Calling all writers! Playwriting ensemble is the chance to learn about the different aspects of playwriting, channel our creativity, and create original stories ready to take the stage. Through prompts, games, partner and group work, and even special guests, each day will provide different inspiration in getting our stories from brain to page. Each session will provide opportunities for individual and group work, the goal being that each writer comes away from this process with scenes, or a completed short play, to share with friends and family.

This class runs five weeks: 3/18, 3/25, 4/1, 4/8, 4/15

There’s a WHOLE world of music to discover! From toe-tapping tunes to silly sounds, join us as we explore the magic of rhythm, melody, and song. Grab your imaginary instruments, put on your dancing shoes, and get ready to create your own musical story! Each week, we’ll work together to build an exciting adventure with interactive games, imaginative prompts, and musical-themed acting challenges. Who will we meet? Where will the music take us? Each class will reveal a new part of our journey, leading up to a fun-filled performance for friends and family on the final day!

This class runs six weeks: 3/12, 3/19, 3/26, 4/2, 4/9, 4/16

Planet Earth needs you! Can you design a seed launcher to help pollinate a field? Can you engineer a road that allows amphibians to cross safely? Together we will explore some of the wondrous animals on our planet and engineer roads, filters, and more to discover and imagine ways to co-exist with these awesome beings. Makers will get to use the tools and materials of CMTM’s MakerSpace plus additional special supplies.

Eco Engineers runs five weeks: 3/12, 3/19, 3/26, 4/2, and 4/9

Do dragons love tacos? Can sharing food make friends? Explore the world of cooking through picture books and imaginative play. Stories including Dragons Love Tacos by Adam Rubin and A Feast for Joseph by OD Bonny and Terry Ferrish are the inspirations for our culinary creations. Measure, mix, and imagine as we cook and share stories and snacks.

Stories in the Kitchen runs five weeks: 3/11, 3/18, 3/25, 4/1, and 4/8

Join the Theatre Crew Program and work backstage on Mainstage productions. In this orientation, new crew members will operate the light and sound equipment in the booth, have a backstage tour, and learn how to support our professional productions. After attending the orientation, crew members will be enrolled in the Crew Program and will have the opportunity to sign up to work on our season productions alongside professional actors, stage managers, and technicians. Monday, February 3, 2025, 3:45 - 5:15 pm.

Unveil a magical world as we use science and our imaginations to make art. Create maps and messages one can only read with a secret potion, harness the magic of the sun to create cyanotypes, get imaginative to decorate a wizarding wand, and more! Makers will get to use the tools and materials of CMTM’s MakerSpace plus additional special supplies.

Magic Art Makers runs five weeks: 1/22, 1/29, 2/5, 2/12 and 2/26 (no class on February 19)

It's a BIIIIIIIIIIG universe out there—from galaxies to planets to stars! Put on your space suit or your alien costume and let's explore the Universe together. Join the Troupe and work together to discover one shared story through interactive games, imaginative prompts, and space-themed acting challenges to bring these characters to life. Each class will shape the adventure, and tell us what happens next. We will share the entire story with friends and families on the final day of class.

This class runs six weeks: 1/22, 1/29, 2/5, 2/12, 2/26, and 3/5 (no class on February 19)

Head to the kitchen to mix up some tasty experiments! Grow yeast to make pizza dough, experiment to find the perfect pancake recipe, and make color-changing cookies. As we cook, we will explore the world of molecules and how chemical reactions transform ingredients into some of our favorite foods.

Kitchen Chemistry runs five weeks: 1/21, 1/28, 2/4, 2/11, and 2/25 (no class on February 18)

The Children's Museum & Theatre of Maine will host an annual Youth Playwriting Festival in Spring 2025! Attend our Playwriting Orientation to get a jump start on writing your play. We will answer questions about the festival, help brainstorm ideas for your play, and teach you some tips and tricks for getting started. Monday, December 9, 2024. 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm.

Do you know what rocks and rice-crispy treats have in common? Come find out as geology meets cooking in this special Afterschool class, exploring the earth by making edible and yummy treats. Make trace fossil crackers, strawberry volcanoes, layers of the earth parfait, sugar crystals, and rock cycle rice-crispy treats! Real science tools will accompany our exploration as we examine soil samples, examine CMTM’s rock and crystal collection, and check out replica dinosaur fossils. Geo Food Lab runs six weeks: 11/12, 11/19, 11/26, 12/3, 12/10, and 12/17. 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm.

Something strange has happened at CMTM, and we need some secret agents to unravel the mystery. Be part of a squad of theatre-makers, grab a magnifying glass, and prepare for a super secret mission! Play games that inspire character development and world-building. We will share a brief performance with friends and families on the final class day. Theatre Playmaking Squad - Top Secret! runs six weeks: 11/12, 11/19, 11/26, 12/3, 12/10, and 12/17. 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm.

Roar, roar, stomp, stomp, travel back in time to become your favorite dinosaur! For young actors that have stories to share- this class is for you! Join the Troupe and work together to discover one shared story through interactive games, imaginative prompts, and dino-tastic acting challenges to bring these characters to life. Each class will shape the adventure and tell us what happens next. We will share the entire story with friends and families on the final class day. Creative Drama Troupe Prehistoric Play runs six weeks: 11/6, 11/13, 11/20, 12/4, 12/11, and 12/18. There is no class on Wednesday, November 27. 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm.

MakerSpace is throwing a party! Set the party stage by engineering a ping pong rollercoaster, using tools to create a carnival game, and building paper mache puppets. Projects will explore simple machines and the design process while giving children the opportunity to express their unique creativity. Lastly, work with Artist in Residence, Lisa DiFranza to contribute to a mixed-medium self-portrait mural. Families are invited to the end of the last day of class for a marvelous makers' parade showcasing the party posters, puppets, and games! Marvelous Makers runs six weeks: 11/6, 11/13, 11/20, 12/4, 12/11, and 12/18. There is no class on Wednesday, November 27. 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm.

Practice your acting skills by playing games! In this workshop, actors will practice saying "Yes And" to their scene partners, become more comfortable with improved conversation, and gain confidence onstage in a safe environment. Monday, October 7, 2024. 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm.

Join CMTM's Theatre Crew Program and work backstage on Mainstage productions. In this orientation, new crew members will operate the light and sound equipment in the booth, have a backstage tour, and learn how to support our professional productions. After attending the orientation, crew members will be enrolled in the Crew Program and will have the opportunity to sign up to work on our season productions alongside professional actors, stage managers, and technicians. Monday, September 30, 2024. 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm.

Pretend to be a monster and bring this classic Halloween party song to the stage! This class is for you for young actors with stories to share! Work together to bring your favorite Halloween creatures to life and throw the best Halloween Party of the year. Through interactive games and imaginative prompts, each class will shape this party adventure to show us what the Monster Mash is really all about. We will share the entire story with friends and families on the final day of class. Creative Drama Troupe Monster Mash runs six weeks: 9/25 10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30. 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm.

Use CMTM's open-ended MakerSpace materials and tools to create a miniature world on the move! Dive into the ocean depths to create a mini-submarine. Blast off to the moon with a pint-sized, self-propelling rocketship! Use your imagination to make the mini mountains, forests, and deserts for us to explore along the way. At the end of the last day of Afterschool, families are invited to explore the tiny world creation and all of its moving parts. Tiny Town Travelers runs five weeks: 9/25, 10/2, 10/9, 10/16, and 10/23. 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm.

The pumpkin patch is headed to the CMTM teaching kitchen! Dissect a pumpkin, roll out pumpkin ravioli, create a pumpkin quesadilla, and cook up fanciful food based on fairytale pumpkins. Along the way, we will get artistic in decorating gourds and doing experiments, including germinating pumpkin seeds to take home and using a chemical reaction to inflate a pumpkin balloon! Families are invited to the last class to taste a special pumpkin treat. Snacks with Jack (O-Lantern) runs six weeks: 9/24, 10/1, 10/8, 10/15, 10/22, 10/29. 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm.

Create a play that takes place entirely underwater! Become an underwater sea creature, a mermaid, or someone who is snorkeling! Explore the depths of the sea with your imagination, and imagine our show is below the surface of the ocean. With a touch of magic and a sprinkle of imagination, we will create a shared story through interactive games and prompts.

This drop-off workshop series meets weekly on Wednesdays from 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm for 5 weeks from April 24 to May 22: 4/24, 5/1, 5/8, 5/15, 5/22.

Get a new perspective on earth, from moss to mushrooms, as we create natural graffiti, make fungi fairy houses, naturally dye cloth, and more! We will draw our materials and our inspiration from the earth’s renewable resources and make beautiful art to take home and treasure.

This drop-off workshop series meets weekly on Wednesdays from 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm for 5 weeks from April 24 to May 22: 4/24, 5/1, 5/8, 5/15, 5/22.

On the first day of this theatre class, you and the squad of theatre makers will create a map of a fantasy world. You will decide what kind of beasts, monsters and creatures live in this fantasy world, and these beings will inspire your character. Over the course of the class, you will bring this world to life and develop the story of how it came to be and what will happen next.

This drop-off workshop series meets weekly on Tuesdays from 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm for 5 weeks from April 23 to May 21: 4/23, 4/30, 5/7, 5/14, 5/21.

Science takes on a magical form as we make color-changing cookies, use dry ice to transform states of matter, and create fanciful treats like caldron cakes! For future magical making, we will compile our spellbinding snacks in a potions notebook.

This drop-off workshop series meets weekly on Tuesdays from 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm for 5 weeks from April 23 to May 21: 4/23, 4/30, 5/7, 5/14, 5/21.

Get ready to experiment! Ask questions and test out your hypotheses as we make eruptions, write with invisible ink, explore states of matter with dry ice, and more as we discover the wondrous world of interacting molecules.

This drop-off workshop series meets weekly on Mondays from 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm for 5 weeks from April 22 to May 20: 4/22, 4/29, 5/6, 513, 5/20.

Playwriting Workshop Series: Workshop 8

Explore the exciting realms of non-verbal communication and stage directions. Step into the shoes of a director, learning how to guide actors, set designers, and the audience through the world of your play.

This drop-off workshop series meets weekly on Mondays from 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm for 8 weeks from February 26 to April 15. Participants can take one or all sessions.

Playwriting Workshop Series: Workshop 7

Metaphors can elevate your storytelling to new heights. Play with the extraordinary connection between words and music.

This drop-off workshop series meets weekly on Mondays from 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm for 8 weeks from February 26 to April 15. Participants can take one or all sessions.

Playwriting Workshop Series: Workshop 6

How do you string together a beginning, middle and end to create a cohesive narrative? What is the hero’s journey, and how can we use dramatic structure for inspiration?

This drop-off workshop series meets weekly on Mondays from 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm for 8 weeks from February 26 to April 15. Participants can take one or all sessions.

Playwriting Workshop Series: Workshop 5

Everything the director and actor need to know about your character is revealed in the way they talk to each other. In this workshop, you will write captivating conversations that breathe life into characters and drive narratives forward.

This drop-off workshop series meets weekly on Mondays from 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm for 8 weeks from February 26 to April 15. Participants can take one or all sessions.

Playwriting Workshop Series: Workshop 4

Dive into the world of theatrical tension and drama. Learn how to craft a compelling conflict that will move your narrative forward, build tension, and find resolution.

This drop-off workshop series meets weekly on Mondays from 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm for 8 weeks from February 26 to April 15. Participants can take one or all sessions.

Playwriting Workshop Series: Workshop 3

Who is your story about? What is the relationship between your characters? How do they change as the story progresses? Learn about character development and how small choices can make a big difference.

This drop-off workshop series meets weekly on Mondays from 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm for 8 weeks from February 26 to April 15. Participants can take one or all sessions.

Create a tiny town at CMTM! Using recycled materials, tools, and your imagination we will create buildings, mini-furniture, and unique homes. Discover simple machines like pulleys to make a treehouse and transform a ramp into a slide. Together we will explore what makes a strong, welcoming community.

This drop-off workshop series meets weekly on Wednesdays from 3:45 pm - 5:15 pm for 5 weeks from March 6 to April 3: 3/6, 3/13, 3/20, 3/27, and 4/3.