25-minute docu-drama captures Minot woman’s life
By Samantha C. DePoy
Staff Writer

FARMINGTON – Near the end of her book, “The Last of the Saddle Tramps,” Mesannie Wilkins wrote about her desire to light up the silver screen.

The since-deceased Minot resident went from indigent to icon when at age 62, she set out with $32 in pickle money to travel across the county on the back of her horse, Tarzan, with her dog, Depeche Toi (French for hurry up).

Now, 49 years later, she’s getting her chance at the silver screen thanks to New Sharon resident Kevin McShane.

McShane stumbled across Wilkins’ story in September of 2001 after reading an article in the Sun Journal about the controversy in Minot surrounding the naming of Wilkins’ old road “Jackass Annie Road.”

He thought her story was one that had to be told. The result is a 25-minute docu-drama based on Wilkins’ life leading up to her 7,000-mile cross-country passage.

“This is one of those stories that shouldn’t be lost,” said McShane, who said Wilkins’ story is a profile in courage about a famous Maine woman. “It’s too bad she had to be remembered as Jackass Annie. She deserved a lot more respect than that. Her courage and gumption should come first, and the jackass part much later.”

The short was shot all over Maine and required hundreds of hours of time. For McShane, the movie is a culminating project for the masters degree he is pursing in media studies at Goddard College in Vermont.

A teacher by trade, McShane also hopes to pull Wilkins’ story into the classroom and is working on developing a curriculum that is aligned with the Maine Learning Results to teach Maine kids about an inspirational Maine woman.

The story, and subsequent film, appeals to viewers on multiple levels: dog-lovers, horse-lovers, history buffs, those interested in women’s studies, and people just looking for a moving rags-to-riches tale.

For his film, McShane relied on local talent to tell the story. Joanie Mitchell of Bowdoinham portrayed Wilkins; Wayne Knowlton of Livermore portrayed the doctor who told Wilkins she had just two years to live (she proved him wrong by living for 20 more years); Rob Salsgiver of Phillips composed and performed the soundtrack for the film; J.P. Fornier of Farmington helped edit the film; and Grace Beacham of Farmington did a convincing voice narration.

“It was just something wonderful to do,” Beacham said lovingly of the film and Wilkins. “I guess I related to her in a sense. It moved me so deeply that it brought me to tears. She represented to me an extremely strong woman. I felt very close to her and her story just touches the heart.”

McShane hopes the film will touch more than just local hearts, setting his eyes west, as Wilkins did, to Hollywood. The film, he said, is a teaser and he hopes someone in Hollywood will pick the story up and turn it into a feature-length film.

“I think people will understand this is a compelling story and needs to be told and kept alive. There are still people alive who remember Annie. I hope someone is going to see the value of her story and say, ‘Why don’t you go a little further with this?'”

He is confident that Hollywood will call someday, maybe not anytime soon, but someday. In the meantime, McShane and the cast agree it has been worth their work. The film will be shown all over Maine at historical societies and through word of mouth, McShane believes Mesannie Wilkins will someday light up the screen, just like she always wanted.

For more information, or to view “The Mesannie Wilkins Story,” call Kevin McShane at 778-9681.

sdepoy@sunjournal.com

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