It is a real thrill to interview our first finalist from our inaugural playwriting competitions - Arthur Boatin. Arthur's play NOW DEPARTED placed third in our inaugural 10-minute playwriting competition.

A character-driven piece, NOW DEPARTED is the story of a chance meeting by small-town natives Rhonda and Clayton. They learn who have in common and compare notes on parenting, drinking, and losing a partner.

Our judges described the play as a "subtle and effective slice of life mini-drama. Realistic dialogue and a well-constructed story — not easy within such a short form!"

Arthur Boatin is a Michigan native who since 1985 has lived in Maine, where much of his writing is set. His employment history includes proofreading, newspaper reporting, foreign student advising, and teaching high school and college English. He worked as a guide in the American pavilion at the Brussels Worlds Fair. In 1959-60 he was a soldier in the U.S. Army.

Arthur’s one-act plays have been produced (2015) and stage read (2017, 2021) in Portland, Maine. His first full-length play, THE DAUGHTER OF THE RULER OF THE SEAS AND TIDES, received a Zoom reading by Maine Playwrights Festival in March 2021. His work is included in the Smith and Kraus publications THE BEST MEN’S STAGE MONOLOGUES 2020 and THE BEST WOMEN’S STAGE MONOLOGUES 2020.

Arthur has published short fiction in literary magazines, including Worcester Review, Whetstone, Anastamos, and Western Humanities Review. His essays and journalism have appeared in the Boston Phoenix, Technology Illustrated, and the Downeast Coastal Press.

Please join us in congratulating Arthur on this outstanding accomplishment!

Learn about Arthur's wife Elaine Ford here.