ROCKPORT – North Haven and Vinalhaven schools took to the stage for the 2018 Maine Drama Festival in the Strom Auditorium at Camden Hills Regional High School. Also taking the stage for the afternoon performances were Waterville Senior High School performing, "The Green Bird, by Hillary DePiano" and Edward Little High School, in Auburn, performing, "Lafayette No. 1," by Mandy Connor.

The Maine Drama Festival is sponsored by the Maine Principals’ Association, in cooperation with the Maine Drama Council. The annual event involves 80 schools and more than 2,000 students.

The primary purpose of the event is to encourage high school theater and to provide the opportunity to see the best work of others who share a passion for the stage.

Cloe Keller, theater director at Vinalhaven, said the students had been working on their play, "The Bear" by Anton Chekhov, since Monday, but there was a story behind that.

"We were doing a piece that we loved and were really committed to," she said. "We realized that the text and the structure of it was not being served by the 45-minute time limit. It wasn't going to serve the kids and it wasn't going to serve the audience."

Keller said the audience deserved something more comprehensive, “if that makes sense.” She said she and her student loved the story, but the format just didn't fit.

With but a week to practice, Vinalhaven did a magnificent job of pulling it off with a little role reversal and a cowboy theme. Good timing got the laughs at the right moments, and the production left one wondering, why did it have to stop at just a one-act.

Keller is in her second year of teaching theater at Vinalhaven, but grew up in Waldoboro and Union. She participated in drama festivals while attending Medomak Valley High School.

North Haven Community School performed the one-act play, "In The Tank" by Rosemary Frisino Toohey.

Courtney Naliboff directed the North Haven one-act. She has been directing plays for 13 years.

"I'm really excited about the play this year," she said. "We have two eighth grade actors who have done just a terrific job."

Naliboff said she was proud and excited for everyone to see the show.

"We have a great run crew and design crew," she said. "Everyone has worked really hard. They put in a lot of time and energy to bring this Maine appropriate play to life."

By Maine-appropriate she was referring to it being about lobsters.

The plays are judged by a panel of three judges. Class A schools are those with a student population of more than 525 students, while Class B schools are those with a student population less than 525.

Full results of the  two day competition are to be posted on the Maine Drama Festival’s Facebook page. (https://www.facebook.com/medramafest/).

The state finals will be held Friday and Saturday, March 23 and 24. Class A will be at Windham High School and Class B will be at Oceanside.