WILLOW CREEK — A sold-out crowd of 120 people packed the Willow Creek Community Hall on Saturday evening for the debut performance of the Willow Creek Players, a community theater troupe whose first production — Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town” — resonated deeply in a small Maine town that knows something about the passage of time.
The cast of 22, ranging in age from 14 to 72, spent eight weeks rehearsing in the basement of the Carnegie Library. Director Sarah Cheney, a retired drama teacher from the RSU 29 school district, said the idea grew from a conversation at the General Store about the lack of cultural offerings in town.
“People think they have to drive to Presque Isle or Houlton for theater,” Cheney said. “I thought, why not do it here? We have the space, we have the talent, and we have an audience that’s hungry for something to do on a Saturday night.”
Of the 120 attendees, Cheney estimated that roughly 30 came from outside Willow Creek, including theater enthusiasts from Houlton and Caribou who had seen the production promoted on social media. The box office raised $1,400, which will fund the group’s next production — a summer musical planned for July.
“We’re already picking the next show,” Cheney said. “And we’re taking suggestions from anyone who walks through the door.”