A pictorial history of shows performed at the Pickard Theater on the Bowdoin College campus date back to 1959 and “The Song of Norway,” staged by the Brunswick Summer Playhouse. The performance company evolved into the Maine State Music Theater (MSMT) where four full scale musicals, three special events and six children's performances happen each summer.

At the time of the Maine State Music Theater's (MSMT) media tour on June 11, rehearsals had just begun for the current show, “Chamberlain: A Civil War Romance,” in the theater's Elm Street, Brunswick location. Formerly the Maine Line bus garage, the renovated space now houses rehearsal spaces, administrative offices, set construction area, costume shop, prop shop, paint deck and additional housing on the top floor for 10 apprentices. In the off season, those rooms are rented to Bowdoin students.

Housing is provided for all of the actors and others involved in each summer's productions — all 160 of them. Actors come from all over the country, from California to Massachusetts and, this season, even one from Scotland, across the Atlantic.

Equity actors must live within a half mile of the theater. MSMT rents houses and apartment buildings, one owned by MSMT is near the Theater Project in Brunswick; and in Topsham, and West Bath and places in between. Actors have access to bicycles for travel.

The interns are housed in the temporary location of the Topsham public library, dorm style, four to a room with a hot burner for cooking. They are transported to and from the theater via MSMT's van, which does four pick ups daily.

The actors in the current production arrived on June 9 and began rehearsing on June 11. As our tour guide, Development Director Barbara Whidden informed the group, each show is put up in 12 days — and that includes set construction, not just rehearsal time. The Pickard Theater's stage dimensions are taped out on the floor of the large rehearsal space for blocking and to let the actors become familiar with where furniture and props will be located.

The green room, and this one is actually green, is used by actors to unwind, memorize lines, get to know one another, pick up their mail, eat, and sometimes even to sleep.

Set design begins in the winter with preliminary drawings completed by just after the new year. When a plausible and promising design has been completed, a table model is made of the stage. Called a theater set design model, panels (model pieces) are made and painted to look as they will appear on stage, as well as any other main architecture: a staircase, balcony; or, in the case of “Chamberlain,” a rock.

MSMT Technical Director Leo Stagg was in the process of working on the staircase and an extremely large rock prop for the show. The rock, he explained, was one of the challenges for this show. The rock had to be moveable, yet able to stay fixed and stable enough for soldiers to jump on.

Stagg said the rock unit's dimensions would be 6 by 3 by 2 feet. He planned to put it on casters and use a pneumatic air brake to hold it in place.

“It's a fast-paced 12 days. We have both men and women welding and working on all aspects of set building. They work long into the night,” Whidden said. “We do reuse props. When we did our Patsy Cline show last year a stove was transformed into a jukebox — it was a fascinating process to watch.”

Sean Cox, head of the paint deck, described what his department was working on: abstract depictions of the light/sunshine coming through the forest on a backdrop. Two women were drawing the old Portland train station on the muslin cloth, which would be followed by painting. Huge pieces of cloth were stretched out onto the floor (there are many theater companies who would “kill” to have this kind of space!) Cox said the cloth on the floor would be used for three small backdrops that already had the rock formations on them.

In the costume shop, seamstresses of every level — department head, assistant, journeyman and apprentice — were working on ball gowns and military ensembles. All costumes were being fitted for the actor that would wear it.

In the large rehearsal space, Joshua Chamberlain (James Patterson) and his wife Fannie Adams (Kathy Voytko), were rehearsing a scene.

In the small rehearsal room, the soldiers were working on a song. They had been rehearsing since early in the morning. It was 6:30 p.m.

Together, the cast and crew, the design, lighting and directing visionaries would create a lavish, historical production of battle scenes and tender scenes between Joshua and Fannie. Little did they know then, what incredible reviews they would receive when the show went up June 24.

Little did anyone know how enamored audiences and critics would be of “Chamberlain: A Civil War Romance.” For BroadwayWorld.com, Carla Maria Verdino-Süllwold wrote:

“‘Chamberlain: A Civil War Romance’” speaks to themes more universal than Maine-centric ones. MSMT's new production makes an eloquent case for bringing this contemporary musical to a wider audience. Quite simply, this show offers the kind of inspiration that is sometimes rare in modern musicals. It demands of its audience and its interpreters a commitment and passion worthy of its hero.”

The musical continues through July 12. Call MSMT for tickets: 207-725-8769.

The Pickard Theater is located at 1 Bath Road in the Bowdoin campus.

For more information on MSMT and the rest of the 2014 season, visit msmt.org.