A Full House for Paul
“Lily’s Apple Pie” returns to the Vassalboro Grange, bringing a local playwright’s humor to another generation.
When Paul Cates put on a play, Vassalboro showed up. His productions filled the Grange so enthusiastically that, on one occasion, the crowd drew a visit from the fire department. His family remembered the episode in his obituary, a fitting detail for a man who knew how to bring his neighbors together.
This October, there is a new reason to gather there.
“Lily’s Apple Pie,” the late Vassalboro playwright’s comedy first performed in 2003, returns for two performances benefiting the Vassalboro Historical Society. At the heart of the story is a question with plenty riding on it: Will Lily win the Grange pie contest again?
A hometown comedy, with a family connection
Directed by Arthur and Linda Kingdon, the revival features Vassalboro Historical Society President Janice Clowes as Lily. The new cast also includes Paul’s daughter and granddaughter, giving this production a particularly meaningful connection to its author.
The Society chose the play because it wanted a fundraiser rooted in the town’s own history. Paul’s work offered just that: something created here, remembered here, and ready to be enjoyed again.
The orchard names in the play draw on real apple orchards. That local detail adds another reason for audiences to listen closely.
From East Vassalboro to a divided Berlin
Many neighbors knew Paul as the “Glad Man.” Beginning in 1970, he grew gladiolus on the Cates family farm and sold flowers from his Volkswagen bus.
His life reached far beyond those fields.
According to his family’s account, Paul carried medicines and documents into East Berlin after the Berlin Wall went up, concealing parcels in his overcoat. Through that work, he met Elisabeth, who became his wife.
For someone discovering local history for the first time, that is an invitation to look closer. What other remarkable lives began on familiar roads?
His Quaker convictions guided a life of service. He taught languages at Oak Grove-Coburn and Erskine Academy, and wrote, produced, and performed in plays often set in East Vassalboro. He died on October 21, 2018, at 93.
His words, their voices
Paul’s family remembered a man who loved songs, sweets, and his grandchildren. Now, a daughter and granddaughter will help bring his words to life again.
That is a lovely reason to be in the audience.
A performance lets those who remember Paul encounter his humor again. It also gives younger residents a first introduction to someone whose creativity became part of the town’s shared life. Perhaps it will prompt a conversation afterward: Who was he? Did you know him? What else did he write?
Those conversations are part of how a town keeps its stories.
Come see what Lily has up her sleeve
Bring a friend, invite the family, and spend an evening at the Grange. Enjoy a local comedy while supporting the Society’s work of preserving Vassalboro’s history.
“Lily’s Apple Pie”
A comedy by Paul Cates
Directed by Arthur and Linda Kingdon
Featuring Janice Clowes, Vassalboro Historical Society President, as Lily
Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 6 p.m.
Sunday, October 25, 2026, at 2 p.m.
353 Main Street, East Vassalboro
Admission: $10 adults · $2 children under 12
Tickets at the door. Door receipts benefit the Vassalboro Historical Society.
Add your memory to the story
Did Paul teach you, deliver flowers to your shop, or make you laugh from the Grange stage? Do you have an old program or a photograph from one of his productions?
Share your memories with the Society at vhspresident@gmail.com or (207) 923-3505.
Lily has a contest to enter. Vassalboro has a playwright to remember. Let’s give his words another good audience.
