Photo Flash: First Look at PAPERMAKER at Penobscot Theatre Company

Penobscot Theatre Company stages the second production of Papermaker, by acclaimed Maine author Monica Wood (The One-in-a-Million Boy, We Were the Kennedys). Directed by Daniel Burson (One Blue Tarp), runs now through April 2, with 14 performances at the historic Bangor Opera House. BroadwayWorld has a first look at The cast in action below!

The drama unfolds around two families on opposite sides of a protracted paper mill strike in a small Maine town. When we meet Ernie, a lifelong laborer and diehard union man, he is occupying himself with a project as ambitious as it is confounding, the construction of an ark in his backyard. News of the ark spreads, inspiring an impromptu visit from the mill owner's daughter. When she and her father appear, sparks fly and tensions are revealed not only between the workers and management but between the generations coping with unsettling shifts in the economic landscape. "This town and these characters are fictional," explains Producing Artistic Director Bari Newport, "but Wood's story rings true. With great humor and sensitivity, she has captured the humanity at the heart of the changes with which Maine communities are grappling."

Newport is thrilled to introduce actress Emily Shain (AEA) of New York, who will be making her Penobscot Theatre Company debut, along with Portland-based actor James Herrera. The cast also includes local standouts Daniel Kennedy, Doug Meswarb, AJ Mooney and Jen Shephard. Chez Cherry (scenic), Jonathan Spencer (lighting), Brandie Larkin (sound) and Belinda Hobbs (props) comprise the design team.

Show tickets are available online at www.penobscottheatre.org or through the box office, located at 131 Main Street, Bangor; (207) 942-3333.