HOULTON, Maine — Young actors from Houlton Middle School will take to the stage this Thursday, Friday and Saturday for the RSU 29 music department’s annual school play.
This year’s production is “Annie Jr.”, a student-friendly musical version of the classic “Little Orphan Annie” comic strip, made famous by illustrator Harold Gray.
The comic strip ran almost continuously from 1924-2010, and featured the lovable red-headed Annie, her trusty pooch Sandy, and her wealthy benefactor Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks, a multi-billionaire businessman and the the epitome of the successful American citizen.
The production features nearly 25 students, both middle school and high school; middle school performers and high school students in the theatre tech and backstage positions.
Shows will be offered Thursday and Friday, April 7 and 8, at 7 p.m. in the Houlton Community Arts Center (Houlton High School). There is a matinee performance on Saturday, April 9, beginning at 2 p.m. Each performance runs roughly one hour with no intermission.
The show features Amelia Botting, Hope Chernesky, Lexi Crouse, Isabel Cyr, Eden Davis, Aryus Desjardins, Elisabeth Donahue, Emmalyne Drake, Amelia Findlater, Victoria Forbush, Owen Gallop, Morgan Graham, Ellie Grant, Carolyn Hannigan, Anna Hogan, Brooke Howland, Christian Lively, Lindzi Nelson, Kalle Neureuther, Rhylee Parsons, Sidney Peabody, Mayan Pratt, Natalie Putnam, Trinity Randall, Alexandra Reed, Jonathan Smith, Damien Sullivan, and Amanda Thorne.
Tickets are $5 for adults, $3 for students and senior citizens. The box office opens one hour before showtime on each day. Additionally, the Music Boosters will sponsor a baked goods/dessert sale before and after each show. Proceeds from the bake sale go toward scholarships for students to attend college and/or summer music camps.
