In the upcoming weeks, over 2000 students from 70 high schools will be preparing for the 81st  Annual Maine Drama Festival.  
 
March 9-10, at eight 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 550 students) and Class B (less than 550 students). 

At each of the regional competitions, a panel of three judges will decide which performances advance to the State Finals (March 23-24).  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 26-28 in Guilford, N.H.)

The performance schedules for each of the regional sites will be available on the Maine Drama Council website 

Twenty student artists will have an audience of more than 72,000 students and teachers for their artwork starting this fall. The 20 students from across Maine have won the honor to have their artwork included in the Maine Learning Technology Initiative laptop screensaver for the 2012-13 school year.

More than 380 Maine students submitted images to be considered for the 2012-13 screensaver. Students and teachers voted on their favorites, and two of the 20 featured works were the top vote getters. An independent panel of three judges selected the other 18 pieces.

Many of the images are photographs, though several students used pencil, paint, clay and other media to create their images.

“The arts are an essential part of the student experience in Maine. The arts offer students the opportunities they need to explore their passions, discover their talents and apply their creativity,” said Education Commissioner Stephen Bowen.