Superintendent Michael S. Nelson and Principal Michael Devoll are proud to announce that the Old Rochester Regional High School Drama Club will present a modern adaptation of “The Proposal,” Anton Chekhov’s famous one-act comedy about complications and absurdities surrounding the business of love.

            The Old Rochester Regional High School Drama Club will first perform its modern adaptation of “The Proposal” in the preliminary round of the 2026 Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild (METG) High School Drama Festival on February 28 at Joseph Case High School, located at 70 School St. in Swansea.

            Then, the Drama Club is bringing it home to Old Rochester Regional High School to present “The Proposal” at 7:00 pm on March 6. Tickets will be on sale at the door for $5 each.

            “We’d like to wish our performing arts students the best of luck as they compete in the METG High School Drama Festival,” said Principal Devoll. “We also look forward to getting a chance to support the Drama Club on March 6 for its performance back at home.”

            “We always look forward to seeing the sets, the production and the performances of our ORR Drama Club students,” said Superintendent Nelson. “I’d like to offer my support as they continue to prepare for the METG Festival and the upcoming show at Old Rochester Regional High School on March 6.”

            Brayden Fanti, who became theater director at ORR last school year, wrote an “absurdist adaptation” of Chekhov’s “The Proposal” for his students to perform.

            The adaptation is a modern take on “The Proposal,” which starts off with a man named Lomov who asks for his neighbor’s hand in marriage, leading to a series of heated arguments and over-the-top meltdowns about trivial matters, such as pet ownership, property, pride and personal grievances.

            The ORR Drama Club’s performance of “The Proposal” in the preliminary round on February 28 will be judged by an expert panel on acting and technical design. Of 112 one-act plays that enter the festival, 14 will move on to the State Finals held on March 26 through March 28, with three ultimately named as winners of the competition. Two schools chosen from the METG State Finals will then go on to represent Massachusetts in the New England Drama Festival, a regional showcase of secondary school theatre.

            Fanti urged the community to come support the ORR Drama Club students at the March 6 performance and enjoy a night of hilarious comedic escapades.

            “The METG Festival is a wonderful experience for our students, and bringing the show back to ORR makes it even more special,” said Director Fanti. “Our students have been working hard preparing for this show, and they’ve done an incredible job embracing the style of acting needed to make this play work. They’re excited to share it with the community and to represent ORR at the METG Festival.”

            ​This week in Revolutionary War history, let’s check up on what was going on 250 years ago in and around the colonial Province of Massachusetts Bay. Last week, many elements within the Continental Army, as well as the Continental Congress, are already drafting plans to reinforce northern armies to again strike at Canada. However, other elements realize the folly of another such attempt, including General George Washington, who is currently focused on taking Boston. Colonel Henry Knox arrived in Cambridge from Ticonderoga, completing his “noble train of artillery” and reenforcing Washington’s besieging army with necessary artillery to break the hold.

            On January 28, 1776, in his General Orders, Washington informs militiamen, those men not official part of the Continental Army but are serving in private bands for-profit, will, “since the first of January, their pay will be the same as those officers.” In other words, soldiers in a militia group will receive the same pay as those in the standing army, maintaining they follow instruction from the chain of command, not steal, and supply their own arms.

            That same day, Washington congratulates Captain John Manley of the Continental Navy, sailing the schooner Hancock, of his capture of two British transport ships, the Happy Return and Norfolk off the coast of Plymouth. He also says, subtly highlighting the American’s lack of resources and equipment, “You may be assured that every attention will be paid to any reasonable request of yours, and that you shall have the command of a stronger vessel of var, but as it will take up some time before such a one can be fitted out, my desire is, that you continue in the Hancock.” The Continental Navy is active, however, and is slowly growing into more of a headache for the British since its official formation the past October.

            On January 30, Washington writes to Major General Charles Lee who Is stationed in New York City. He warns Lee that the British General Henry Clinton has departed Boston with 400 to 500 men, whom he fears will head to New York. He tells Lee to prepare for an assault on the city, and subtly notes that, with men being shifted north to bolster another attempt on Quebec, Lee may be called upon by Congress to head north as well.

            Sticking with Canada, on January 31, Washington writes President of the Continental Congress John Hancock notifying the Congress that, though he believes operations in Canada are of “great importance,” he signals he, “should be happy, were it in my power to detach a battalion from this camp, but It cannot be done.” With the General eyeing up a potential capture on Boston, he is declaring his troops must stay and cannot be sent north with others. He adds that his own efforts and pressure towards the governments of Connecticut and New Hampshire have been fruitful, seeing many new reinforcements raised.

            He notes supply issues, especially gunpowder. He applauds Congress’ efforts to manufacture or acquire more and says, “It is scarcely possible to describe the disadvantages an army must labor under, when not provided with a sufficient supply of this necessity.”

            On February 1, Washington pens a letter to Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Reed, giving a frank assessment of their military defeat in Quebec. He says, “The account given of the behavior of the men under General Montgomery Is exactly consistent to the opinion I have formed of these people.” He notes Continental soldiers’ prowess when defending or guarding behind a parapet, wall, or other shelter, but adds “but I am as well convinced as if I had seen it, that they will not march boldly up to a work – or stand exposed in a plain.”  He is not wholly lacking in faith of his men but highlighting the lack of discipline and experience they have. “The men must be brought to face danger,” he concludes. With that, he notes his men must march forth into Boston and destroy the British encamped within.

            In the following days, Washington received words from both the Governor of Connecticut Jonathan Trumbull and the Treasurer of Virginia Robert Carter Nicholas. Money is scarce and with the raising of additional troops to reinforce the battalions in Canada, the colonies’ treasuries are empty. Nicholas says Virginia is unable to keep up with the “expenses incurred by the northern colonies.” He has had to rely on his own funds and extending his own personal credit to pay for the troops.

This Week in Revolutionary War History

By Sam Bishop