PORTLAND, ME — The University of Southern Maine hosted a Japanese delegation including Boston Red Sox outfielder Masataka Yoshida in a celebration of Horace Wilson, a teacher from Gorham, Maine who introduced baseball to Asia in the 19th Century.

The event also included Seiichiro Takahashia, Japan’s Consul General in Boston, Portland Mayor Mark Dion, American Ralph Bryant, who became a star baseball player in Japan and USM President Jacqueline Edmondson.

The USM event was preceded by a visit to the Wilson family home in Gorham.

GORHAM, ME – Hunker down, seal up the doors and windows, don’t go outside… The Birds is almost here! The USM Department of Theatre invites audiences into the dark, unsettling world of Conor McPherson’s The Birds at Russell Hall on the USM Gorham Campus from February 21st through March 2nd.

Adapted from Daphne du Maurier’s short story, the basis for Alfred Hitchcock’s classic film, McPherson’s stage version is a gripping, moving look at human relationships in the face of societal collapse. In an isolated house, two strangers take shelter from relentless masses of attacking birds. They find sanctuary but not comfort or peace; there’s no electricity, little food, and a nearby neighbor is watching them. Another refugee arrives with some news of the outside world, but her presence disrupts the delicate balance of survival. Paranoia takes hold inside the makeshift fortress as mistrust and betrayal begin to match the threat of the birds outside.

For director Liz Carlson, the play offers abundant opportunities to explore the human condition amidst societal crisis. She says, “Conor McPherson writes these plays that have a haunting undercurrent of grief, menace, horror, and complexity. There is so much going on beneath the surface of a character in a McPherson play – every time I work on his plays I get to discover things with actors that I never noticed before.”

To bring theatre-goers into the world of the story, the USM Theatre design team has walled off Russell Hall’s 140-seat theater and just 40 audience members per show will be sitting on stage with the four performers. Carlson’s vision is to evoke the claustrophobia of being confined in a small space with strangers while dangers constantly lurk outside. “The design team has taken this idea and run with it, welcoming the audience into the space with us. This closeness invites a specificity and attention to detail from actors and designers alike that isn’t always required when the audience is at a greater distance.”

And while the birds are the external threat, audiences will feel their presence in subtle ways. “I think people come to this play with a certain expectation”, says Carlson. “They see the swarms of birds from the Hitchcock film and expect to see a version of that in the theatre. This play is especially fun because it defies the audience’s expectations while still creating those visceral feelings and reactions that Hitchcock capitalizes on.”

Ticket Info

To purchase tickets, or for more information, visit USM Theatre online at https://usm.maine.edu/department-theatre/box-office-tickets/ or call the USM Theatre Box Office at (207) 780-5151. For more information on USM’s Department of Theatre events and programs, click here. Ticket Prices: $8-$18; Special student & senior pricing Pay-What-You-Can performance on Thursday, February 27th.

The Birds by Conor McPherson from a story by Daphne du Maurier, directed by Liz Carlson

February 21-March 2, 2025 Russell Hall, USM Gorham Campus

Performances:

Friday, February 21, 7pm

Saturday, February 22, 7pm

Sunday, February 23, 2pm

Wednesday, February 26, 10am

Thursday, February 27, 7pm (pay-what-you-can)

Friday, February 28, 10am

Friday, February 28, 7pm

Saturday, March 1, 7pm

Sunday, March 2, 2pm

Content Advisory & Age Recommendation:

Content advisory: Strong language, adult themes

Recommended for ages 13 and up.

Those needing special accommodations to participate fully in this program, contact Janice Gardner at (207)780-5289 or janice.gardner@maine.edu.

Hearing impaired: call USM’s telex / TDD number (207)780-5646

L-R – USM Students Ellie Backman as Julia, Lucious K. Fox as Nat, Emma Graffam as Diane in rehearsal. Photos by Kat Moraros Photography.

GORHAM, ME — Paying too much for your news? Learn how to access full text articles for FREE from all 5 of Maine’s major daily newspapers, plus The Boston Globe, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and more through ProQuest US Newsstream in the Digital Maine Library, a service of the Maine State Library!

Join B.J. Jamieson of the Maine State Library staff to learn how to access daily news for free. The Readfield Community Library and Baxter Memorial Library (Gorham) are offering this virtual Zoom webinar program along with other Maine libraries through MECollab (shared library programming).

Event will be offered via Zoom on Wednesday, February 26 at 6:30-7:30pm.

Registration is required; use the QR code to register.

WESTBROOK, ME — Join us for Winterfest 2025! Discover Downtown Westbrook is excited to host you once again at Riverbank Park for another year of Winterfest: S’mores roasting, bounce houses, photobooth, goats, demonstrations, and live shows – all FREE!

Be sure to check out the food truck park and artisan market too. Schedule and full list of events to be announced soon.Presented by Bath Savings Institution.

Rain Date: Sunday, March 2

WESTBROOK, ME — Join Presumpscot Regional Land Trust and the Walker Memorial Library for a winter story time at the Land Trust’s Pride Preserve in Westbrook. We’ll read a book and then walk along the brook to a rock outcropping where fairy houses dwell and play or make our own. Feel free to dress up in your most sparkly fairy costume!

This event is for families with kids ages 2-5, siblings are welcome. Children must attend with a parent or guardian. The walking portion will be around a half mile total, on a wooded path with a modest hill.

Nature Story Time at Pride Preserve at Pride Preserve, Westbrook on February 12, 2025 | 10-11am * Partner program with Walker Memorial Library

Join Presumpscot Regional Land Trust with Maine Naturalist Joan Lundin for a Winter Wildlife Walk at Pride Preserve in Westbrook. Joan will lead participants on an exploration of Pride Preserve, searching for signs of animals during the winter months.  Look for tracks of animals hopping, walking or bounding, tell-tale signs of meals taken, and communications dribbled into the snow or scratched on a tree trunk. Pride Preserve features a 3.5-mile trail network through forests and wetlands. These trails offer a very remote, quiet, wilderness-like experience. This event is geared towards adults and kids ages 12 and older.

Winter Wildlife Walk at Pride Preserve, Westbrook on February 12, 2025 | 10-11am

Sign up at PRLT’s website

BAR MILLS, ME — Thank you to everyone who helped with Bar Mills Community Church’s January mission of collecting T-shirts, socks, and briefs. It was a great help.

Our February mission is a food drive to benefit the Buxton Community Cupboard.

We are collecting non-perishable food items. The items can be dropped off at the Bar Mills Community Church on 13 Hermit Thrush Dr. in Buxton across from the town hall. There will be a box in front of the church to put the items in. We thank you for your generosity.

GORHAM, ME — Greetings, pantry friends!  Gorham Food Pantry is in need of Ramen noodles this week!  If you happen to be shopping this week and wondering what you might pick up for the pantry, some Ramen would be great! 

Thank you so much for your support of your Gorham neighbors.

GORHAM, ME — Come support our Performance Team at Gorham High School as they debut their routines for the 2025 season!

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the front desk. Proceeds go directly to our dancers! We will also have concessions, a 50/50 raffle, and a table of amazing raffle prizes!

FALMOUTH, ME – Join Maine State Ballet in an evening of Broadway-style song and dance for the whole family. This annual show is a real crowd-pleaser, guaranteed to shake off the winter blues.

Maine State Ballet has a long history of sending dancers to major ballet companies, Broadway, and the Rockettes. Choreographer Jonathan Miele had a successful career on Broadway dancing with such notable stars as Carol Channing, Jane Powell, Bernadette Peters, and Robert Preston. Artistic Director Linda MacArthur Miele, in addition to dancing for the New York City Ballet, performed in several Broadway shows herself. Several Maine State Ballet alumni are currently working in film and on Broadway. Sara Esty recently performed as Meg in “Phantom of the Opera,” Tony Award nominee Robyn Hurder has just been cast in “Smash.”

Choreography is by Barry Brinker, Emma Davis, Glenn Davis, Janet Davis, Jonathan Miele, Linda Miele, and Ali Spurgin. Performers include MSB’s dance company members and up-and-coming tap and jazz dancers from the MSB School.

Performance Schedule

Dates: February 1st – 8th (2 weekends)

Venue: Lopez Theater

Tickets: $21 -29 with discounts for seniors & children at mainestateballet.org or 207-781-3587.

Connect with us:

Facebook: facebook.com/mainestateballet

Instagram: instagram.com/mainestateballet

YouTube: youtube.com/mainestateballet

Maine State Ballet, a non-profit based in Falmouth, Maine, is one of the state’s leading arts organizations whose mission is to uplift the Maine community through inspiring dance education and performance. Maine State Ballet houses the Maine State Ballet Company, the 140-seat Lopez Theater, and its School for the Performing Arts, with over 100 years of dance instruction in ballet, tap, and jazz.

GORHAM, ME – Join Cressey Road Christian Church for a free Super Bowl party on Sunday, February 9 at 6 pm. The Church is located at Route #25 and Cressey Road. Bring a snack to share and we’ll have a microwave available to warm food. Hope to see you there!