In 1990, a group of idealistic theater majors arrived in a sleepy fishing village with one lofty goal: to create theater that could sustain itself in a rural, economically disadvantaged, and socially divided community. This is the story of Eastport, Maine, Cornerstone Theater Company, and the decades that followed.

Trailer: Eastport, Maine

This is a story about Eastport, Maine, and the Cornerstone Theater Company. It’s also a story about theater, art, community, and rural America. Listen to the episode below or read the transcript here.

1: On the Edge of the Earth

Eastport, Maine is on the edge of the earth. This episode explores the history of this city and the beginning of organized arts in the community. Listen to episode below or read the transcript here.

2: In the Bars and the Churches

The tagline for Cornerstone Theater’s Eastport residency is that they bridged the neighboring communities of Eastport and Pleasant Point with their production. In this episode, we dive into the history of this Passamaquoddy reservation and what happened when Cornerstone arrived in town. Listen to the episode below or read the transcript here.

3: Theater in a Place Like This

When you’re trying to put on a five-act play from 1867 in a tiny island town that’s never had a full theater program before, what does it mean to succeed? Is getting up the show enough? Or is it about the deeper goals: connecting with a community, bringing different people together, or creating sustainable art? Listen to the episode below or read the transcript here.

4: The Arts are Basic to Life

What happened to Stage East after Pier Gynt? In the conclusion to Setting the Stage, we dive into the arc of the last three decades of art and theater in Eastport. Listen to the episode below or read the transcript here.