The cast of “The Lighting Thief,” in front, from left are Samantha Melquist, Kathryn Ross, Scotty Venable, Hannah Hanson, Madison Doughty (no longer in cast), Josie French and Valerie Sanborn. In back, from left, are Henry Quintal, Amy Griswold, Ken Mansur, Talon Moody and Julie Sanborn; not pictured is Megan Hopper.

The Monmouth Community Players plan to stage “The Lightning Thief,” a Percy Jackson musical, at Oak Hill High School, 56 School Road in Wales.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. July 14-16,21 and 22 and matinees are set for 2 p.m. July 17, 23 and 24.

At the helm of this production are Mary Melquist as director and Courtney Babbidge as music director. Rounding out the team are Hannah Hanson as lighting designer, Kyle Mansur as crew, Kayla Newmeyer as props and sound mistress, Caroline White as stage manager, Dorothy Giroux-Pare as assistant stage manager, Nancy Kenneally as costumer with assistance from Ann Fairchild, Emily Kalafarski as house manager and Josie French as producer.

The musical adventure, with book by Joe Tracz and music and lyrics by Rob Rokicki, weaves a complex tale around the young protagonist Percy Jackson (Scotty Venable) – a post-modern tween with a loving mother and absentee father, ADHD and dyslexia, few friends and multiple expulsions from school, who has a hard time fitting in and being “normal.” After it’s revealed to him that “normal is a myth” and he’s really a demi-god (half human and half god), he is sent to Camp Half-Blood, where he spends the summer with other kids like him. Percy then discovers that he is the progeny of his mortal mother and Poseidon (Ken Mansur), and embarks on a visionary “Killer Quest,” accompanied by Annabeth (Samantha Melquist), daughter of Athena, and Grover (Kathryn Ross), his BFF and a satyr, to avert a war between the gods by recovering the lightning bolt stolen from Zeus, while battling monsters and other obstacles along the way.

A cast of 12 assumes the guises of 47 characters in an epic slugfest of good versus evil and coming of age conquering adolescent angst, including: Scotty Venable of Minot; Samantha Melquist of Bath; Kathryn Ross of Gardiner; Josie French of Lewiston; Ken Mansur of Auburn; Henry Quintal of Augusta; Amy Griswold of Winthrop; Valerie Sanborn of Gray; Julie Sanborn of Farmington; Talon Moody of Richmond; Hannah Hanson of Waterville; and Megan Hopper of Sidney.

Tickets cost $18 for adults, and $15 for students and seniors.

For tickets, or more information, visit monmouthcommunityplayers.org.


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