Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 32 : Spring 2017 | Page 17

UMPI Hosts Hometown
Premiere Of Last Gas
by University of Maine at Presque Isle
The University of Maine at Presque Isle and the Presque
Isle Community Players are pleased to present the
northern Maine debut of John Cariani’s play Last Gas
this spring, bringing the Presque Isle native’s “hilarious
and heartbreaking” tale to the stage for its hometown
premiere. Last Gas performances will take place on Fridays
and Saturdays, March 31, April 1, 7 and 8 at 7 p.m. in the
Auditorium in Wieden Hall; doors will open at 6:30 p.m.
place to get gas or anything before the Canadian border to
the north and the North Maine Woods to the west. When
an old flame (Sherry Sullivan) returns to town, Nat gets a
chance to rekindle a romance he gave up on years ago. But
sparks fly and he’s forced to choose between a new love and
old. With other roles perfectly filled by Tamia Glidden, Jim
Derosier, Jacob Graham and Aaron Swanson, and set and
stage design by Joe Zubrick, Last Gas takes a hilarious and
heartbreakingly hard look at love lost and found, and at
This dramatic comedy again brings together the creative what it means to “get back to happy.”
forces of the play’s creator—Presque Isle native and Tony-
nominated actor John Cariani—and director Barbara “People like the people in ‘Last Gas’ aren’t very well
Frick Ladner. Cariani, who has appeared in major roles represented in contemporary art and culture,” Cariani said.
on Broadway, including the revival of Fiddler on the Roof “Stories of rural America aren’t common. I’m proud to put
and in the 2015 musical comedy Something Rotten!, has people from the corner of the world I grew up in on stage.
performed numerous roles in Presque Isle High School and And even prouder to have my high school drama director
Pioneer Playhouse productions. Frick Ladner has directed and teacher directing the play and bringing a story about
scores of high school and community theater productions northern Mainers… to northern Mainers.”
in the last 33 years.
Last Gas is among Cariani’s four stage works; his other three
The two came together for the first time in 1984, when plays—Almost, Maine, cul-de-sac, and LOVE/SICK—have
Cariani played Doody in the high school production of all had Off-Broadway runs and are published by Dramatists
Grease, under Frick Ladner’s direction. While Cariani Play Service. His first play, Almost, Maine, has become one
was able to celebrate the Presque Isle Community Players’ of the most frequently produced plays in North America,
production of Almost, Maine in person, his schedule didn’t produced by more than 3,000 theater companies across
allow him to do the same with Last Gas. However, he and the continent. It is currently the most frequently produced
Frick Ladner have consulted frequently on this production, play in North American high schools, topping perennial
and his presence will be felt.
favorites A Midsummer Night’s Dream, You Can’t Take It
with You, and Our Town.
“John’s ‘Last Gas’ takes his audience to Township 16, Range
8 and into Paradis’ Last Convenient Store. It is there that we Cariani graduated from Presque Isle High School in 1987.
meet Nat, Cherry-Tracy, Troy, Guy, Dwight and Lurene,” After earning his Bachelor’s degree in history from Amherst
Frick Ladner said. “They embody the world of T-16, R8. College, he studied theater at StageWest in Springfield,
John’s characters are universal in nature, and the essence of Mass., and moved to New York City to pursue a career in
what makes his play great. His love for Maine and its people acting. He made his Broadway debut in the 2004 revival of
is joyful, and makes ‘Last Gas’ a play filled with emotions Fiddler on the Roof and received an Outer Critics Circle
that make you laugh and at times cry.”
Award and a Tony Award nomination for his portrayal of
Motel the Tailor. He originated the role of Nigel Bottom
Last Gas is Cariani’s third play. It debuted at the Portland in the recent Broadway hit, Something Rotten! and
Stage Company in 2010 and became the biggest selling received an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for
three-week run in the company’s history. In the play, Nat his performance. On television, he is best known for his
Paradis (played by Jeff Ashby) is a Red Sox-loving part-time roles on NBC’s Law & Order (as Forensics Tech Beck), on
dad who manages Paradis Last Convenient Store, the last CBS’ Numbers (as Professor Otto Bahnoff), and on IFC’s
SPRING 2017
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