Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

August 14, 2011

Arts Disptaches

Compiled by Bob Keyes, Staff Writer

PORTLAND

Snowlion Repertory to hold ‘Christmas Bride’ auditions

Portland’s newest professional theater company, Snowlion Repertory Company, has announced auditions for the New England premiere of the Charles Dickens holiday musical “The Christmas Bride” by MK Wolfe and Noel Katz.

The play will run Dec. 15-21 at Lucid Stage in Portland. Al D’Andrea will direct, with musical direction by Jim Colby. Margit Ahlin is the producer.

Auditions will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 21 at the Hutchins School, 24 Mosher St., South Portland. All auditioners must call for an audition appointment by calling 518-9305.

Auditioners should prepare their best 16 bars and bring sheet music. An accompanist will be provided. They should also be prepared to learn music from the score. Sides are available online. For information, visit snowlionrep.org. For questions, e-mail margit@snowlionrep.org.

AUGUSTA

Maine State Museum hours expanded for weekends

Beginning Aug. 21, the Maine State Museum will expand its weekend hours by opening from 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays. The museum also is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday to Friday.

The Maine State Legislature authorized the new hours as a pilot project to make the museum more accessible to Maine families and other visitors, said museum director Joseph R. Phillips. The pilot project ends Nov. 27.

“We hope to demonstrate that expanded weekend hours will provide better services to more people so that we can receive authorization to continue these new hours next year,” Phillips said in a press release.

To mark the first Sunday of open hours, museum admission will be free on Aug. 21.

The expanded hours will enable more visitors to see the exhibition “Uncommon Threads: Wabanaki Textiles, Clothing, and Costume,” a showing of the textile arts of the native people of Maine, southeastern Quebec and the Maritime Provinces. The exhibition includes pieces from museums and private collections throughout the United States, Canada and Australia, shown together for the first time. The exhibition closes Nov. 6.

For information, call 287-2301 or visit mainestatemuseum.org.

NORWAY

Western Maine Juried  Art Show set, winners named

The Best of the Best of Western Maine Juried Art Show will run through Aug. 31 at the Lajos Matolcsy Art Center, 480 Main St., Norway.

This year’s recipients for two-dimensional work are: First place, Sheridan McLaughlin; second place, Ron Hamilton; third place, Ellen O’Neill; honorable mentions, Howard Miller, Judy Schneider, Shirley Libby Davis and Gail Rein.

Photography: First place: Ed Stevens; second place, Ellen Rawding; third place, Beth Francis; honorable mention, Robin Priest.

Student two-dimensional: First place, Anthony Morra; second place, Jose Garcia; third place, Kelcey Robichaud.

Judges were Joel Babb and Murad Sayen.

KENNEBUNKPORT

‘You Are a Sailor’s Wife’ lecture set for Wednesday

At 7 p.m. Wednesday, historian Joyce Butler will present the lecture “You Are a Sailor’s Wife” at the Pasco Center, 125 North St.

Butler will examine the life of Frances “Fannie” Mitchell, wife of Capt. Eben Mitchell of Kennebunkport and Kennebunk. The lecture is based on letters written by Mitchell to Fannie between 1854 and 1860. The letters reveal a life in a time of economic instability, when their lives were blighted by long separations, leave takings and returns.

Butler explores the loneliness of Fannie’s everyday life, making us understand her uncertain living conditions, the problem of communication because of an unreliable postal service, the fear of facing childbirth – always in the absence of her husband – and above all, Mitchell’s totally unrealistic perception of her – the woman he called his “angel.”

Butler is a Kennebunk resident and historian, archivist, curator and writer. She was the Kennebunkport Historical Society archivist from 1975 to 1979. Until 1995, she was exhibit and manuscript curator at the Brick Store Museum in Kennebunk. More recently, she was curator at the Center for Maine History.
Butler has also served as town historian for Kennebunk, and is currently writing a history of Kennebunkport. She has written many books about Maine and local history.

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