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DAMARISCOTTA — Forty-two years after it first opened at Greenwich Village’s Sullivan Street Playhouse, “The Fantasticks” will reappear this Thursday, this time at Damariscotta’s historic Lincoln Theater, 2 Theater St.
Lincoln County Community Theater (LCCT) will offer its rendition of Broadway’s longest running musical July 25-27 and Aug. 1-4. All shows are at 8 p.m., except for a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Aug. 4.
Directed by Charles Waterman of Damariscotta, the LCCT summer production features music direction by Robert Earle of St. George, accompaniment by Earle on the piano and harpist Molly Hahn of Westport, and choreography by Carol Teel of Nobleboro.
With a score full of well-loved tunes by Harvey Schmidt and lyrics by Tom Jones, the musical was adapted from Edmond Rostand’s 1894 play, “Les Romanesques.” This humorous and touching tale of life and love, innocence and knowledge springs forth with the help of just a few simple ingredients: a boy, a girl, two fathers, a narrator, a mute, and two human props in a trunk.
At the heart of the age-old story is a pair of teen-aged young lovers, Luisa and Matt, played by Sarah Baglione of Round Pond and Jeff Elwell of Damariscotta. Both are seniors at Lincoln Academy (LA) in Newcastle.
Portraying the teens’ well-meaning, benevolently scheming fathers are Walter Guptill of Nobleboro as Huckblebee and Brian Redonnett of Bristol as Bellomy. Serving as the tool to carry out out their parental plans is El Gallo, the story’s narrator, played by Marc Rodriguez of Bath.
Emerging on stage from a trunk are two intrepid thespians, Henry and Mortimer, portrayed by Dan Hahn of Westport Island and Kernan Cross of Boothbay Harbor. Silently interacting with all of the play’s characters through movement is LA sophomore Phaelon O’Donnell of Wiscasset as the Mute.
All of the ensemble members are veterans of the LCCT stage except for Hahn, who will make his Lincoln Theater debut with this play.
Tickets for reserved seats are $12, available by calling 563-3424. General admission tickets are $10, on sale at the Maine Coast Book Shop, Damariscotta, and Day’s Emporium, Newcastle; or call 563-3424. Seniors and students receive a $2 discount.
‘Laramie Project’ premieres
DAMARISCOTTA — Girl Power Productions will present the ground-breaking work “The Laramie Project,” Aug. 16-17 and 23-24.
To encourage a wider audience, performances are scheduled in two venues: Lincoln Theater, 2 Theater St., Damariscotta, Aug. 16 -17; and Lincoln Street Center for Arts & Education, 24 Lincoln St., Rockland, Aug. 23-24. All shows start at 7:30 p.m.
This theatrical collage explores the depths to which humanity can sink, and the heights of compassion to which it can rise.
In October 1998, a 21-year-old University of Wyoming student was kidnapped, severely beaten and left to die, tied to a fence on the prairie outside Laramie, Wyo. His body was not discovered until the next day, and he died several days later in an area hospital. His name was Matthew Shepard, and he was victimized because he was gay.
Moises Kaufman and members of his Tectonic Theater Project spent more than 18 months and took six trips to Laramie to record more than 200 interviews with its residents. The resulting work has been called an “Our Town” for the 20th century.
This transcription of actual interviews into a composite of a town dealing with an act of brutality confronts all aspects of human nature. They talked about Shepard’s murder and its aftermath; observed both perpetrators and townspeople; and recorded the invasion of the press and media, and the courage of the victim’s family.
The outcry over this deliberate act of hate drew worldwide attention to the lack of hate crime legislation. This powerful piece of theater is spreading the word: “It can’t happen here,” too often answered,“but it has.”
Directed by Ellie Hinds, a cast of six women and six men play 60 real people of the town of Laramie. From many theatrical groups along the coast of Maine, cast members include: Dale Barnard, Dagney Ernest, Travis Grant, Jessica Hall, Nathan Hinds, Andrea Itkin, Ben Oakey, Jeffrey Payson, Jessie Payson, Jim Reitz and Maria Tavares, with Daphne Stern as the narrator.
A portion of the proceeds will be distributed to nonprofit groups dedicated to stopping violence in all its forms.
Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Advance tickets are available at Maine Coast Books, Damariscotta (Aug. 16-17 shows only); Caravans, Rockland; Coyote Moon, Belfast; Center for Maine Contemporary Art, Rockport; or www.villagesoup.com/clicktix/. For reservations, call 785-5244 or e-mail girlpowr@midcoast.com.
MSO quintet to perform
BRISTOL — The Midcoast Woodwind Quintet will perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 31, at the Little Brown Church, Route 32, Round Pond.
Concert selections range from early polyphonic music by Palestrina, to classical works by Haydn, to pieces from 20th-century woodwind quintet repertoire, an American piece published five years ago, and humorous sea shanties by British composer Malcolm Arnold.
Among the works are “Three Short Pieces” by Jacques Ibert (1957); Paul Hindemith’s “Little Chamber Music for Five Woodwinds,” a dramatic piece with virtuosic solos mixed with ensemble sections; and“Roaring Fork” by American composer Eric Ewazen, which evokes sights and sounds in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains.
Formed in 1990, the quintet includes Linda Brunner, flute; Kristen Fox, oboe; Carol Furman, clarinet; William Kennison, bassoon; and Barbara Burt, horn. All are principal woodwind players of the Midcoast Symphony Orchestra (MSO), based at the Orion Center for the Performing Arts, Mt. Ararat Middle School, Topsham. The musicians have played with chamber and symphonic ensembles from Maine to Colorado.
The quintet has given many public concerts statewide, in venues ranging from the Farnsworth Museum in Rockland to Corthell Hall in Gorham. They also perform at private events and appear at area schools under the auspices of MSO’s Music-to-Go program. On Sept. 21 the group will appear at Bates College’s Olin Arts Center.
Listed in the national registry of historic buildings, the church is currently undergoing major renovations, including a rebuilt steeple and a new septic system. Free-will donations (suggested $7) will benefit the church maintenance fund and help pay the artists.
Concert-goers are reminded to bring their own cushions for more comfortable seating. For more information, call 529-5438 or e-mail castlebay@castlebay.net.