FA and PCSS set to present two evenings of one-act plays at Center Theatre

    DOVER-FOXCROFT — Students from Foxcroft Academy and Piscataquis Community Secondary School are gearing up for an evening of one-act plays at the Center Theatre.  Bobby Keniston, the drama director at Foxcroft, will once again be squaring off against his father Bob Keniston, the drama director for the Guilford school , in an event that has affectionately been called “Keniston vs. Keniston”. The event, coming to the Center Theatre at 7 p.m. on both Friday, Feb. 28, and Saturday, March 1, will include four one-act plays: three from FA and one from PCSS.

    “This is our second year bringing our schools together for a friendly competition,” said the younger Keniston, the organizer of the event. “After the success of our evening of plays last year, we were anxious to have the students face off again. It was a great way to prepare for the competition sponsored by the MPA.”
    Foxcroft Academy’s drama program has a wonderful working partnership with the Center Theatre, and inviting Guilford drama students to perform at the same venue has proved an invaluable opportunity for both schools.
    “It’s a great opportunity to test our plays in front of an audience before competition,” the elder Keniston said. “It’s an event where FA and PCSS can show their school pride by supporting the arts, in a truly excellent theatre.”
    FA’s lineup includes a short comedy by Bobby Keniston called “Complaint Department”, as well as two student-written works.  “Who We Know We Are Not” is a 20-minute play about friendship and the difficulties of growing up, by former FA student Claire Hamlin, a playwriting student of the young Keniston.  Hamlin will be making the trip from her new home in Florida to attend the production.
    FA’s third play is its competition piece, a student-written work called “Rabbits in the Garden” by sophomore Racquel Bozzelli. The play, which was presented in an earlier draft last season, has been re-written by Bozzelli, making it a strong competition contender.
    “I couldn’t be more excited about having two productions coming directly from my playwriting class,” Keniston said. “It has always been my intention to promote student creativity, and I am very proud of both of these plays and the students who wrote them.”
    PCSS will be presenting its competition play “The Bridge” by Ford Ainsworth. The play takes the old folktale of “Three Billy Goats Gruff” and turns it into a strong, significant drama that deals with loyalty, truth, patriotism and bravery.
“This has been one of the hardest plays I have ever directed,” the elder Keniston said. “It’s not a children’s show.”
    After facing off at the Center Theatre, both schools will be presenting their plays at Stearns High School, in direct competition at the Class B Regional drama festival. Like last year, supporters from each school are encouraged to come out and show their school pride by cheering on their favorite competition play. The audience will be given an opportunity to score the competition plays and vote for their favorite.
    “Last year, F. had a very narrow victory at this event,” the young Keniston said. “I intend to have a wider margin this time around.”
    “We’ll see who the winner is when the dust settles,” the elder Keniston said. “FA has got their work cut out for them this year.”
    Of course both Kenistons admit that the real winners are all the students who have the opportunity to display their weeks of hard work for the surrounding communities and all of the people who come out to support these fine plays. Both school programs have had an increase in participation since last year’s event.