Sugar's Folly, an original play about Northport
This weekend and next you can check out and original play about Northport, Michigan presented by the Northport Area Heritage Association. “Sugar’s Folly” takes place this Saturday & Sunday and nexy (September 1 & 2 and 8 & 9) with shows at 3 PM and 8 PM on Saturday and a 3 PM matinee on Sunday at the Northport Community Arts Center (at Northport School).
Sugar’s Folly was written in 1996 by local writer Sue Hansen. It tells the story of a young woman who moves to Northport, purchases an old house and proceeds to turn it into a Bed and Breakfast with the help of local handyman Gomer. While Gomer is working on the B&B – where Sugar plans to make her fortune – she takes a job at Barb’s Bakery and most of the play’s action takes place there. Excitement builds when Gomer finds a box of old letters and a treasure map. Sugar is convinced there’s treasure in those old walls.
In this article in the GT Insider, Hanson explains:
“I was a writer, and had written several novels, but I’d never written a play before,” she said of that early effort. Since then, she has written several successful plays, and the version of “Sugar’s Folly” that audiences will see in September is an updated and revised version of her original work, with character changes.
“The original play had lots of kids in it,” said Hanson, “because, with my work for the Chamber of Commerce I had to include the whole community. Since then, I’ve tightened it up a lot, and it’s now a much better play.”
Hanson, a singer with Northport’s popular Village Voices, also wrote the songs for the play.
“The story still has lots of local references, and while it’s made up all the way, there’s no reason it couldn’t be true,” she said. “It’s set in the present day, but talks about an event that happened a hundred years ago.”
Admission is $15 per person. Children 12 and under are $5 each. Play proceeds go to the Northport Area Heritage Association to help fund museum operations
Photo credit: Barb’s Bakery ~ Northport, MI by Trish P. – K1000 Gal
