Blixt Locally Grown Utilizes New Play CAPTAIN SOAPMAN To Empower Children During Covid-19

Blixt Locally Grown utilizes new play CAPTAIN SOAPMAN to empower children during Covid-19

A new play providing hope and humor to children and their families during the current pandemic released virtually today. Produced entirely via Zoom video-conferencing platform while actors and crew maintained social distancing, CAPTAIN SOAPMAN embraces humor, heart, and hope to honor the experience of children everywhere who are processing the big changes that come alongside Covid-19. The play, found at www.blixt.space, is produced by Blixt Locally Grown, a Lincoln-based organization committed to improving the lives of children and families through the arts.

CAPTAIN SOAPMAN, written by Mary Sinclair, is the winner of Blixt Locally Grown's inaugural Theater for Young Audiences 10-Minute Play Challenge, designed to solicit new works for young people. Blixt launched the challenge for students in co-founder Becky Boesen's Playwriting II class at Nebraska Wesleyan University. The students had less than a week to submit a new work for children and their families exploring themes relevant to the Covid-19 pandemic including isolation, imagination, and young people's feelings. "The enrolled students provided a host of innovative scripts, making the final decision extremely difficult," said Boesen. "In the end, CAPTAIN SOAPMAN by Mary Sinclair was declared the winning submission."

As part of the contest, Blixt Locally Grown produced the performance of CAPTAIN SOAPMAN via Zoom. Cast members include professional actors Michelle Ingle and Brad Boesen, radio host DeWayne Taylor, and many more locally recognizable faces. Director Becky Boesen said, "I am thrilled to stage this exciting new work using the Zoom platform. We have an all-star cast sharing their time and talent, and we are looking forward to offering this theatrical experience for young people and their families, with an empowering message at the heart."

Synopsis: In CAPTAIN SOAPMAN, Covid-19 is making eight-year old Michael feel pretty anxious! He and dad are stuck at home, mom is away taking care of grandma, and just when things are about as rotten as they can get, an army of hostile germs shows up and kidnaps his favorite toy! Will Michael find the courage to fight them off? Will mom come back home soon? Will life ever feel normal again? WHERE'S THE SOAP?! Captain Soapman is a tribute to children everywhere facing big questions in uncertain times. Filled with heart, hope, and hilarity, Michael's journey is sure to resonate with kids of all ages. Fighting off the germs just got fun.

Blixt Locally Grown has a rich history of producing works for family audiences, which address difficult issues like hunger (Puddin' and the Grumble by Becky Boesen and David von Kampen in 2016, commissioned by The Lied Center for Performing Arts) and grief (Snowcatcher by Becky Boesen in 2017-18, co-commissioned by the Midwest Theater, Scottsbluff, and the Lincoln Arts Council).

"We at Blixt Locally Grown had a desire to address the chaos of the current situation for our young audiences," says co-founder Petra Wahlqvist. "We figured that we could do this while also providing an opportunity for emerging playwrights in our community, and exploring how to deliver new theatrical experiences via an online platform. All in all, it's an extremely joyous project to work on during these uncertain times, and we are hoping it will bring joy and a sense of empowerment to our audiences as well!"

Blixt Locally Grown will also feature additional submissions to the Theater for Young Audiences 10-Minute Play Challenge on their website. The premiere of CAPTAIN SOAPMAN is available for circulation at no cost. Audiences can view the final production at www.blixt.space or through Blixt Locally Grown social media outlets .