of the Out & Allied Anthology was youth-powered, from the writing and development of the performance pieces to the directing of productions and preparation of the manuscript.  Represented in the book are stories of life, love and acceptance: a mother and son reveal the complexity of family and generational stories; a sharp, short poem captures the fear of being in a school hallway; and a high school girl humorously recounts her experience of coming out to accepting parents.

The book design was donated by Proactive Resources, Inc., of Portland, spearheaded by Lauren Johnson.  Proactive President and CEO Sidd Tripp said of their donation, “We could not say ‘yes’ fast enough!  We felt that more people in the gay business community should be donating their time and resources for an underserved segment of gay society:  gay youth.”

Playwright Cathy Plourde, who founded Add Verb Productions in 2000, said, “We need to reach youth where they are, and that’s in schools, and then we need to provide any tools, resources or support they require to take it from there.  This book is important to me because when campuses, schools and families are safe we attend fewer funerals.  It sounds dramatic because it is.”

The book is dedicated to former Maine Assistant Attorney General Thom Harnett, in recognition of his work to make schools safer for all youth.  He said, “All members of our society, gay, straight or otherwise, need to speak up, speak out, and lend a caring hand by becoming allies for gay youth to prevent tragic stories…from ever being told.”

Add Verb premiered an Out & Allied production (July 2008) at SPACE Gallery in Portland for the National Convention of Chapter Leaders of the Gay Lesbian Straight Educators Network (GLSEN) and was featured in a short MTV documentary (See the documentary ).  The project went on to win the Portland League of Young Voters Award for “Best New Youth Project” with favorable reviews as a “powerful, evocative and unique” performance “powerful enough to create change.”

Out & Allied Anthology is available locally at the USM campus bookstore, and online through , and more information about the project can be found .