WINTERPORT – Stanley Yelnats and his family have never had anything but bad luck, so it’s not really a surprise to him when he is falsely accused and convicted of theft. He’s sent to Camp Green Lake, which isn’t really a camp, but a juvenile detention facility in the desert.

To build character, the warden, who paints her fingernails with snake venom, has each “camper” dig a hole 5 feet wide by 5 feet deep every day. What Stanley and the rest of the boys don’t know is that the warden isn’t just building character – she’s looking for the lost buried treasure of outlaw Kissing Kate Barlow. So begins “Holes,” a masterpiece of humor, insight and the triumph of the human spirit.

“Holes” is a magical story based on Louis Sachar’s critically acclaimed novel. The play will be performed by Winterport Open Stage Nov. 4-13 at Wagner Middle School on Mountainview Drive.

Winterport Open Stage will present the Maine premier of Sachar’s new stage adaptation. The cast of 26 includes students from Reeds Brook Middle School, Wagner Middle School, Bangor High School and Hampden Academy. They are:

. Hampden Academy: Jeff Tardiff, Amanda Elliott and Justin Cole.

. Bangor High School: Francesca Anderson, Jacob Cote, Ian Grady, Courtney Corriveau and Joe Bearor.

. Wagner Middle School: Abby Sherburne and Brandon Crooker.

. Reeds Brook Middle School: Ryan Asalone.

Director Reed Farrar had been in touch with Louis Sachar about the new adaptation over the summer and was delighted when Winterport Open Stage was allowed to produce it.

“It’s a novel my English students always loved reading, so to see them audition for roles in the stage version was very exciting,” Farrar told The Weekly. “‘Holes’ is a masterpiece of humor, insight and the triumph of the human spirit.”

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Nov. 4, 5, 11 and 12, and 3 p.m. Nov. 13. Tickets are $8, $5 for students. Advanced tickets are recommended and may be purchased at Rebecca’s in Bangor, Schacht’s True Value Hardware in Hampden, and Molly’s in Winterport. Tickets also will be sold at the door. For information, call 941-9151 or visit www.winterportopenstage.com.

For the first time, Winterport Open Stage will have American Sign Language interpreters for people with hearing impairments during the show at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 4.

For preferred seating, call 223-5697.