ROCKPORT-- Camden Hills Regional High School has always been known for their fall musicals and spring plays. However, beyond the realm of song and basic stage is third element of theater that plays a key role in the drama department each year; the one act play. The winter one act is not only a play, but also a competition. Every year, schools all over Maine and New England prepare one act plays to perform at regional competitions. At these competitions, a selected panel judges each play, and a winning play from each region is given the honor of moving onto States, then maybe New England’s, and finally the possibility of Nationals.

There are rules that each play must follow for the one act competition. Some of these include the play be cut to a maximum of forty minutes, a maximum of five minutes before and after the play to take the set and props on and off stage, and each member of every cast must be present for the entirety of the regional drama festival and attend all of the other productions. Last year, the members of the cast of the play “Gabriel” traveled to Mount Desert Island High School for the regional drama festival. The play was student written by Allyson Ettinger and student directed by Tana Scott. “Gabriel” was a dramatic story about a foster child’s journey from a traumatic childhood to a loving family. The play placed second at the festival. Camden Hills then hosted the state drama festival in the Strom Auditorium last spring. Drama Department Chair, Rick Ash states that “My goal is always to have as many kids as possible participate in the play, either on stage or in tech. It is very important to many students to be involved in theater and the play is an important part of the school’s yearly productions.”

This year, Camden Hills will present the comedy “The Mouse that Roared” to the visiting schools, as CHRHS will be hosting the regional festival on March 9th and 10th. “The Mouse that Roared” is a story about a fictional country, Grand Fenwick, said to be the smallest country in the world, and its accidental triumph over the United States in a war that the U.S. government appears to be unaware is even taking place. Ash noted in his synopsis of the play that “Purely by accident, the Fenwickian arm under the leadership of Tully Bascom (played by senior Thomas Suommo) defeats them by capturing the Q-Bomb, a prototype doomsday device that could destroy the world if triggered.” The play is student directed by junior Morgan Cafferata and was adapted by Cafferata, senior Becca Crovo, senior Katie Gloede, and Ash. Performances for the general public prior to the drama festival were Wednesday and Thursday March 7th and 8th. The cast had to undergo many last minute changes due to a combination of mono and academic probation keeping lead roles and others involved from participating in the show. The day before the first show it was learned that the lead of Gloriana had to be filled by the student director. The cast and crew, however, pulled together to the best of their ability to put on the show regardless of missing people. Ash frequently reminded the cast “The show must go on”, and even with the difficulties everyone faced, the show did go on.