Started at Mama’s Crow Bar in 2011 by a group of local playwrights as an opportunity to see their creations read by actors to support their creative process, and inspire new voices.
In 2014 the club began staging the winning plays as a short-play festival, King of Crows. Directors and actors were hired to produce a polished staging of each play. During the pandemic, theatre deathmatches were paused, and it was no longer feasable to produce the King of Crows. Once monthly deathmatches resumed, the committee made the decision to celebrate the winning plays, by reading them again, with a different, randomly selected cast of players.
In December 2026 the prior committee resigned, and handed off the club to the current board; Mackenzie Belanger, Sean SLF, Derek Kingsley, & Emma Thompkins. The new board committed to two goals for the club: 1) Keep the deathmatches going, and B) resume production of a staged King of Crows annual festival. King of Crows XIII will be held September 4-6, 2026.
The Crowbait Club has evolved into a significant fixture in the Southern Maine Theatre scene. Plays that originated at Crowbait have been produced across America, and beyond; some at short-form festivals, others have evolved into longer pieces which have been produced in other venues.
