Most Deer Isle men seem to be sporting beards these days
This winter, Deer Isle residents were startled at the number of formerly clean-shaven islanders growing whiskers until they realized their fellow citizens were becoming bristly for a purpose. The men were turning themselves into turn-of-the-century Russian Jewish peasants at the eve of the Russian Revolution for a production of Fiddler on the Roof, which was performed March 21-22.
Transforming a Maine island into a Russian shetl might have daunted some, but not Cabin Fever Theater Company director and Caribou native Nelson Monteith, 56, who is also the director of Deer Isle-Stonington Elementary School’s splendid new, 400-seat Reach theater. He said he chose Fiddler On The Roof over Guys and Dolls, A Funny Thing Happened on The Way to The Forum, and Into the Woods “because it’s accessible by a group, open-ended in that there are parts for anyone who wanted to participate, and because it’s good music, good drama, and good entertainment.” (Joseph Stein wrote the Book, based on Sholem Aleichem stories, Jerry Bock wrote the music, and Sheldon Harnick, the lyrics.)
Aiding Monteith in the Deer Isle production were Set Designer Susan Moxley, Costume Designer Joan Roy, Choreographer Susan Senecal and Assistant Director and Stage Manager Linda Nelson. Bernard Kolcher was Technical Director.
Monteith, who studied music at University of Maine-Machias, taught in Maine for ten years before spending the next twenty in Belgium, teaching at the Antwerp International School, where he developed the music program into a music, theater and fine arts program. Besides chairing his department, he worked at building a performing arts center much like that of the Reach, directed shows and taught drama and music.
Returning to Maine in 1997, Monteith taught theater and music in Camden and in Ellsworth, where he ran Performing Arts for Children and some summer theater at The Grand before taking on, in June 2001, the directorship of The Reach Performing Arts Center.
The theater, Monteith explained, was built as a part of the new elementary school, which opened in February of that year, with funds raised by an auditorium committee. State school funding does not cover auditoriums.
“Starting the community theater,” Monteith said, “is implementing the goals of those donors who built this theater for Deer Isle, [for] building community through the arts and involving the whole population in activities that can be offered at The Reach Performing Arts Center.”
Judging from the hundred members of Cabin Fever Theater Company and the diverse occupations of those involved in Fiddler, it’s clear Monteith has met those goals. The show opened with fisherman’s wife and mother Susie Shepard leading the rest of the cast onstage; her fisherman/student son, Patrick, helped work the lights. David Pelletier, an electrician, played the Rabbi. Roger Greene played Tevye; Gretchen Jost, his wife, Golde; and Bunzy Sherman played Yente, the matchmaker. Other cast members, in real life, included a minister, a blacksmith, a physician, fishermen, retirees, school teachers, students and musicians. Monteith seems to have pulled the people of Deer Isle together, and it sure looks as if everybody’s having fun.