The show must go on — even with a power outage
FORT KENT, Maine — Despite facing power outages, the Fort Kent Drama Club opened its show to the community Thursday and was met with the crowd chanting “Cudas” during the curtain call.
“Cudas’ Last Ride” is an original one-act play written by Fort Kent drama director Doug Clapp. The production is about a gang of girls who call themselves the Cudas who die in a sudden car accident. Every year on the day of the Cudas’ passing, the girls come back to relive the accident.
The show takes place on the seventh anniversary of the gang’s death and it’s the craziest, and most important, year yet.
Cudas’ Last Ride will make its third appearance at the Class B Regional Drama Festival One-Act Competition, sponsored by the Maine Principals Association and Maine Drama Council, with 17 cast members, two light and sound technicians, and two stage managers.
In accordance with the competition rules, the show must run less than 40 minutes in order to qualify for three judges to rank each one-act and determine which show will move on to the state competition.
Though rehearsals for the show ran around 42 minutes, the production came in at just more than 40 minutes during the opening night of the performance for the community. The club aims to bring their time under 40 minutes during the remaining public showings through speedier transitions between scene changes.
Setup for the show was running smoothly until the power went out half an hour before it began, sending the production crew into overdrive, resetting the lights and making sure all technical equipment was running smoothly, according to Clapp’s assistant theater coach Justin Tagget. Thankfully all equipment was back up and ready for the show a mear 15 minutes before the start, Tagget said.
This technical glitch ended up being a minor speedbump as the club put on a show that had audience members chanting “Cudas!” as actors paraded to center stage for curtain call.
Though the competition will take place March 25 and 26, the Fort Kent Drama Club will put the show on for the local community in the school’s lunchroom to practice before an audience again on March 11. This performance will be live-streamed and available to watch at this link. Viewers will need to type LastRide630 into the password field in order to access the livestream.
This livestream is free to view, but donations can be made out to the Fort Kent Drama Club and sent to the Community High School’s address, 84 Pleasant St. in Fort Kent.
The Saturday showing had to be rescheduled due to predicted inclement weather and will be performed on Sunday, March 13, Clapp said.
Tickets to view the show in person can be purchased directly from the drama club members and will be sold at the main office of Fort Kent Community High School. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for students. Doors will open at 6 p.m. for the 6:30 p.m. for Friday’s show and will open at 7 p.m. for a 7:30 p.m. showing on Sunday.