Windham High production of ‘The Music Man’ to open next week

By Erin Rose

An upcoming musical will take audiences on a journey to small-town Iowa in 1912 to witness the redemption of a con artist thanks to the power of love. Students from Windham High School will present “The Music Man,” with performances at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 13 and Nov. 14 and again Nov. 20 and 21, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 15 and Nov. 22.

The student cast of 'The Music Man' rehearses at Windham
High School's Performing Arts Center in advance of the
performances of the legendary musical at 7 p.m. on
Friday and Saturday Nov. 13 and Nov. 14, and again 
Nov. 20 and Nov. 21, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 15
and Nov. 22.  COURTESY PHOTO

“The Music Man’ is about a small town in Iowa, which is very uptight and set in their ways,” explained Rob Juergens, the show’s director. This will be Juergens’ 18th musical for the school, and his 25th year of working on shows with students. “A traveling salesman comes through town and decides he’s going to sell the town on the idea of having a boys’ band. Of course, he’s a con man, so it’s all to make himself richer and then skip out of town.”

The salesman, Harold Hill, soon finds himself entangled in small town life, falling in love, and unable to plot against the people he has come to care for.

“He becomes involved in the day-to-day happenings of the town and, in essence, becomes stuck and cannot escape,” Juergens said. “He’s become involved in the town and romantically involved with the librarian.”

Maddy Sabine, a WHS junior who will play the librarian Marian Paroo in the production, says she loves her character and her growth as the story continues.

“She is a confident and independent woman who grows so much throughout the show,” she said. “Marion starts off sheltered but becomes a more outgoing person when introduced to Harold.”

The show was chosen as it met several criteria, Juergens said, including having a cast large enough to support the school’s talent and being an essential part of a musical theater education.

“One of the big criteria for choosing musicals for a high school is the number of parts it has that allows for our ever-expanding talent to express itself,” Juergens said, explaining that the cast is 35 students. “So, the show has a good number of principals across the board, not only singing parts but dancing and acting, so that’s one of the first criteria. The second is it’s a classic. It’s a good learning experience for them to experience the golden oldies. They’re going to have to know these if they want to go on and do work in this field in any instance. It’s always good to be exposed to these classics.”

The students are excited about getting to perform such a famous show. It was written by Meredith Wilson and won five Tony Awards during its run on Broadway, beginning in 1957.

“Almost everyone has heard of it, and it uses a different type of arrangement than many other shows,” said WHS senior Ashlynn Cuthbert, who will play the role of Mrs. Paroo in the show. “It’s a classic.”

Rehearsals for the show began as soon as students returned to school in September, thanks to an audition process held before students left for summer vacation in June.

“We audition before school gets out so that during the summer the principals can get their scripts and start learning their lines,” Juergens explained. “When we hit the ground in September, we’re ready to go.”

The practice sessions hit a peak last weekend when the first run-through with costumes and sets showed that the students are nearly ready to perform for audiences.

“Saturday was the first time they were all in costumes and we used all the set pieces, and that’s always an adventure of ‘where are my tights’ and ‘who’s got my hat’ and ‘why is this giant set piece in my way,’” Juergens said. “That is always a big rehearsal with the costumes and the sets. I think we’re in a good place.”

The students share the excitement of the impending performances and are looking forward to showing off their efforts to audiences.

“We’ve seen small parts of the show, but we want to see the full story come alive,” Cuthbert said. “I think we are excited to see the show come together.”

The work and effort make the debut of the show more meaningful for the students.

“The cast is amazing,” Sabine said. “The hard work and time we have to put into it has really paid off. The cast and crew have put so much hard work into making it so great, which is why I am so excited to do this show.” 

Other cast members agree.

“I really enjoy The Music Man. It has so many fun parts and dances, funny lines that are said.,” said WHS senior Leanna Rogers, who is playing Zanneta Shinn, the town mayor’s eldest daughter. “I think what excites me the most is for people to come see all the hard work we put in.”

WHS senior Brenna Small, playing Alma Hix in the show, says that the cast’s energy brings a special element to the stage.

“The relationships in the cast keep energy high on stage and it helps create a community that feels like a family outside of the rehearsal space,” she said. “I love the energy and connections between each and every character, and all of the opportunities to dance, sing, and act.”

Behind the scenes, Aiden Hall will be running the light board to control the lighting effects in the show, while Elyse Sylvia operates the sound. Sawyre Grendell and Ari Green will head the backstage crews responsible for the sets, props, and all the details that help a show run smoothly.

Tickets for the show will only be available at the door, with adult tickets costing $15 and children, seniors and student tickets reduced to $13. Payment may only be made by cash or check. <

WHS students explore morality in upcoming play competition

By Dina Mendros

Windham High School’s one-act play entry for this year’s Maine Drama Festival will challenge audiences to reflect on morality, as 25 students bring the classic work “Everyman” to the stage next month.

Windham High School's cast of 'Everyman' gather following
a rehearsal at the school. The late 15th century English
morality play will be directed by CJ Payne and is the
school's one-act play entry for this year's Maine Drama
Festival which will be presented at South Portland High
School on March 6 and March 7.  COURTESY PHOTO    

The cast – supported by student crews handling backstage operations, sound, and lighting – is preparing the late fifteenth‑century English Catholic morality play under the direction of Christopher (C.J.) Payne.

Some 69 schools across Maine will compete at eight regional sites on March 6 and 7. Windham High School will perform at South Portland High School, while WHS itself will host the state festival for advancing teams on March 20 and 21. The New England Drama Festival will follow at the Paramount Theatre in Rutland, Vermont, from April 30 to May 2.

Payne, who became WHS technical director in 2009 and theater director in 2023, cited the long history of the event. 

"The earliest Maine High School One Act Drama Festival dates back to 1931 and was held at Bath High School,” he said. “Windham has a plaque in the trophy case showing our participation going back as far as 1961.”

The author of “Everyman,” written between 1490 and 1510, remains unknown. Payne describes the play as both humorous and dramatic, using symbolic characters, such as Death, Fellowship, and Cousin, to explore deeper questions of human morality.

“The play centers on Everyman confronting death, which rarely arrives welcomed,” he said. “Because it was written in Catholic Europe, it uses symbols audiences then and now can easily recognize to examine what makes someone a good person and what Good Deeds that they’ve done in their lifetime.”

This production marks a shift for WHS theater.

“The time period of the script is a big departure from the shows we’ve done in recent years,” Payne said. “And this will be the largest cast Windham has taken to the festival in the last five years.”

Junior Ashlynn Cuthbert is assisting Payne as student director. She joined theater in eighth grade and says it has become a major source of joy.

“My primary role is to be a second pair of eyes for our director,” she said. “I weigh in on everything from costumes and sets to acting choices and blocking. CJ and I work together to make the show as powerful and seamless as possible. One of my favorite parts is helping other actors develop their characters.”

Cuthbert appreciates the collaborative nature of the production. “Every detail is discussed and sometimes debated until we find the best option,” she said.

Working on a script originally written in Middle English has also taught Cuthbert some valuable lessons.

“I’ve learned how important it is to truly understand and believe what you’re saying,” she said. “Bringing a character’s emotion into yourself is always important, but with this language, it’s even more challenging – and even more essential.”

She said that she hopes the performance sparks reflection.

“I don’t think it’s art’s job to tell an audience what to think or feel,” Cuthbert said. “Good art inspires people to have conversations with themselves about emotions and morals. I want our audience to leave contemplating what it means to be a good person—and, on a lighter note, thinking our show was really cool.”

According to Cuthbert, she plans to pursue law, specializing in prosecution or civil rights.

“It may sound far from theater, but both involve performance,” she said. “You’re standing in front of people, trying to capture their attention and take them on a journey. Both law and theater help people in different ways.”

Payne said he is excited to see what the students bring to the festival this year. “It’s rewarding to get students excited to perform for other schools,” he said. He chose “Everyman” because he wanted something different. “This show really fits the group of actors we have.”

The goal, he added, is always to deliver a production that exceeds expectations. “We hope to bring a professional‑level performance to the festival. Our actors and technicians always bring strong competition to the Class A sites. Hopefully the judges agree.” <