BAR HARBOR — MDI Drama is scheduled to perform its first spring play in three years at Mount Desert Island High School’s Higgins Demas Theater this Friday.
For the first time ever, the spring production will be a series of selections from “The Coarse Acting Show” by Michael Green, which, according to MDI Drama’s website, consist “of five serious plays performed by serious actors during which things go seriously and hilariously wrong.”
“The production is a story within a story about all good actors in a play to whom very bad things happen,” said co-director Chris Dougherty, who is directing three of the five shows.
Three of the 20-minute selections will take place in the first act before a short break that is followed by two more selections in the second act. The two acts are divided into two different companies where some of the students act in two or three of the five shows. Actors were cast in shows that the directors believed best showcased their talents.
Dougherty says the three segments she directs, “Pride at Southanger Park,” “Il Fornicazione” and “A Collier’s Tuesday Tea,” are similar to extended “Saturday Night Live” skits with different settings. One of the segments is based around an opera, whose orchestra is in a van that is in a river.
“During the opera play, we sing all of our lines, so some of it are certain well-known operatic pieces, but there are a lot of pieces where we just kind of make up what we are singing,” said student actor Ly Dillon.
Carlene Hirsch is the director of the other two one-acts selections, which are Agatha Christie-esque murder mysteries, “Trapped” and “Streuth,” both in similar settings with comedic undertones. “The humor lies in how everything goes wrong, props and set pieces fall, break and lead to chaos,” Hirsch said, adding that the actors and actresses play the mishaps to a tee.
Though all story settings are different, the stage will have the same design/layout, but with different props, costumes and decorations for each act. “We will be doing really quick costume and set changes,” Dougerty said.
The students usually have only two weeks to rehearse for the spring production, but they were fortunate to get three weeks of rehearsal time this year.
“We had a ton of people come out to audition,” said Dougherty.
(From left) Mia Eason, Ly Dillon, Harlan Mahoney, Bryce MacGregor, Evangeline Meister and Darrin Stavnesli.
ISLANDER PHOTO BY NINAH REIN
The actors agreed that they enjoyed working on all the acts and do not have a favorite. Actor Rex DeMuro thinks the most interesting thing about the productions are all the layered acting where every actor is playing an actor who is playing a character, which he said lends to a good opportunity for character development.
Hirsh said she takes a very student-centered approach and lets the actors determine their characters by giving them a framework to discover within rather than telling them exactly what her perception of their character is.
Dougherty is grateful to have directed a variety of actors from rookies to show choir veterans this season and says she is looking forward to this new spring production endeavor.
Performances are Friday, May 13, at 7 p.m., Sunday, May 15, at 1 p.m., Friday, May 20, at 7 p.m., and Saturday, May 21 at 7 p.m. Tickets will be available on performance dates at the theater entrance starting an hour before showtime.
For more information, visit https://sites.google.com/mdirss.org/mditheatre or email [email protected].
“Pride at Southanger Park” cast
Cecily: Eva Crikelair
Lady Fanny: Mia Eason
Rev. Giles: Bryce MacGregor
Gladys, the Maid: Ly Dillon
Sir Thomas: Darrin Stavnesli
William Squires: Harlan Mahoney
Mrs. Squires: Grace Curry
Marcus: Rex DeMuro
Front of House Manager: Evangeline Meister
Concessionnaire: Adam Losquadro
“Il Fornicazione” cast
Countess Formaggio: Mia Eason
Count Formaggio: Harlan Mahoney
Maid: Ly Dillon
Alfonso: Rex DeMuro
Huntsmen: Eva Crikelair, Grace Curry, Andrew James, Evangeline Meister, Bryce MacGregor, Darrin Stavnesli
Conductor: Adam Losquadro
Triangle Player: Eva Crikelair
“A Collier’s Tuesday Tea” cast
Ida: Grace Curry
Daniel: Bryce MacGregor
Victoria: Eva Crikelair
Albert: Adam Losquadro
Joe: Darrin Stavnesli
Margery: Ly Dillon
Lionel: Rex DeMuro
Police Constable: Andrew James
Jed: Evangeline Meister
“Streuth” cast
Stage Manager, Vicar, Sergeant: Ryder Haines
Mrs. D’Arcy: Matt Wheeler
Inspector: Spencer Clark-Lovejoy
Maid/Cook: CassiLyn Wilbur
Mr. Oliver D’Arcy: Florian Smith
Hubert: Hayden Braun
James the Butler: Isabelle Peterson
The Major: Owen Moses
Vicar/Rupert: Cecelia Blackett
“Trapped” cast
Stage Manager, Vicar, Police: Ryder Haines
Major Thompson: Matt Wheeler
Braithwaite, Lawyer: Spencer Clark-Lovejoy
Mrs. Thompson: Logan Wilbur
Freda: CassiLyn Wilbur
Dead body of George: Owen Moses
Sheila: Elliot Maldonado
Maid: Per Lisy
Ninah Rein
Latest posts by Ninah Rein (see all)
- MDI High School junior gets osprey nest on campus relocated - May 22, 2022
- From ashes to art - May 21, 2022
- Student tackles sensitive subject in speech contest - May 21, 2022
Leave a Reply