HOULTON — The Houlton Star Bright Children’s Theatre will celebrate its 45th year of bringing live theatre to the public with a special double feature on Friday, April 26, and Saturday, April 27, at the Houlton Community Arts Center.
An evening filled with “leprechauns, rainbows and pots of gold, pirates and mermaids and oceans cold” will be featured in this year’s performances.
The fun begins with “Peggy the Pint Sized Pirate,” by D. M. Larson, produced by special arrangement with freedrama.com. Peggy longs to be a pirate but, because of her diminutive size, all of the other pirates refuse to take her seriously. But, when a fearsome sea monster captures the other pirates, it’s up to Peggy, aided by some oceanic new friends, to rescue them. “Peggy the Pint Sized Pirate” is being directed by Barbara Hogan, Ann Barnes and Susan McMann.
Inspired by Irish folk and fairy tales, “Blather, Blarney, and Balderdash” by Patrick Rainville Dorn, tells the story of Fin O’Grady, a tongue-tied Irish shepherd who must learn to tell a story in order to win the hand of his true love. To his aid come the three leprechauns of the play’s title, who share three stories with Fin, eventually teaching him that a story is a treasure that increases the more you share it. “Blather, Blarney, and Balderdash” is being co-directed by Pamela Chernesky and Mary Miller and being produced by special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Service, Inc., Englewood, Colorado.
“The decision to produce two plays this year was prompted by the unusually large number of children, more than 60, who turned up for auditions this past January,” said Frank Sullivan, spokesperson for the theatre. “The Houlton Star Bright Children’s Theatre always tries to find a way to include all of the children who audition in some aspect of the annual production. The casts for both plays include a total of 68 children who have been rehearsing since early February. Children are involved in all aspects of bringing the plays to the stage, including set, prop and costume design, stage management, lighting and sound and makeup.
“The Houlton Star Bright Children’s Theatre’s annual production is truly a labor of love, with board members, children, parents and other volunteers hard at work for months learning lines, stage directions and songs, rehearsing, making costumes, building sets and props and all of the other behind the scenes activities to help make each year’s production a success,” he added.
The double feature of “Peggy the Pint Sized Pirate” and “Blather, Blarney and Balderdash” promises and evening of magical live theater for audiences of all ages. There will be two performances at Houlton Community Arts Center: Friday, April 26, at 6 p.m. and Saturday, April 27, at 1 p.m. Tickets will be available at the door. Ticket prices are $5 for adults, $3 for students and seniors, and $15 for a family (parents and children).
The Houlton Star Bright Children’s Theatre, founded in 1969 by students at Ricker College, is one of the oldest community children’s theatres in the country and offers live theater for and by children to the Greater Houlton area. The Theatre is a non-profit organization supported by generous volunteer help and community donations.
For more information contact: Sullivan at 538-9416 or by e-mail at frank@rainbarrow.net.
