Blaine Community Theater on stage in
‘The Wind in the Willows’

Mole, Rat and Toad, of the Wind in the Willows, will be on stage this weekend at the Blaine performing arts center.

The story, based on Kenneth Grahame’s book, takes place around the 1920s along a river bank. The play is an adaptation by Alan Bennett.

The basic story line is that Mole and Rat meet and become good friends. Toad, another friend who is rather boastful, rich and always interested in some new “toy,” has become bored with boating. He decides that a horse drawn caravan is the new way to see the “whole wide world.”

During a caravan trip with Toad, Mole, and Rat they end up crashing with a motor car. After the crash, Toad is fixated with motor cars and “must have one.” His friends, Mole, Rat and wise old Badger, decide that Toad’s fixation with motor cars is a “sickness” and they attempt to rescue him by taking away the car and keeping watch over Toad.

However, Toad cleverly manages to escape, ends up stealing a motor car and is sentenced to prison. The jailer’s daughter takes a fancy to Toad and helps him escape. In the meantime, Toad’s home has been taken over by the creatures of the Wild Wood - weasel, ferrets and stoats - who are the bad guys. Badger devises a plan to re-take Toad Hall and the four friends are able to vanquish the Wild Wooders. In the end, Toad realizes that he doesn’t need to be brash and boastful to become popular.

“It is a children’s story, but I think the production is equally entertaining to adults,” said Judi Joyner, an actor in the play. “People took on multiple roles,” Joyner said. “It’s much more simplistic.”

The Blaine Theater Company was devised about five years ago by local thespians and currently put on at least one show a year.

Many of the actors are adults, however, there are three children also participating. The cast includes: Laura Nelson as Toad; Laura Moskin as Mole, Jailer’s Daughter; Kitty King as Rat, Bargewoman; Rick Collier as Albert (the horse), Badger, Magistrate; Ken Robertson as Chief Weasel, Rupert; Gayle Staker as Norman (weasel, second in command), washerwoman; Judi Joyner as Ferret Gerald, Monica, Gypsy; Michelle Berry as Otter, rabbit, clerk, weasel; Clinton MacLeod as hedgehog, the back end of the horse, and a weasel; Kailey MacLeod as rabbit, weasel, Sargeant Fred; and Elizabeth Berry as Portley (young otter), rabbit, weasel.

Performances will be at the Blaine performing arts center, 975 H Street and are scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. There will be a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday.

Tickets (adults/$7, seniors/$5, students/$3, ages 5 and under free) are available at the door. If anyone is interested in joining the theater group, call Judy Joyner at 332-0150.