Stage Adventures began with postcard

Photo by Karen Donato
A GREAT OPPORTUNITY — In 2001, former teaching principal, Tess Buswell was instrumental in introducing the Children’s Stage Adventures theatrical company to students at Wellington School in Monticello. The school, assisted by the Parent Teacher Club has continued to host this event each year since then. Students will perform “Midsummer’s Dream” Friday, May 18 at a dress rehearsal performance at 12:30 p.m. and an evening show at 6:30 p.m. This particular  play was also presented in 2006.
By Karen Donato
Special to the Pioneer Times
     This will be the 12th season for Wellington School to host Children’s Stage Adventures, a theatre company out of New Hampshire under the direction of Rob and Lorrie Gray.
    Former teaching principal, Tess Buswell, now retired, remembered receiving a postcard in the mail at school in 2001. She read the information with the headline, “Have all your students on stage, including rehearsals and an evening production in one week!” Buswell thought, “Wow! This sounds great for our little school where for the most part, the students had not had any experience participating in a performance like this.”
    With two of her teachers, Nancy Hutchinson and Debbie Melvin away at a conference she discussed the opportunity with kindergarten teacher, Nancy Wright. “Should we or shouldn’t we? Can we afford the $2,500 price tag? Wright encouraged her to go ahead. It was a scramble, Buswell remembered, but with the support of the Wellington Parent-Teacher Club and a grant secured through the local Walmart they raised the money to pay the bill.
Photo by Karen Donato
AUDITION TIME — Wellington School students listen intently as Children’s Stage Adventures co-directors, Rob and Lorrie Gray, right, prepare them for the Midsummer Dream’s auditions this past Monday. The performance will be held this Friday at 12:30 p.m. and at 6:30 in the evening at Wellington School.
    Since then it has become an annual event, and this year Wellington will be showcasing, “Midsummer’s Dream” on Friday evening, May 18 at 6:30 p.m.
    This play is an original comic script written by co-director Lorrie Gray relating to Shakespeare’s “Midsummer’s Night’s Dream.” In this production, four friends run away from their problems at home and end up in an even bigger mess in an enchanted forest, inhabited by fairies, sprites and magic flowers. The madness gets even more mixed up when local workmen, practicing a play for the Duke’s wedding, stumble into the forest. Mistaken identity and mischievous practical jokes add to the laughs. The end of the play resolves all when the four friends return home for the royal wedding of Duke Theseus and Hippolyta, an Amazon queen. Lorrie’s husband, Rob assisted her with the lyrics and is co-producer.
    There will be 40 students, who range in age from kindergarten to third grade participating in the performance that was also staged here in 2006. Jenny Beasley Parlee, a Houlton High School alumnus will be the accompanist.
    The Grays have been active in theatre for more than 30 years. Rob’s first on-stage production credit was that of Fancourt Babberly in “Charlie’s Aunt” in 1983, at Keene State College. Lorrie started even sooner in several high school productions. She went to Western Illinois University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in recreation and parks administration with a minor in music.
    Rob and Lorrie have extensive work histories in summer youth camps. The two met in 1984 while working at a Lutheran summer camp. They were married four years later.
    After working for other theatrical companies for a couple of years they settled in the Monadnock, New Hampshire area. Their theatre resumes grew quickly. Rob began directing plays in ‘91. He has nine directing credits and has acted in more than 20 stage productions. Lorrie has been featured in more than 10 productions in the region.
Photo by Karen Donato
WELCOME BACK — Lorrie and Rob Gray, co-directors of Children’s Stage Adventures were welcomed back to Wellington School for their 12th season. They will work with 40 elementary students this week, culminating in two performances on Friday.
     While co-directing a children’s play as part of Keene’s First Night ‘95, the Grays realized that they wanted to advance their skills working with children in a theatre environment, so in 1999 they established Children’s Stage Adventures, Inc. Their goal was to provide high quality children’s theatre programs at an affordable rate to venues in the eastern states.
    The first play, Lorrie wrote was “The Sword Called Excalibur.” She obtained royalty rights to use children’s songs by Grammy award winning musician and performer, Tom Chapin.
    Besides “Midsummer’s Dream,” the CSA’s shows include: the musical-comedy “The Fisherman and His Wife,” “Androcles and the Lion,” “The Princess and the Pea,”,“Oliver Twist” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes.”
    After the Grays’ first Wellington performance, Buswell was instrumental in spreading the word about this unique duo and encouraged them to attend the annual Maine Principal’s Association conference to introduce their company to more school districts.
     They have now had more than 500 successful residencies during these last 12 years in Maine and New Hampshire. They are included in the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts for Artists in education and have added a second team of actors due to the increased requests for their programs.
    Several fundraisers have been conducted this year by both the Wellington School and the PTC to provide this opportunity for the local students.
    Admission for the dress rehearsal, Friday at 12:30 p.m. and the evening show at 6:30 p.m. will be; $3 for adults, $2 for children and $10 for a family of four. For more information call 538-9495.