Lux Theatre Holds Contest Looking for Their Next Play

Every creative wants to see people enjoy their work. Writers especially. And Lux Theatre is giving just that opportunity with open script submissions between now and the Fifteenth Sun of this moon!

Started by Lauriel Heroux, his husband Soleil Heroux, and their fellow Florentel Surlaint, the Lux Theatre was born out of a sort of necessity for Lauriel. He'd been raised by the stage as a young man, making it more than a career but instead his way of life. Creating the Lux was a culmination of his journey with the stage, and he hopes it can bring others to their zenith as well.

"We have worked hard to secure our place in the community, we run open days, and various plays as well as community events," he told the BCC. "Now that we have gained some interest within the community and our name is better known. We would want to discover hidden talents and bring them to the stage."

Lux recently staged their first original play, "A Wicked Heart and An Old Fool", with a community event that ran alongside it letting the audience experience the backstory of the play. Lauriel wrote and directed the production. But he was approached on show nights by budding playwrights. Authors, dreamers, and more sought a way to express their vision on stage, and so the script contest Lux is currently hosting was born. 

Lauriel is particularly interested in making the contest accessible to everyone. As long as the concept is original, he's not overly concerned with length or stage-readiness. It doesn't take being a master playwright to win the contest; rather, it only takes a really good concept. A winner can even sprout from the smallest seeds. The team at Lux knows when they can work with something, so submissions need not be professional.

"Take for example our recent guest performance called 'Powerless'," he explained. "The idea was born from a mere sentence, 'Imagine a turtle on its back in the desert and the audience is powerless to do anything about it.' and from there my co-director and I wrote a performance that left the audience deeply moved and thoughtful."

While it isn't uncommon for theatrical companies to commission an original script, the open nature of this contest is something special. In comparison, many companies have writers actively working alongside the cast and crew to sharpen and hone their scripts through rehearsals or require the script be ready to stage immediately. And usually, the playwrights will be selected by the producer in a closed process. 

Lux's approach also broadens the horizons from simply a practice for a playwright to something accessible to any kind of storyteller. An author's skills with quills don't always translate well to the stage, after all. But beyond even that, all the contest truly demands is that one-line seed, that concept that sparks thought, passion, and performance. That's something anyone is able to create. 

The submissions will be judged by Lauriel and his co-director Florentel. Things that don't mesh well with Lux's style may not be considered - concepts too violent, course, or scandalous might be rejected. Successful entries would demonstrate an understanding of an audience in terms of how to entice them, what reaction they should have, and what message the story would communicate. 

"But most of all, we would like people to have fun coming up with their ideas," he saud. "Art is subjective, we understand that, so we would ask anyone to not feel too disheartened if their piece is not picked this time around. We plan to run this competition annually, so there will always be next year."

Those interested should reach out to the Lux Theatre before the fifteenth.