By Zack Anchors
Staff writer
    The home of the theater company that Scarborough resident Brian Allen founded five years ago stands out in the skyline of Portland. At the top of Munjoy Hill, just a little beyond the landmark Portland Observatory, is what looks like a castle, with turrets made from blocks of granite and slate towering over Congress Street. In actuality, the 109-year-old building used to be a congregational church, but is now the St. Lawrence Performing Arts Center – the venue that hosts the Good Theater and various other arts and community related events.
    "I love it," Allen said of the space. "The experience for the audience is one of the best in the city. The sightlines are perfect. The acoustics are perfect. It's very intimate."
    The only thing Allen said the St. Lawrence lacks is enough seats, which is a good indication of how popular the many shows that The Good Theater produce have become. Most recently, Allen produced and directed “Into the Woods,” a play that splices together several traditional fairy tales, including “Hansel and Gretel,” “Rapunzel” and “Little Red Riding Hood.”
    "Into the Woods had 17 actors, with lots of costumes,” said Allen. "It was a lot of people and a lot of fabric on that stage."
    Now that “Into the Woods” is wrapped up, Allen is busy at work on several upcoming shows. Allen, who lives with his Good Theater co-founder and partner Steve Underwood, is getting help from a former theater student of his. Ellen Damingos, who first met Underwood when she was eight years old, has been living in New York City for the last eleven years, working as a model and actress, and has now returned to Maine to help coordinate the logistics of the Good Theater and live closer to her family. She also plans to begin offering theater classes out of the St. Lawrence Arts Center.
    "They'll be for the eight to 12 or 13 range," Domingos said. "Then maybe we'll be able to expand beyond that."
    Domingos will also soon be starring in a Good Theater production that Allen is very enthusiastic about. "Broadway at the St. Lawrence," a holiday production, will feature a variety of musical numbers, including many Broadway hits, as well as an actual Broadway actor – Robert Bartley, who has performed in shows like "Miss Saigon" and "Cats."
    "It's a mix of Broadway hits and holiday tunes," said Allen. "It's a great way to experience great music in a small space...right now, I'm in the process of putting together the program. Taking all those elements and creating a satisfying evening."
    Among the numbers audiences at "Broadway at the St. Lawrence" can expect to hear are tunes from shows like "Rent" and "Dreamgirls," classic holiday songs like "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and even some country music. The production will be a benefit for both the St. Lawrence Arts Center and the Good Theater, and there will only be five shows starting on Dec. 14.
    Allen says he expects a good turnout for "Broadway at the St. Lawrence," as happens with most musical he puts on.
    "Musicals are our most popular shows," he said. "They're also the most expensive. There are the royalties for all the songs, usually a bigger cast, musicians..."
    Because he is often serving as both the producer and director of shows, Allen is used to juggling between the practical and the creative aspects of the productions. He said the challenge of putting on a successful play changes depending on which perspective he approaches it from. 
    "When I'm the director, it's making sure my artistic vision is realized," he said. "When I'm the producer, it's making sure we have the money to do it. Sometimes, when I'm wearing both hats, I have a debate going on in my head...the director usually wins."
    One of the biggest decisions Allen makes every year is which shows to produce.
    "I look for a variety," he said. "We try to do one musical and then I build the season around it, looking for diversity and things that will be complimentary to each other."
    The next production after "Broadway at the St. Lawrence" will be a play by the British playwright Noel Coward called "Hay Fever."
    "It's about a self-absorbed, crazy family," said Allen. "Everyone has invited a guest for the weekend but no one has told each other."
    Allen said "Hay Fever" is full of sharp, witty dialogue and should be good for many laughs.
    Next spring, "Shakespeare in Hollywood" will be another Good Theater production with a premise bound to entertain and amuse.
    "What happens then the real Puck and Oberlin show up on the set of the 1930s set of a film version of A Midsummer Night's Dream," Allen said, describing the plot of the play.
    Rounding out the Good Theater's season will be "Driving Miss Daisy" and an offbeat cabaret called "The Blondes of Broadway." 
    Another component of the Good Theater is the Maine Hysterical Society, a comedy troupe made up of Underwood, Randy Judkins and Barney Martin. They will be performing at the St. Lawrence on Nov. 25 and 26, living up to their motto to "preserve, promote and provoke laughter."
    The Good Theater came about after Underwood and Allen produced a show at the St. Lawrence for what they thought would be a one-time deal. But when the St. Lawrence asked them if they wanted to be the house company, they jumped at the opportunity. Finding a name for their company was a challenge, said Allen, but when he blurted out, "I just want to make good theater," a friend told him, "That's it!"
    "Broadway at the St. Lawrence” will be playing Dec. 14 through 17 and "Hay Fever" will play Jan. 18 through Feb. 11. For more information about any Good Theater production, call 885-5883 or check out www.goodtheater.com.