POLAND – More than 3,000 Maine high-school students from 79 high schools will compete in the 77th annual Maine Drama Festival. Competing schools will present one-act plays ranging from the classics to original student-written plays Friday and Saturday, March 9-10, at nine regional competitions, including Poland Regional High School.

Two winners from each regional will be selected to advance to the state finals March 23-24.

Nine schools will compete at Poland Regional High School. Performances Friday night, starting at 7 p.m. will be “First in Line,” by Jay; “Step on a Crack,” Oxford Hills; and “Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep,” by Gray-New Gloucester.

Saturday afternoon shows will start at 12:30 p.m. and include “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” by Maine Central Institute; “The Adventures of Captain Neato Man,” by Monmouth Academy; “The Happy Journey to Camblen and Trenton,” by Mt. View High School; and “Conversations in the Park,” by Mt. Blue High School.

Rounding out the performances Saturday night at 7 p.m. will be “The FBI is Laughing at You,” by Poland; and “Baroness Brezny,” by Falmouth.

The shows follow each other at about 55-minute intervals. The festival is open to the public, but audience members are urged to arrive early because there is limited seating. Admission is $7 for each session. The admission money goes to the Maine Principals’ Association to cover the cost of the festival and to promote student activities around the state.

For a list of where individual schools will compete and what plays will be staged, go online to invserv.fivetowns.net/chrhs/StromAud/MDC/Sites2007.htm; or e-mail [email protected].