AMC 1: L-R: Casen Ripple, Martina Smyth, Ellie Backman, Amara Beganny as the Monster Ensemble; Jesse Murphy as the Monster, Luca Enriquez Capalbo as Conor
AMC 2: L-R: Jesse Murphy as the Monster; Martina Smyth, Ellie Backman, Amara Beganny, Casen Ripple as the Monster Ensemble; Luca Enriquez Capalbo as Conor in center
The University of Southern Maine Department of Theatre will present the Maine premiere of “A Monster Calls” at Russell Hall on the USM Gorham campus, Oct. 24 – Nov. 2.
Director Rachel Price Cooper says the story, which centers around a 13-year-old boy losing his mother to cancer, is deceptively simple. “Death is the great equalizer,” she says. “We know that ultimately we’re going to lose people we love and we just don’t like to talk about it.”
For Price Cooper, this project is a personal one. “A Monster Calls” began as an idea from her cousin, British writer Siobhan Dowd. When Dowd passed away, author Patrick Ness transformed her ideas into the book that later became the 2016 movie by the same name starring Liam Neeson. The Old Vic Theatre brought it to life on the stage in 2018. USM Theatre’s production is the Maine premiere.
With expert lighting, projections, sound and costume design from USM faculty and students, Conor’s reality is infiltrated by a magical world that ultimately enables him to face what’s happening to his mother. Audiences will experience the Monster’s 16-foot yew tree, constructed by Technical Director Andrew Johns and Jesse Murphy, who also plays the monster. Costume and set design from USM Theatre’s Kevin Hutchins blend the real and magical worlds together in stunning detail.
Performances:
Friday, Oct. 24, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 25, 7 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 26, 2 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 29, 10 a.m.
Thursday, Oct. 30, 7 p.m. – Pay-What-You-Can Performance
Friday, Oct. 31, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 1, 7 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 2, 2 p.m. – ASL Interpreted
Appropriate for grades 5 and up
Content advisory: Contains themes of terminal illness, the loss of a parent, and bullying.
Ticket Info
General Admission: $18
Senior 65+: $12
USM Faculty/Staff/Alumni: $14
USM Students & Non-USM Students: $8
Group rate: $8/person – for schools and community groups
Pay-What-You-Can: Thursday, Nov. 7, 7 p.m.
Tickets and info: https://porttix.com/whats-on/a-monster-calls-usm/, call (207) 842-0800, or in person at 400 Congress St., Suite A, Portland, ME. FMI: https://usm.maine.edu/theatre.