First-ever drama festival held

    HOULTON — Creativity, enthusiasm and energy were in abundance on March 15 when area children participated in the first-ever Star Bright Theatre Drama Festival held at Court Street Baptist Church.
Photo courtesy of Houlton Children’s Star Bright Theater
ACTING DRAMATIC — Participants, from left, Chelsea Green, Lizzie Garcia, Megan Gerath and Ashton Carmichael, ham it up after their recent drama festival performance.
    Interest in children’s theater has been outstanding this year and the Board of Directors felt that an additional theater experience for interested young people was important.
    Students were separated into five groups, depending on age and grade, and, with guidance from directors, created a wide variety of small skits. In almost all cases, the students re-wrote existing scripts, adding new lines and characters and creating their own props. Everyone worked hard beginning on the afternoon of March 7 and also working from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on March 15.
    “This first attempt was received enthusiastically by the children and directors,” said Barbara Hogan, co-director and long-time board member. “It was so much fun to watch the progression from the germ of an idea to a stage presentation over the period of just a few hours. Overwhelmingly, the directors were impressed by the creativity of the students.”
Photo courtesy of Houlton Children’s Star Bright Theater
FESTIVAL — Director Barbara Hogan leads participants of the recent drama festival in a special song.
    The family of Hogan was pleased to sponsor this event on behalf of and in memory of Hogan’s sister, Rosemary Elliott. Rosemary and her husband John were active in Children’s Theater in the early years when it was started by Bob Johnson of Ricker College. Rosemary Elliott loved being involved in the many aspects of children’s theater — making costumes, scenery, props, music and performing. She and her husband played the roles of Mr. and Mrs. Darling in the Houlton Children’s Theater production of “Peter Pan” in the late 1960s. The family had been looking for a memorial project and were delighted with this opportunity to create an annual event in Rosemary’s memory.
    Participants in the drama festival included: Group 1, Mikayla Fitzpatrick, Tessa McCormick, Daniel Moreno and Cody Queen; Group 2, Parham Charles, Zach Guiod, Lauren Hogan, Jillian Moran and Gabrilla Moreno; Group 3, Nicholas Guy, MyKaylee Michaud, Rebecca Moreno and Olivia Winslow; Group 4, Kierra Carmichael, Taylor Forest, Michelle Green and Adrienne Moreno; Group 5, Ashton Carmichael, Megan Gerath, Lizzie Garcia and Chelsea Green.
    The event was organized by Ann Barnes and Barbara Hogan. Group directors were Ann Barnes, Mary Miller, Mary Green, Joanne Carmichael and Susan McMann.