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.
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| 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 |
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.” <
