Join the #operaplot 2011 contest, featuring a Madison Opera prize!

It started as a dorky classical music meme on Twitter and is now a beloved annual contest, with rules, prizes, and formidable guest judges. That's not to say #operaplot has lost its street-cred. Rather, if you don't have any clue what we're talking about, it's high time you learned and, more importantly, participated!

Here's the deal: #operaplot is an annual Twitter contest where participants tweet summaries of operas in 140 characters or less using the hashtag #operaplot. You have all week to tweet your ingenious #operaplots, at the end of which world-renowned opera star Eric Owens will pick his favorites. And guess what, if you're chosen, you get a prize from this list of opera tickets, CDs, giveaways, and more. Details and regulations are online.

If you're wondering why you should participate, we have even more motivation for you this year: added to the prize-pool is a pair of tickets to any production from Madison Opera's 2011-2012 season, which we're announcing on Monday, April 18th! Impress Judge Owens and you may just find yourself front and center in Overture Hall next year.

So what are you waiting for? Start tweeting today!

Confused or need some inspiration? Check out the winning tweets from last year!

A big thanks to #operaplot organizer The Omniscient Mussel!