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Old Town High School
thespians “boffo” in Bangor!
March
28, 2007
Local
theatre fans, get ready to say “I knew ‘em when” after the Old Town High
School’s Pokeberry Players head to Rhode Island to represent Maine in
the New England Theatre Festival in April. The talented six-member cast
of Eugene Ionesco’s “The Bald Soprano” earned the number one ranking at
the Eastern Regional Drama Festival at MDI High School on March 9 and
10. Last weekend, they performed at the state drama festival in Bangor,
copping top honors and taking home four judges’ awards, including ones
for “outstanding ensemble cast”, “use of masks”, and two for technical
work. Cast members Alex Yates and Maggie Campbell were also named to the
All-Festival Cast. Now, the troupe will head to Warwick, Rhode Island to
perform for a new audience.
“Of
course, I’m very proud of the cast and what they’ve accomplished,” said
Karen Marley, OTHS English teacher and director of the play. “We’ve won
regional honors and have been to the state competition five times, but
this is our first state championship.”
Nine
schools in all took part in the weekend competition.
The
first professional production of The Bald Soprano took place at
the Theatre des Noctambules in France in 1950. The absurdist plot
revolves around an English family who invite another family to their
home for a visit, during which the two groups become caught up in a
whirl of seemingly meaningless banter and non sequiters. When the local
fire chief, who also happens to be the maid’s ex-lover, shows up and
makes a casual reference to “the bald soprano”, the others become upset
over what they believe to be a reference to one of the ladies in their
midst.
The
Pokeberry Players are Alex Yates, Rachel Chadbourne, Maggie Campbell,
Jim Campbell, Cameron Henry and Zack Goater. The technical crew members
are Erin St. Peter, Alanna Mills and Jillian Allen.
The
group also received its share of honors at the Eastern Maine Regional
Festival, including an All-Festival Cast berth for Alex Yates and two
judges’ awards for outstanding ensemble work and technical work.
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