LA’s One Act “The Machine Stops” Places 3rd at State Drama Festival

The cast of Lincoln Academy’s 2023 One Act play “The Machine Stops.” Back row from left: Trey Tibbetts, Mariana Janik, Nathaniel Hufnagel, Lila Drewes, Aowyn Burbank, Mitchell Straus, Mica Houghton, Felix Cunningham, Gavin Parson, AJ Shepherd, Calvin Percy, Annalise Garnett. Middle row from left: Kayla Cruz, Sophia Scott, Anna Lupien, Benno Hennig, Elias Bassett, Taylin Lowe, Giulia Geirola, Joseph Levesque. Front row from left: Anderson Pierpan, Jaqueline Pelletier, Harper Shepherd, and Jason Long.

Lincoln Academy’s 2023 One Act Play, “The Machine Stops” took third place at the Class A State Drama Festival on Saturday, March 25. Lincoln placed a very close third after traditionally strong theater programs from Yarmouth High School (first place) and Mount Desert Island High School (second place). The spread among the top three teams was just six points, out of a total of 300–an unprecedented outcome according to Maine Principals Association representatives at the Festival.

“This was an outstanding showing for a young troupe, whose members are to be congratulated,” said LA Theater Director Griff Braley. “Not one of the actors or tech crew has ever participated in a One Act Competition before due to Covid, and they achieved a remarkable result thanks to strong teamwork and dedication to their craft.”

Lincoln Academy performed on Friday evening as part of the two-day state festival. Saturday’s awards included individual recognitions for the following students: Acting – Mitchell Straus and Aowyn Burbank; Lighting – Annalise Garnett; Lighting and Stage Manager – Calvin Percy Movement Concepts – Aowyn Burbank, Vocal Arrangements – Sophia Scott.

The ensemble received a coveted Ensemble Acting award for their performance as well as an award for their adaptation of the short story into a one act script.

“The Machine Stops” is a short story written in 1909 by EM Forster. The story is set in a dystopian future where humans live underground and their needs are met by a machine that provides food, breathable air, transportation, and communication. One particularly eerie aspect of the futuristic world is the ability to communicate via screens from faraway locations, a technology imagined by Forester more than a century ago.

LA students adapted the short story into a one act play script, staying as true as possible to the original story and Forster’s language, according to Braley. As part of the adaptation, the cast created the machine envisioned in Forster’s story using almost entirely movement and sound coordinated with very spare set pieces. The machine noise was entirely vocalized by the actors and provided a constant hum and whirr that was audible below the play’s dialogue.

“The machine effect that students created really captured the imagination of audiences,” said Braley. “This wasn’t unexpected, but it allowed the play to stand out at the festival.”

The cast and crew expressed how much they learned through the process of devising the script and creating the machine with their bodies and voices. “This play built up my vocal skills, as performing in theaters with hundreds more seats than the Poe takes breath control and projection work,” said sophomore Anna Lupien, who played the lead role of Vashti in the play. “In order to be heard and understood we had to work hard on our techniques, which will benefit us greatly in future productions.”

“Our students were pleased with the adult feedback for this play, but perhaps more so from their theater peers,” said Braley. “Overall, our students put Lincoln back in the running at One Acts. I’m very proud of them, and they are already plotting for next year!”

As a cast, the students “definitely grew more competitive at states, compared to the relaxed attitude of regionals,” said Lupien. “We had a taste of winning and that certainly fed a desire to win again. But competition takes a backseat to the craft. Winning a first place title wouldn’t change the sense of accomplishment we got from performing this play at the highest caliber we could. I’m proud of the fact that we can walk away from this show knowing we moved people and made an impact with our art.”