PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — Area kids now have an outlet to express their inner thespian thanks to the Broadway Theater Kids in The County theater company.
“I’ve always loved theater, it’s always been a passion of mine,” said Darci Faye, theater director and founder.
Darci Faye (Contributed)
Faye’s been up and down the East Coast pursuing her passion for drama and writing plays over the years and recently she noticed a need for theater for kids 18 and younger here in Aroostook.
“I was working at the Wintergreen Arts Center earlier this year and I realized that there’s a lot of elementary-aged kids that like to do theater, but there’s no place around here for that age group,” she said.
Returning from New York a few years ago, Faye helped restart the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s University Players. The two years the group stayed together she directed 10 shows.
“We had a good group at UMPI, but once they all graduated, the University Players just kind of faded out,” she said.
On the hunt to spread her love of theater, Faye focused on working with County youth.
“I just emailed Wintergreen one day and shared my experience and they emailed me back the same day,” she said.
In just a few short weeks Faye held her first session at Wintergreen.
Since then, she’s acquired a space at the Aroostook Centre Mall for a summer theater camp. The mall offered her the space where F.Y.E. used to be and she said the mall is a good advocate of the arts.
“I really like the space that we’re in and I’m hoping that we can stay here as we go on,” she said.
Currently Faye is directing a troop of about 15 students who will perform the musical “Giants in the Sky” later this summer at the mall.
With enough interest, Faye hopes to produce plays with County youngsters year round and eventually become a non-profit company.
“I think we need around here an actual theater company that will offer theater more than once or twice a year,” she said.
Kids looking to take part in the theater company can visit broadwaykidsac.weebly.com.
