After 23 seasons of theater production, Heartwood will end its season with a unique play based on E.M Forster's 1909 science fiction short story titled "The Machine Stops."  Performers with experience in dance, movement, and martial arts are essential to the atmosphere of the play, in both physical movement and sound.

Standard stage characters tell a large portion of the show from different points of view. Some actors will work across all forms. The creative integration of music, sound, projection and lighting will play a large role, rounding out the audience's experience.

Forster meant his somewhat future dystopic piece as an argument about the dangers of technology. He chose a future that turns out to be our present. And as The Machine (Forster's name for the constructed web of human technologies) comes to its final days and hours, the story of a mother and her son rises up to depict a poignant reunion of the two, at the end of time. Along the way, The Machine Stops addresses the advent and development of technology, the rise of science, the isolation of a machine run world, and expressions of the importance of the natural world and human interaction. 

Heartwood's stage version began as a one act play for students in 2023. Re-written as a longer work, it was given a staged reading at the Maine Playwriting Festival in 2025. Griff Braley, Heartwood's artistic director, is now seeking out a range of dedicated performers to bring the show to life. High tech elements, dynamic group movement and sound, a wide array of characters, and the core story of a mother and son wind together.

Rehearsals begin June 8, with performances scheduled for July 17-25.  Some roles have been cast, but Heartwood welcomes anyone with experience as described or a strong will to learn and grow in this process oriented play. Mature high school and college students are welcome, along with adult actors of all ages.

If interested, contact Artistic Director Griff Braley: braley@lincolnacademy.org or 563-1373