WESTBROOK – Two well-known staples of the American stage are available to enjoy in Westbrook this week, thanks to productions from a well-known local theater group and the Westbrook High School Drama Club.
Acorn Productions, a theater company based at the Dana Warp Mill on Bridge Street, will be presenting Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. The drama club is putting on a production of “Flowers for Algernon” at the school auditorium on Nov. 17, 18, and 19 at 7 p.m., and on Nov. 20 at 2 p.m.
Michael Levine said his company is excited about presenting Albee’s classic play.
“It’s a big play, and it’s very complicated,” he said.
Acorn has established a reputation for quality theater, but, Levine said, he thinks its location in Westbrook makes it harder to put a spotlight on the company’s productions.
“People aren’t used to seeing professional theater in Westbrook,” he said.
Levine said he hopes choosing Albee’s well-known piece will attract some new attention to the company.
“Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf” features a college professor and his wife engaging in verbal abuses in front of guests at their home. It’s definitely an adult offering, which may be a bit of a departure from some of the company’s other productions. But Levine said the play is an example of quality, classic theater, which puts it perfectly in line with his company.
“Our mission is just to showcase talent, be it children or adults,” he said.
At Westbrook High School, Rick Solomon, who is directing “Flowers for Algernon,” said the play represents the drama club’s annual fall offering. Past productions have included “A Dickens Christmas Carol,” “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown,” and “Almost Maine.”
Solomon said this year’s production is a huge undertaking, with 18 cast members and seven crew.
“It’s a large task,” he said.
The play, written by David Rogers, is an adaptation of the classic science fiction novel by Daniel Keyes, which tells the story of Charlie Gordon, a mentally retarded man who, through a biological experiment, becomes hyper-intelligent.
“The material is really challenging,” Solomon said.
Like all the club’s productions, Solomon said he chose the play in part with an eye for its value as a teaching tool for the students. Throughout the play, he said, Charlie and everyone around him change significantly.
“It’s a great vehicle for learning character development,” Solomon said.
The club, Solomon said, also participates in a one-act play festival and talent show, but the fall productions are usually the largest offerings. Typically, he said, there can be about 200 people attending the club’s fall production, and, like “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf,” the notoriety of the piece may serve as even more of a draw.
“I hope it helps with attendance,” he said. “It’s certainly a recognizable name.”
Levine said he wants to put Westbrook on the map for theater-goers, and for the public in general.
“We can be a destination here in Westbrook,” he said.
Actors in Acorn Productions’ “Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf,”
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