FARMINGTON — At 7 p.m. Friday, July 26, and Saturday, July 27, Mt. Blue Theater Company will present inaugural performances of Watson Theater Workshops in Mt. Blue High School Forum. This year’s productions include “The Bald Soprano” and an adaptation of “Xingu.”

Initially written as a comment on suburban life in mid-20th century London, Eugene Ionesco’s absurdist comedy “The Bald Soprano” has many things to say about modern life in 21st-century Maine as well. Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Jake Rutberg and Carrie Close) argue about who knows more or less about the troubled Watson family, while Mr. and Mrs. Martin (Sawyer Zundel and Mackenzie Wells) realize they are complete strangers to one another — quite literally. A housekeeper (Annette Sherrod) and a fire chief (Josiah Chapman) try to shed some light on the situation, but really just make things worse. Or is it better? It’s hard to say in this comedy about everything and nothing all at once.

Adapted from Edith Wharton’s short story “Xingu” provides a comedic look at what happens when the voice of reason gets drowned out by the voices of ignorance. Mrs. Ballinger (Anja Nordstrom) runs the Hillbridge Lunch Club, a discussion group welcoming celebrated author, Osric Dane (Annette Sherrod) to town. From stately Mrs. Plinth (Natalie Wood) and scholarly Miss Van Vluyck (Ashleigh Dunham) to artistic Laura Glyde (Taylor Withey) and awkward Mrs. Leveret (Hailey Mealey), the Lunch Club have a particular way of doing business. And none of it suits Mrs. Roby (Casey Rogers) who would much rather talk of Xingu than follow their rules. But what is Xingu? Only Mrs. Roby seems to know, but no one dare admit it.

July 2013 marks the first year of the Watson Theater Workshops, a two-week theatrical evening camp experience for incoming ninth graders through outgoing 12th graders. Directed by Dan Ryder with assistance from Mt. Blue High School senior Astra Pierson, 13 young actors from western and central Maine gather each night for two weeks to rehearse, develop, and perform a pair of one-acts.

The workshops intend to provide a summer theater camp experience usually reserved for younger students, but on a schedule that better suits the needs of adolescents combined with an atmosphere fostering collaboration between the directorial staff and the actors. The Watson Theater Workshops are sponsored by the Mt. Blue Theater Company, directed by Debby Muise.

All seats are $5 and available at the door. Proceeds benefit the Mt. Blue Theater Company. For more information, email dryder@mtbluersd.org or call 207-578-0357.

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