Saugus students, alums to pay tribute Friday to ill drama teacher

SAUGUS – Several generations of Saugus High School students and Theater Company of Saugus members from across the country will gather at the high school auditorium Friday night to honor longtime drama teacher Nancy Lemoine.Lemoine has been on medical leave since the summer after she was diagnosed with cancer, and Friday?s event, called “Nan Through the Years,” will pay tribute to Lemoine with a “grand revue” of musical numbers, scenes and sketches recreated from 20 years? worth of performances.Amanda Allen helped organize the event and said, after recently starting a Facebook group for it, she received more than 300 responses almost overnight.?It was amazing and overwhelming,” she said. “I am thrilled and beyond excited to see it all come together, and for her to see some of the alumni come will be awesome.”Allen did her first musical with Lemoine in 2004 and since then she said she has become a “huge part” of her life.?Both in theater and personally,” said Allen. “She?s been a theater mentor and a life mentor for me over the last eight or nine years. She?s helped me grow both as a performer and a person throughout the years. She?s opened my eyes to so many things.”According to the release, Lemoine was raised in Saugus and graduated from Saugus High. She started working at the high school after college, first as a drama coach and later as a teacher.In addition to teaching and directing theater, Lemoine has formed and directed the award-winning Saugus High School Chorus and barbershop quartets, both male and female, and an improvisation troupe “Needs Improvment.” She has directed numerous plays and musicals, supervised the student-directed one-act play festival, and brought a production every year to the Massachusetts High School Drama Guild competition.Lemoine has also been a member of the Theatre Company of Saugus since she was a girl. She has directed, musically directed and performed in dozens of their productions over the past 40 years. Lemoine has also been the organist and choir director for the Cliftondale Congregational Church for many years.If You Go? “Nan Through the Years” is Friday night in theSaugus High SchoolAuditorium, 1 Pearce Memorial Drive, Saugus. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $20 and are available at the door and online at ticketstage.com/NTTY. There is also a reception following the show at Kowloon for $15. Those who are unable to participate or attend the show are welcomed to send greetings, mementos, or contributions. Make checks payable to “Nan Through The Years” and send to Nan Through The Years, 31 Pearson St.,Saugus 01906.
Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].