Houlton thespians readying for production of ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’

4 years ago

HOULTON, Maine — The state of Houlton’s Community Arts Center will soon be transformed into the streets of Paris for this Houlton Middle-High School annual theater production.

“The Hunchback of Notre Dame” comes to life with four performances slated for 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, and Friday, Nov. 22, and 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, and Sunday, Nov. 24.

“The kids are working really hard to make a great musical for our community,” said director Kevin Mania, who is embarking on his first musical production as the lead director. “They’re digging in, learning a lot, and just being rock stars.”

Based on the Victor Hugo novel and songs from the Walt Disney film of the same name, the plot centers on Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer of Notre Dame, and his struggle to gain acceptance into society.

Mia Findlater, a senior at Houlton Middle-High School, stars as Quasimodo. The large ensemble cast also features a solid mixture of returning veteran actors and many newcomers.

“For a good number of our kids this year, this is a new experience,” Mania said. “But they’re fitting in great, and just are hard-working kids. This is my first musical that I’ve directed, and I’m having a lot of fun with them.”

All shows are in the Houlton Community Arts Center at Houlton High School. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for students and senior citizens. The box office can be reached at 538-3870 for presale. Tickets the day of the shows will be sold one hour before the curtain opens.