Student-written plays featured this year by Houlton Star Bright Theatre
By Karen Donato
Special to the Pioneer Times
This year Houlton’s Star Bright Theatre takes on a new twist. The theatre’s board sponsored a contest and students entered their original plays in hopes to see their creation brought to life on the big stage. The plays selected were entitled: “Magic Forest” by Hope Chernesky, daughter of Mickey and Pam Chernesky; “More Than Christmas” by Anna Hogan, daughter of Kevin Hogan and Ellen Tidd; “Medieval Love Feud” by Jordan Farnham, daughter of Gary and Ethna Farnham; and “Bellarella” by Quinn White, daughter of Scott and Pam White.
The plays include more than 70 participants and will be held at the Houlton High School Performing Arts Center on Friday, May 9 at 6:30 p.m. and at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 10. Admission is: $5 for adults, $4 for students and seniors and $15 for families.
Contributed photo/Karen Donato
Hope Chernesky penned “Magic Forest.”
Hope Chernesky is 10 years old and in fourth grade at Southside School. She has grown up in the theatre group, because her mother, Pam has been involved with directing and costuming, since she was just a toddler.
When asked why the change this year to write their own plays, young Chernesky said that it was easier and less expensive to use original plays. When using a professional play there are lots of fees.
Chernesky worked for three or four months creating her play, “Magic Forest”. “I tried four or five different plays, but nothing struck my interest. This one is magical and funny, even the bad guy.”
June is the main character and she wanders into the forest. Her friends try to find her, but unbeknownst to them June has been turned into something else.
The evil henchman is played by Ellie Grant who says she is very stupid, but funny in the play. She said, “I love my master, but I get yelled at a lot!”
Chernesky, who is directing the play with her mother and Renee Grant, said that it is most fun to see other kids who are quiet become more expressive when they are in character.
“Writing the play was fun,” she said, “but not the deadline to get it finished.”
Contributed photo/Karen Donato
Anna Hogan wrote the play “More Than Christmas.”
Anna Hogan wrote, “More than Christmas”, because she loves that time of year. She likes writing and being creative and everything about magic. Anna’s grandmother, Barbara Hogan, and Susan McMann are assisting her.
The hardest thing about writing the play was thinking of names.
“It wasn’t very easy,” she said.
Her story features an elf who gets lost. The kids have to get him back to the North Pole by being nice.
Hogan plays the “wise elf.” She loves being on stage and in costume. She also choreographed the dance and wrote a song. She said that the students meet twice a week and there is one 6-year old in her play who knew all of his lines early in the rehearsal schedule.
She thinks it’s fun to be in the plays and she has learned a lot.
“If you like the theatre or music, it’s just great!” said Hogan.
She has been involved with children’s theatre since she was very young, helping her grandmother, who has been a mainstay in the productions for several decades.
“I want to be a director or an actor when I grow up,” said Hogan, “I might even be a singer or I might work at an animal shelter if none of the other things work out.”
Contributed photo/Karen Donato
Jordan Farnham, left, and Rothery Sullivan penned “Medieval Love Feud.”
The third play, “Medieval Love Feud” written by Jordan Farnham, began as a school project. It was part of her home school curriculum covering the Middle Ages theme and she turned it into a play.
“I decided to have two guys fight over a girl and turn it into a comedy,” she said. “I don’t exactly like writing, but I love fiction and developing the scenes and the characters.”
Farnham’s dad, Gary, along with Shiloh Shaw share in directing the play.
“I help a little with the directing, too, but I am also Queen Juniper,” she said.
Rothery Sullivan, 13 years old, has taken on the role of Evil General. Sullivan has been involved with the theatre since she was in second grade.
“It’s fun to act and be around new people,” she said. “I like to act on stage and become a different person. Once you know the lines you can do motions and it really comes alive,” Sullivan concluded.
Farnham said that it is fun to have her dad involved because he steps in and acts out other people’s parts and when he does that, he is funny!
“I really like doing the plays and I might like to write a few when I get older,” said Farnham. “The most exciting time will be when we are in costume and in that land!”
Contributed photo/Karen Donato
Quinn White crafted the play “Bellarella.”
Quinn White, age 11, is the most experienced of the playwrights. She is a grade-five student at Southside School. White has been involved with the local theatre group since she was 7 years old.
White said, “I have always loved to write. My teacher, Mrs. Owen, told me that she thought one of my stories had great dialogue, so that is how ‘Bellarella’ developed into the play.”
Bellarella is a modern redo of Cinderella with added jesters as narrators. It is a comedy rather than a fairy tale. It has many funny characters. There are 15 in all whose ages range from 6 to 13.
White said that the story has a connection to her own family. She has three sisters and her family was also host to a foreign exchange student who became very close as well, so she incorporated some of the everyday experiences in her writing.
She would like to be a professional writer when she grows up. She said that it has been exciting to see what she imagined in her mind come to life on stage.
“It is amazing!” she said.
“The most challenging part of getting started with the play was choosing who would be each character,” said White. “It was very hard to choose and I spent many hours deciding.”
White is assisted by Ann Barnes and Tanya Lawrence.
The students attend a variety of local schools and participating in the plays allows them to meet and make new friends.
This performing arts group originated back in the 1960s with students attending Ricker College located here in Houlton. Even though the college closed in the late ‘70s, the thespian group has continued with local residents Hogan, Barnes, McMann, Chernesky, Mary Miller, Grant and Shaw leading the way. There are also many other volunteers who work behind the scenes including, Frank Sullivan who does graphics, posters and publicity.
