BELFAST — If you're looking for something to do this Friday or Saturday, May 10 and 11, look no further than Belfast Area High School, where the drama club will be giving its final two performances for the year of A Haunting We Will Go. The lead actors in the play are 17-year-old Autumn Stupca of Morrill as Norma Corwin, a reporter determined to stay alone in the hotel the night before its demolition, and 18-year-old Dakota Wing of Belfast playing Tom Wilson, a soldier on leave who ends up at the hotel after becoming lost.

During a pre-show interview Wing, a senior headed for the University of Southern Maine in the fall, said he wasn't intimidated taking on a lead role. "I've never really had a problem remembering lines; I have a pretty good memory," he said.

When asked if he shares any attributes with his character, he said, with a laugh, "Well, he gets himself into a lot of awkward conversations and situations, and I guess that's pretty like me."

Stupca too sees elements of herself in the role of Norma Corwin. "She's very much a control freak, which I can relate to," Stupca said. And the junior also relates to the dogged focus Norma has about her career.

The play, ostensibly about a haunted hotel, is directed by Sonja Richardson, who said the group spent anywhere from 80 to 100 hours last month in preparation for the play. Richardson, who estimates she has directed around 40 plays, said her favorite part of the process is, "just having fun with the kids; we've got a really fun group."

In addition to being the last play of the school year, A Haunting We Will Go is notable for being the last play of Michael Lawson's, a beloved BAHS teacher who is concluding his 41-year teaching career. Lawson, the frequent director of BAHS drama club productions, has been involved in drama all of his 41 years, but said, "This is probably my favorite group of students to work with of all time."

For this last production, Lawson left the directing to Richardson, instead opting for a brief appearance in the play. When asked what his favorite part was, he gave a big booming laugh before responding. "I have no responsibilities – which means I get to just have fun with the kids, which is the best part," said Lawson.

The final two performances will be this Friday and Saturday, with performances beginning at 7 p.m. Admission is $5.

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Erica Thoms can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com.