Acadia Coombs sat on a bench next to Levi Robinson with a pair of binoculars in hand. Coombs, portraying an ambitious young girl named Sally, and Robinson, playing her father, were staring in awe at a cardboard rocket ship on the stage at Centennial Hall.
The two were rehearsing a scene for Harpswell Community Theater’s summer production, “A Space Lady’s Story.” The show will be performed at Centennial Hall the weekend of Aug. 2-4. Showtimes are 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, 1 p.m. on Sunday.
“It is a true community activity,” said Tom Vurgason, the director and playwright. “This is a fun group. We almost always fill the seats, so the community has supported it over the years.”
The cast and crew practices once a week leading up to the show.
“I liken it to what it probably might’ve been like doing theater back in the ’20s and ’30s,” said Shirley Bernier, who narrates the production.
Vurgason wrote the play last winter after being given three props — a train, a castle and a rocket ship — and using them as inspiration.
The story begins with a mother (Linda Despres) and father (Robinson) taking their kids on a train from Maine to Florida for vacation. On the train, one of their children, Sally (Acadia Coombs), notices a newspaper story about an upcoming launch at Cape Canaveral.
The family begins their vacation at Disney World while Sally begs her parents to take her to the launch. Her siblings (Charlotte Despres, Cora Despres, and Lillian Toothaker) are less interested.
As Sally watches liftoff with her father, she makes up her mind to become an astronaut. The play fast forwards as young adult Sally (Lisa Coombs) succeeds in school and attempts to join pilot training, but a general (Michael Brumet) convinces her to become a mission specialist instead, leading her to fulfill her dream.
Throughout the production, adult Sally (Bernier) narrates flashbacks. Robert Lewis — an Elvis tribute artist — serenades the audience between scenes.
The show’s message can be summed up with a line Sally’s mother tells her: “Life is an adventure.”
“You can’t wait for someone else to bring adventure to you, but sometimes your path has to change,” Vurgason said. “You’re responsible for your own adventure.” Tickets are $10 at the door. To reserve a ticket, call 207-833-5238.
