The 2009 Maine Drama Festival state finals were held last weekend, with Lincoln Academy’s “Sonnets to Orpheus” grabbing the runners-up title for Class A. Falmouth High School’s, “Marie Antionette: The Color of Flesh” won first for Class A, and Yarmouth High School’s “Shakespeare in Hollywood,” won first for Class B.
The Class B runner-up was Cape Elizabeth High School’s, “Of Mice and Men.
In terms of the points grabbed, Falmouth edged out Lincoln Academy by only one point, 251 to 250 for the top spot.
Lincoln was tapped repeatedly for the Judge’s Special Commendations, with an Ensemble award for Original Creative Concept, and for Stephanie Parise and Anna Marie Lee for Head Mask Makers.
Tapped for All Festival Cast from Lincoln Academy are Tess McKechnie (Mrs. Knoop), and Alex Stewart (Rilke).
The first Maine drama festival was recorded in 1929 then called the New England Drama Festival, when seven schools competed and traveling to the site of the festival in Rhode Island.
Individual state festivals began in 1932, and the tradition has continued every year, with the exception of 1943 when WWII forced a cancellation. Since that time the festival has continued uninterrupted for over 50 years.
In 1970, the Maine Drama Council (MDC) was formed, and seven years later, the State Principal’s Association (SPA) left the New England Council and the MDC requested to run the entire festival with the financial sponsorship of the SPA.
For more information visit the Maine Principal’s Association, Maine Drama Competition site at www.mpa.cc/drama_bk.html.
