2007 Middle School Finalist Davis Hammond (Newark Center for Creative Learning) was faced with a challenge during the revision process of his play, The Jump To Enlightenment.  In his play, a slightly mad scientist, Oliver, believes he has discovered a way to “jump” to heaven.  It is revealed that he and his colleague, Mary, had worked on this project several years ago but had then given it up.  Oliver has continued the work without Mary’s knowledge.  At the play’s climax, Mary tries to convince Oliver not to attempt his “jump.”  She fails and, just as Oliver’s best friend, Jonathon, and a doubting fellow scientist, Glib, show up, Oliver makes his jump.  Oliver disappears and no one knows whether he got to heaven, or just died.

In the first draft of his play, there is a resolution scene between Jonathan and Glib that occurs three months later.  However, Mary did not reappear.  We challenged Davis to write a final scene that would involve Mary and provide a sense of resolution for that character.