By MAUREEN DOHERTY
NORTH READING — They’re back! After advancing through the preliminary round of the 2025 Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild’s One Act competition two weeks ago and winning multiple awards, the NRHS Masquers return to the local stage for two more performances of “Cyrano de Bergerac!”
The public is invited to attend tonight’s dress rehearsal of “Cyrano” at 7 p.m. in the NRHS Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $5 each at the door (cash only). The dress rehearsal on March 13 will help the cast and crew prepare for the METG semifinals this Saturday, March 15 — an all-day event which the Masquers will also be hosting. (The snow date is Sunday, March 16.)
At the state semifinals on Saturday, the competitors arrive at 8 a.m., Opening Ceremonies begin at 9:20 a.m. and the first show starts at 9:30 a.m. (Leominster). NRHS performs second at 10:30 a.m. followed by North Andover at 11:30 a.m.; Dedham at 1:30 p.m.; Triton at 2:30 p.m.; and Norwell at 3:30 p.m. The award ceremony is open to the public as well at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for the entire day’s events are $15 cash at the door. Schools moving on from this event will compete at the state finals.
This is a modern adaptation of Cyrano through a lens audiences can relate to, but it also contains some mature language.
In the preliminary round, performers Mikey Manupelli, Anthony Spina and Alivia Rowe all took home individual best acting awards; Matt Capalbo won the overall stage manager’s award for the entire festival; the Costume Design award was won by the trio of Adriana Gonzales, Vasiliki Kourioukidis and Elliana Rainey; the Dramaturgy award went to Adriana Gonzales and Stevie Schomp; and the lighting design award was won by Daniela Voisinet.