The cast members FNL 13 at 49 Franklin in Rumford. From left, in this skit for Hide N Seek, are, from front left, Steve Bailey, Aaron Perreault, Tanya Perreault and Jessica Hines. In the middle are Zach Grassette, Sarah Gervais, Carol Smith and Mary LaPointe. In back are Jessica Rodrigue, Cindy Grassette, Tylene Scott, Becky Howard, Zac Calden and Scot Grassette. Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times

RUMFORD — Friday Night Live 2025 returns to 49 Franklin for its 13th show, directed by Cindy Grassette and featuring husband and wife guest hosts, Aaron and Tanya Perreault of Dixfield.

The event takes place on Fridays and Saturdays — April 11-12, 18-19 and 15-26 at 8 p.m. at 49 Franklin in the Mystic Theater in Rumford. The live, local, and all original sketch comedy show started in 2011 and has had sold out consistently through the years. Advance ticket purchases are highly recommended.

49 Franklin is a former church that has been converted into an elegant reception hall and meeting center.
The show also features Zac Calden, Zach Grassette, Sarahmarie Gervais, Tylene Scott, Carol Smith, Mary Puiia LaPointe, Jessica Rodrigue, as well as venue owners Cindy Grassette and Scot Grassette.

Musical guests are Jessica Hines and Steve Bailey of Black Cat Road.

Scot Grassette, the only cast member in all 13 FNL productions, said, “I’m just amazed that we can keep on doing this. There’s a never ending source of material out there around town. I want people to come here and not laugh at somebody. I want people to come here and laugh with somebody.”

Many FNL skits now and in the past contain jokes and references that only local people would recognize.
“The people that come here that are from here have this certain ownership, like they wrote this for me,” Scot said.

He noted, “We do characters of people that you know, but we want other people to enjoy that character also, even though they never met Brittany and Brittany from Dick’s (skit about two waitresses at the Mexico restaurant).”

The director is Cindy Grassette, who still enjoys directing the FNL cast, “but right now, when you ask me, it’s such a lot of work. But I love the outcome.”

She said all six shows are totally different. “Some people want to hear every line. It’s funny, they’re either really rowdy and really into it, laughing and hooting and hollowing. And then we have another night that the audience is quiet. They’ll clap after every skit. It’s almost like those people got together and said, ‘let’s all buy tickets for that night so that we can hear every line. So it’s funny how the audience changes.”

Cindy noted, “Saturdays are more crazy than Fridays, for starters. I think it’s because people have Sunday for rest.”

Scot said the theme of this show is nostalgia. “Our audiences like nostalgia. They like to reminise. Like in the hide and seek skit. Hide and seek gets broke up with the 9 o’clock whistle. That was curfew. We played hide and seek in our neighborhood, in Sticky Town. The street signs I use are Stratford and Maple. But everybody has a little bit different thing about hide and seek. That’s what creates the arguments in the thing.”

Cindy said they are 14 different skits, with two videos that they made on location. The show will last a little over two hours, depending on the length of the intermission.

Skit writers are Scot Grassette, and Mary Puiia LaPointe and her sister, Susie Puiia.

Doors open at 6 p.m. for social, seating, and a full pub menu as well as a cash bar. 49 Franklin is a cash-only venue. Enter at the right side of the building and go to the upper level for the show.

Tickets, $20 in advance and $25 day of show at the door, are available downtown Rumford at All That Jazz and online at www.49franklin.com

In this skit called the Brittany and Brittany Show, are, sitting from left, Tanya Perreault and Carol Smith. Standing, playing Brittany and Brittany, are Tylene Scott and Jessica Rodrigue. Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times