When Camden playwright Robert Manns approached Lucid Stage director Liz McMahon about producing a quartet of short plays, he expected what he has heard from most other theater companies in Maine: An emphatic “no.”
But McMahon has a reputation for listening to pitches with an open mind, and she liked what she heard.
Additional Photos
She said “yes.”
Lucid Stage in Portland will produce Manns’ “Maine Quartet,” a collection of short plays that includes dramas and comedies, Thursday through Sunday.
Al D’Andrea, artistic director of Snowlion Repertory Company, will direct a cast of 10 veteran Portland-area actors.
“Robert Manns has a pretty illustrious career as a playwright, but he has been retired many years, and not too many people know about him in Maine,” McMahon said. “He came to me and had a very heartfelt plea, and said, ‘Look, I have this group of short plays that have never been produced. I would like to see them performed in my lifetime.’ How do you say no to that?”
But McMahon is quick to add that she committed Lucid Stage to this project because of the quality of the work and not out of sympathy for an elderly gentleman.
“The content of these plays is very, very good, and summer is not generally a time for serious theater in Maine. We thought it would be a good time to present something like this,” she said.
Now in his mid-80s, Manns has published 15 full-length plays and more than 30 one-acts. At least two of his shows have been produced in New York. He has lived in Camden for more than a decade.
“He’s got a lot of history behind him, and this seemed like a good opportunity for us,” McMahon said. “We’re doing this on a very low budget, without bells and whistles. This is all about artistic content and the opportunity to put these shows in the hands of a director with a nice cast.”
Staff Writer Bob Keyes can be contacted at 791-6457 or:
bkeyes@pressherald.com
Twitter: pphkeyes
Copy the Story Link
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.