Papermaker
By Monica Wood
Directed by Sally Wood
Originally produced at Portland Stage Company, Portland, ME.
April 21, 2015 through May 17, 2015
About the Premiere Production
During a paper mill strike in a small Maine town, the lives of two families collide around a company CEO and a man building a wooden ark in his yard. Criss-crossing the lines between workers and management, novelist Monica Wood’s first play is a revealing drama about family, loyalty, and the quiet tragedies of mill-town life.
Artistic Statement
Papermaker will make an invigorating addition to the American repertoire because it tells the story of blue collar workers in a small rural community contending with the changing economic reality they face when an industry that has supported their town is no longer economically viable. With the current economic climate in the United States, this is a common story not only in towns in Maine, but in towns and industries across the country. Audiences will relate to the difficult decision the characters face: whether to stay true to your community and a job that has been in the family for generations, or to go against your family's beliefs in order to support your new child. The themes of family ties, solidarity, a struggle for understanding, and the politics of business in our ever-changing global community all will resonate with theater-goers today.
Grant Statement
Portland Stage intends to build in an additional week of rehearsal to allow the playwright to make adjustments to Papermaker. Support from the Edgerton Foundation will help Portland Stage continue to be involved in the process of creating something new, unique and individual that can continue to live for years to come.
Director: Sally Wood
Set Design: Anita Stewart
Cast: Tom Bloom, Moira Driscoll, Daniel Noel, Lisa Stathoplos, and more
Additional Funders: National Endowment for the Arts