RUMFORD — The set was simple — just gravestones, a few lamp poles and rustic benches for the actors to sit on. Musicians played guitars and a mandolin to accompany portions of the play. That was how Mountain Valley High School’s rendition of “Spoon River Anthology” by Edgar Lee Masters began.

The actors and actresses took turns telling their stories in interlocking narratives that were free-form poems. The stories spanned several generations in the fictitious town of Spoon River.

Each actor and actress played several characters.

Sophomore Corbin Arsenault said, “My favorite character was probably A.D. Blood, mostly because the crowd got a laugh out of it.”

A.D. Blood was a straight-laced parson who closed saloons and stopped card playing. Blood questions, to the audience’s delight, “Why do you let the milliner’s daughter, Dora, and the worthless son of Benjamin Pantier nightly make my grave their unholy pillow?”

Senior Brittany Wakefield enjoyed playing Hannah Armstrong. She explained, “I feel she is my favorite because she goes out and gets what she needs no matter what stands in her way. She is a mother who is going to fight for her son and I think that is a noble cause to fight for. This character taught me that if you want it you have to go and fight for it.”

When Hannah Armstrong could not get her sick son released from the Army, she went straight to the White House. Initially, she was turned away but told the guard to tell the President, “Please say it’s old Aunt Hannah Armstrong from Illinois, come to see him about her sick boy in the army.” Abraham Lincoln personally signed the discharge papers.

Freshman Hannah Leonard made her debut on the stage. She said, “I really liked all my characters, but my favorite would probably have to be Minerva Jones. I liked her because she was a very strong woman even though she was picked on for things she couldn’t change. From playing her character I learned there are different sides to a story. You have your own point of view but it could be totally different for someone else. It helped me see that just because it’s your point of view doesn’t mean what you’re saying is true or right. I’m glad I was the person to be able to tell her story.”

Minerva Jones was the village poetess. She was taunted and ill treated by townspeople. Her last request was for her poems to be published in a book.

Senior Nathan Fitzpatrick had 10 characters to choose from. He said, “My favorite character was probably Enoch Dunlap, because he makes no excuses for the hate people feel for him. He just explains why he is hated.”

Enoch Dunlap was a politician who dealt with apathy in the town but served the people anyway. He was chastised for missing a crucial vote and explained, “When the people’s enemies, there assembled, waited and watched for a chance to destroy The Sacred Rights of the People. You common rabble! I left the caucus to go to the urinal!”

Finally, junior Tucker Phelps stated, “My favorite character to play was Abel Melveny. Because he explained that a person can be fit to be great but if they don’t do anything, they are no greater than anyone else.”

Abel Melveny compared himself to the many machines he bought but never used. “A fine machine, once brightly varnished, and eager to do its work, now with its paint washed off — I saw myself as a good machine that life had never used.”

It’s obvious the actors and actresses learned more than just their lines.

Additional thespians included Kristin Arsenault, Kelsey Bevins, Joey Buccina, Carita DeTellis, Claudia Gallant, Angela O’Leary, Robyn Pellerin, Ronnie Russell and Kelli Trenoweth. Peter Coolidge, Ronnie Russell and Kier Simmons provided musical backup.