Houlton Star Bright Children’s Theater presents original play

    HOULTON, Maine — Many Houltonites traveled to Millinocket May 7 for the road show of “An Allagash Haunting: The Story of Emile Camile” by Houlton Star Bright Children’s Theatre. This was the third performance of this play and it was not diminished by the travel or the time lapse since it opened the previous weekend in Houlton. The cast of characters was superb through all three performances of this most unique and original play by author Tim Caverly, a retired supervisor of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway.
    Last summer Tim approached Children’s Theatre asking if they would be interested in adapting his children’s book into a stage play and producing it themselves. Thus began a collaboration between Tim and Barbara Hogan to bring the story of Emile Camile to the stage. Ann Barnes was the co-director but makes it very clear that Barbara was the creative genius behind the music, sets, costumes, staging and a strong and involved board backed her up. Barbara had the vision of how this story should play out on stage and she and Tim were able to write it in such a way that we all could feel the history of the Allagash, the beauty of the area through the scenery and sound affects, and the timelessness of the storied region with its ever changing seasonal moods. You could almost smell the forest in the campfire set with the beautiful backdrop created by Frank Sullivan. The family of four plus one were most believable as they progressed through the Allagash giving us tidbits of history along the way.
The haunting music of the clarinet and piano which Barbara Hogan had composed herself had the effect of pulling the audience into the mist and mystery of the Allagash. Mary Miller of Millinocket traveled to Houlton weekly for several months to work with Barbara and the children’s chorus. Her light touch with the children obviously worked as they responded from the littlest seven year old to junior high. The folk songs from the Acadienne tradition were sung in both English and French adding an authenticity to the mood. The boarding house party scene was beautifully choreographed to include all the children in active dancing and singing roles, with some girls playing boys flirting with girls. The fiddling by young people was a perfect addition. The entire play was tied together through the four excellent storytellers in stunning costumes who were the Spirits of the Allagash who saw and knew all.
Most of my children have been in this children’s theatre over time going back to the 80’s and now my granddaughters are learning and loving it. How truly lucky we are to have such a vibrant organization that provides theatre “for children and by children.“ I know of no other quite like it and am very proud that it’s ours in Houlton.