OLD TOWN – Area “Sad Sacks” will have a chance to tell their sob stories onstage while raising money for the River Coalition at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15, at the Old Town High School cafetorium.

For the past several years, Friends of the River Coalition have hosted “Queen (or King) for Almost a Day,” a high-spirited takeoff on the classic “Queen For A Day” TV show of the 1950s.

TV anthropologists may remember that the “Queen For A Day” TV show centered around host Jack Bailey and a succession of mostly middle-aged housewives who almost always seemed to be in need of washing machines and other kitchen appliances to make their hand-wringingly horrible lives complete.

Audience members would listen to each woman’s tale of woe, and then decide by virtue of a good, old-fashioned applause meter which woman deserved to be “Queen for a day!” Cue tears of joy.

Old Town’s version of the classic show doesn’t take itself quite so seriously, and no one will win a washing machine, but there will be more than a few entertaining moments as local men and women vie for top honor by spouting sad stories designed more to create laughter than tears.

Instead of voting for the saddest story in the bunch, audience members will crown the night’s queen or king by donating money to the River Coalition. The contestant whose sob story prompts the most donations from the audience will be declared queen or king for the night.

Pam Martin, director of the Y Players, will perform emcee duties. “Sad Sack” contestants will include Fran Mackowksi, Mike Regan, Sgt. Scott Casey, Bryan Murphy, Theda Honnell, Greta Sproul and Balenda Gagnon.

Tickets are $10. For more information or to buy tickets, call Doris Segar at 827-2829.