This is a very abbreviated, comic production of the eighteenth century novel by Henry Fielding. It is performed by Bonny Eagle High School, Standish, Maine.
The play begins with the birth of Tom Jones, or more accurately the finding by Squire Allworthy of a newly born child in his bedroom in Somerset. The childs mother is believed to be Jenny Jones so she is sent away and the Squire brings up the boy as though he were his own son.
Moving forward in time, Tom has become a young man and has fallen in love with Sophia Western, the daughter of his neighbour and she is in love with him. However, as she is the daughter of a squire and Tom is a foundling they are not allowed to get married and instead Sophia is engaged to Squire Allworthys nephew Blifil, a thoroughly nasty piece of work. Blifil manages to get Tom sent away in disgrace and Sophia goes after him, closely followed by almost everybody else. On the way to London they meet up with a young trainee highwayman who attempts to rob them, but he is so inept he ends of losing his pistol and his own purse. While on the road, Tom meets an attractive woman, who seems to take a shine to him. What will Sophia think? And when Tom finally gets to London he finds himself in an even worse predicament, though all is resolved in the end.
This production is fun but seems a little rushed. The first performance lasted only about forty minutes, rather than the hour scheduled. However, the action certainly does not lag. The cast are engaging and enthusiastic. The costumes are very good and for the scenery the director has used early nineteenth century drawings, which look just right. Worth seeing, particularly if the pace is reduced slightly.