North to Maine facts for kids

Quick facts for kids North to Maine: A Journey on the Appalachian Trail
Original Production Poster
Written by	Brenton Lengel
Characters	Kevin Nick/Creature Man Adam/Frodo Alice/Juice Box Rockstabber
Date of premiere	June 2013
Place of premiere	The Living Theatre New York, New York
Original language	English
Genre	Drama
Setting	Appalachian Trail, May to August, 2008

North to Maine is a play written in 2009 by an American writer named Brenton Lengel. It's special because it's the first play ever written about the famous Appalachian Trail. This trail is a very long hiking path. The play also focuses on the thru-hikers who walk the entire trail from start to finish.

The story of the play is big and exciting. It covers several months and many different states. The journey ends with the hikers reaching Katahdin. This mountain in Maine is the very end of the Appalachian Trail.

What is the Play About?

The Story of the Appalachian Trail Hikers

The play North to Maine takes place entirely on the Appalachian Trail. It follows the adventure of a young college graduate named Adam, also known as "Frodo." Adam feels a bit lost and wants to find excitement. He joins several other thru-hikers who are also looking for something new in their lives.

This group of hikers becomes an unexpected team. They face challenges from nature, from each other, and from within themselves. Their journey takes them all the way from Georgia in the south to Maine in the north.

Building Connections on the Trail

As the play continues, these different people start to work together. They slowly share more about themselves with each other and with the audience. Each character's story adds to the others. Some characters face big problems, but they solve them by forming strong friendships.

This leads to an exciting moment where they rush through the woods at night. They are trying to help a friend who is very sick from a spider bite. The play finally ends with Adam/Frodo reaching the top of Katahdin.

No Traditional Heroes or Villains

The story of North to Maine is a bit different. It doesn't have clear heroes or villains. One person who reviewed the play said that the characters aren't fighting nature. Instead, they are trying to become one with it.

They also don't fight each other, except for small arguments sometimes. They have to work together to climb the mountains and finish their journey. Their biggest challenges are the ones they face inside themselves.

Meet the Characters

Adam/Frodo: He is a young man who doesn't want a boring job. He loves the adventure he finds in J.R.R. Tolkien's books, like The Lord of the Rings.

Nick/Creature Man: He is a very focused person who used to own a business. He faced some tough times with his business.

Kevin: He is a wise former Marine. He is looking for a way to find peace after his past experiences.

Alice/Juice-box: She is a young woman hiking alone. Because she is one of the few single women on the trail, many hikers want to spend time with her.

Rock-Stabber: He is a former Marine and jazz singer. He also tests outdoor gear. He has some unusual habits, like not always wearing pants and singing almost everywhere he goes.

Is the Story Real?

Based on Real Experiences

Playwright Brenton Lengel has hiked the entire Appalachian Trail himself. He calls North to Maine "The True Story of the Appalachian Trail and the Thru-Hikers who walk it." Lengel says that even though the story is fiction, about 90% of it is based on his own experiences.

The characters in the play are not real people. Instead, they are combinations of many different hikers he met. All the events in the play did happen, but they might not have happened to the exact character in the play. Also, they might not have happened in the same order.

Inside Look at Thru-Hiking

Like many books written by hikers, North to Maine is full of "insider information." This means it shares details about the trail and thru-hiking that only experienced hikers would know. It includes specific details about the landscape, the gear hikers use, and special words hikers use.

Because of this, the play gives a great look into what it's like to hike the entire 2,000-mile trail.

Literary Connections

Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings

Throughout the play, Lengel often refers to J.R.R. Tolkien's famous books, The Lord of the Rings. He mentions both the books and the movies. The main character's trail name is "Frodo." He carries a copy of The Fellowship of the Ring with him.

He also wears a copy of The One Ring around his neck. At the end of the play, he leaves it hanging on the sign at the top of Katahdin. In the second part of the play, the characters even say that "The Lord of the Rings is basically a thru-hike." Nick/Creature Man also calls their group of hikers "the Fellowship."

A Poem About the Trail

The title of the play, North to Maine, comes from the last line of a poem. This poem was written by Earl Shaffer. He was the first person ever to walk the entire Appalachian Trail.

"The flowers bloom, the songbirds sing, and though it be sun or rain,
I walk the mountaintops with spring from Georgia north to Maine."

—Earl Schaffer, 1948

Play Productions

Early Readings

Before the full play was performed, there were several "staged readings." This is when actors read the play aloud for an audience.

• (2009) Antipants Productions in Louisville, Kentucky.
• (2010) ArtEffects Theatre Company, New York, New York.
• (2010) Eastern Mountain Sports, Soho, New York, New York.
• (2010) Autonomous Collective and The Appalachian Trail Conservancy at Trail Days National Thru-Hiker Festival, Damascus, Virginia.
• (2012) State of Play Productions, Inc. New York, New York.

Full Performances

The very first full performance of North to Maine happened on June 5, 2013. It was produced by State of Play Productions Inc. at The C.O.W. Theater (which used to be The Living Theatre) in New York, New York. Eric Parness directed the play, and it ran for two weeks.

The next year, the play was performed again by The American Theatre of Actors. It ran for three weeks at The Beckmann Theatre in New York, New York.

Awards and Recognition

North to Maine received some special honors. It was the first runner-up in the 2010 James L. Rodger's American Playwright's Competition. It was also considered for the 2010 Humana Festival of New American Plays at Actor's Theatre of Louisville.

Two speeches from the play were chosen to be published in a book called "Best Men's Monologues of 2014." Many well-known companies helped support the play's productions and readings. These included Eastern Mountain Sports, REI, Gregory, Osprey, Superfeet, Leki, Wholefoods Markets, The Brooklyn Brewery, and Gear to Go Outfitters.

The playwright, Brenton Lengel, was also the main speaker at the 2013 New York-New Jersey Trail Conference's Summer Meeting. A part of North to Maine was performed there.