FARMINGTON — “Foundations” a short play by Mt. Blue High School senior Ike Libby and junior Tommy Eng, will be performed in conjunction with the middle school show, “The Absolutely Insidious and Utterly Terrifying Truth About Cat Hair” by Bradley Walton, on Wednesday, March 15 and Friday, March 17, at 7 p.m. in the Bjorn Auditorium on the Mt. Blue campus. 

The middle school play, directed by social studies teacher Catherine Zachary, is a fantastical depiction of the insidious and ubiquitous nature of cat hair. At times it does feel as if Butterball Snowflake’s (Charlie Eng) and Snugglefluff Milkshake’s (Rachel Spear) hair is actually taking over Brenda’s (Paola Ayres) world. Armed with Masking Tape (Donovan Hurley), Granola Bar (Abbie Cramer) and Vacuum Cleaner (Erin Ladd) Brenda tries valiantly to reclaim her house and her life from the evil, all-encompassing hair. Anyone with cats and/or dogs can certainly relate to this zany comedy.

This year’s student-written-and-directed entry to the Maine Drama Festival, “Foundations,” is a play about friendships, specifically the beginning and ending of a friendship of several years between Adam (portrayed in his younger version by Eugene Armstrong and in his older incarnation, by Aidan Underwood) and Max (Jude Siegle and Jon Lesko). As young kids, the two bonded when Adam stops a bully (Gian Mendez) from bothering Max. After that, the two have adventures together and Adam continues to help Max. In their teenage years, both struggle with other relationships which affects their own negatively. The play deals with important issues of love, friendship and growing up.

In fact, according to Eng, one of the easiest parts of writing “Foundations” was the ideas. Both Eng and Ike Libby are seasoned members of the school’s  improv comedy group, The Mt. Blue Curtain Raisers, so they have a lot of experience with improvising ideas. The hardest part in writing, however, was the revision. After getting feedback from playwriting coach, Dan Ryder, (also the Curtain Raisers’ leader) they pretty much re-wrote half the play, stressfully pushing a deadline for auditions in December. 

As directors of the play, Eng and Libby have a straightforward but comical style, and the cast and crew are having a great time preparing for the evenings of one acts at Mt. Blue, but also for showcasing their play at the Regional Drama Festival in Skowhegan on March 10. 

Tickets for the shows, available at the door, are  $4.50 for adults and $3 for students.