The Blue & White

by Sloan Farrell

The theater club at Methuen High School has a new addition to the staff team for the fall production of the play Almost, Maine. Mr. Pocoli, a math teacher, has taken on the role of directing.

Mrs. Walsh, who has been both the producer and director of Stage Door 22 for the past several years, announced a step back in her role in the fall production. Planning her return as the director in the spring musical, Mrs. Walsh will oversee the fall play as the producer. The role of director was offered to Mr. Pocoli because he was a member of the theater program during his time as a student at Methuen High School. Mr. Pocoli acted as “Lendall” in a production of Almost, Maine with Stage Door 22 in 2017.

Almost, Maine is a play made up of eight vignettes taking place in Northern Maine. The roles have seemingly piqued the current actors’ interests, some reporting on how well-fitted they feel to be in their role. The choice of the play was something that the actors were unsure of at first, when reading synopses, but once they read the script for themselves, they knew that they wanted to participate. Junior member Valentine feels excited for the show and what’s to come with the changes. They stated that they’re “so excited for the show, [they] cannot wait for where this show will go.”

The returning members are relieved to see that Mrs. Walsh is continuing with Stage Door 22 because of the ambiguity of the situation over the past months. Because of the demanding schedule of directing and producing as one person, Mrs. Walsh is happy in her role and she would be interested in staying solely the producer. She feels that she “would love to be the producer of the shows, so still stay involved in it, but not have to be at every rehearsal.”

Stage Door 22 is one of the largest clubs at Methuen High School, with about 80 members. The nature of working on a production should involve a team of people and as Stage Door 22 continues to establish themselves as a large company, their staff must grow with them. Currently, Mr. Pocoli is the third staff member involved in the production.

For the new members of Stage Door 22, they find the environment very warm and welcoming. Mr. Pocoli believes that, “It’s a really great place for people who don’t know much about theater.” Club members say that the transition of power has been very smooth and relaxed. Students report that, although they were worried about the changes, they appreciate more people onboard. The fresh perspective that a new director can add, without losing the other perspectives can lead to an even better club and production!

To find out more about Stage Door 22’s 2023 production of Almost, Maine, check out their website at https://stagedoor22.weebly.com/