THEATER

Mad Horse Theatre Company closes its 29th season with Pulitzer Prize finalist “Other Desert Cities” by John Robin Baitz. The show will run April 30 through May 17 at the Mad Horse Theater, 24 Mosher St. in South Portland. Performance times are Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday afternoons at 2 p.m. There will be an opening night reception immediately following the Friday, May 1, performance. “Other Desert Cities” stars Mad Horse Company members Brent Askari, Janice Gardner, and Christopher Horton, along with guest artists Grace Bauer and Maureen Butler. The play is directed by company member Nick Schroeder. Tickets are $20 for adults and $15 for seniors and students. Reservations are strongly recommended. Purchase tickets online at www.madhorse.com or call 747-4148 for more information.

Portland Stage presents the annual “Little Festival of the Unexpected” from May 6-9. This is a week-long event dedicated to public readings of new American plays. Three playwrights are in residence at Portland Stage throughout the week developing their scripts with input from actors, directors and audience members. In addition, three short scripts written by area high school students will be performed as well as a poetry performance done in partnership with the Telling Room. All readings are open to the public at a $10 suggested donation. All festival events from May 6-9 will be held in the Studio Theater at 25A Forest Ave. For reservations, call the Portland Stage Box Office at 774-0465.

“Five Women Wearing The Same Dress” will be presented by City Theater in Biddeford from May 15-24. Performance times are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. The show is a comedy about five bridesmaids suffering through a wedding where they can’t stand the bride. Tickets are $20. For more information, call 282-0849 or visit www.citytheater.org.

ART

“The Maine Pottery Tour at the Gallery on the Green” in Alfred will take place on Saturday, May 2 and Sunday, May 3. Annaclette and Kathleen King, members of the gallery who work in porcelain and stoneware, have invited other potters to join them for the weekend. The event will feature sculpture artist, Moe Auger of Alfred and Roger Dearborn of Springvale. Members of The Southern Maine Clay Guild will also be participating. The Gallery on the Green is located on Route 111 in Alfred, right across the from the village green in the Beehive. For more information about the Maine Pottery Tour, visit www.mainepotterytour.org.

Engine has announced an upcoming schedule of classes. “Working from the Human Form” will take place every Tuesday, starting on May 26, from 6-8 p.m. The class will also take place on Wednesdays from 9:30-11:30 a.m. This is a weekly group working from an unclothed model with no instruction and is a BYOB event open to all levels. The fee for this class is $10. “Painting Group” will take place on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This is a weekly group instructed by Amanda Hawkins where attendees will work from a still life or their own photography. The fee for this class is $10. “TinkerCAD 3D Design Class (K-12)” will take place weekly on Tuesdays from 4-5:30 p.m and is also instructed by Amanda Hawkins. Participants will create their own 3D object using a simple shape-based program and then 3D print their object. The fee for this class is $10 and includes a small 3D print. Engine is located at 265 Main St. in Biddeford. For more information, go to www.feedtheengine.org.

The University of New England’s Portland Art Gallery will present an exhibition of the paintings and other art work of John Calvin Stevens through July 19. This exhibition is the first comprehensive retrospective of John Calvin Stevens’ artistic career since his death in 1940 and represents the full range of his art work, including oil paintings, water colors, architectural renderings, and pen and ink sketches, along with photographs of the artist at work and such personal memorabilia as his paint box. For more information, go to www.une.edu/artgallery.

“Intricate Worlds” will be on exhibit at Engine, 265 Main St. in Biddeford, and will feature recent works by 12 emerging and established artists who work in a very detailed manner. The exhibit will run May 1-23 with an opening reception on Saturday, May 2 from 5-7 p.m. Artists include Stephen Burt, Kimberly Convery, Fritz Drury, Rachael Eastman, Yizhak Elyashiv, Lauren Fensterstock, Sarah Gorham, Alison Hildreth, Ellie Hollinshead, Jon Langford, Mike Libby, Carrie Scanga and Wendy Seller.

The oil paintings of retired engineer Donald LaRochelle will be on display at the Wells Public Library during the month of May. The exhibition features paintings of Maine and New Hampshire’s covered bridges and foot bridges. The artist will host a discussion on the bridges on Saturday, May 2 at 11 a.m. The library is located at 1434 Post Road in Wells.

“Industry and Virtue Joined: Schoolgirl Needlework of Northern New England” is on display at the Saco Museum May 9 through Oct. 4. The exhibition will include more than 130 important northern New England samplers as well as related works from female academies and a wide collection of more modest samplers. The exhibition will also be accompanied by an illustrated catalogue. There will be a free opening reception at the Saco Museum on Friday, May 8, from 6-8 p.m. The Dyer Library/Saco Museum is located at 371 Main St. (Route 1) in downtown Saco. For more information, go to www.dyerlibrarysacomuseum.org.

MUSIC

“Shape Note Singing” will take place on Sunday, May 3 from 2-5 p.m. at The New Church, 302 Stevens Ave. in Portland. This four-part singing tradition, also known as Sacred Harp, originated in 18th century New England. Enjoy the exciting harmonies and spirited singing. This is not a performance, everyone is encouraged to participate. This event is free. For more information, go to www.maineshapenotesinging.org.

The African Children’s Choir will perform on Friday, May 8 at 7 p.m. at the North Deering Alliance Church, 1301 Washington Ave. in Portland. The choir will perform lively songs and dances and the program will feature children’s songs as well as traditional spiritual and gospel favorites. The concert is free and open to everyone. A free-will offering is taken at the performance to support African Children’s Choir programs, such as education, care and relief and development programs. For more information, go to www.africanchildrenschoir.com.

Women in Harmony Presents “The Strength of Women” in concert May 15 from 7:30-9:30 p.m. and May 16 from 4-6 p.m. at St. Luke’s Cathedral Church, 143 State St. in Portland. Tickets are available at the door, online at www.wihmaine.org or at Nonesuch or Longfellow Books and Starbird Music. Tickets cost $10-$15 and are free for children under age 12.

Ogunquit Performing Arts will present jazz pianist Matt DeChamplain on May 16 at 8 p.m. at the Dunaway Center located in Ogunquit. For more information, go to www.ogunquitperformingarts.org.

SPECIAL INTEREST

The Brick Store Museum and popular musician Monica Grabin join together to present a new show called “Birds, ”˜Birdsongs,’ and Mr. Barry,” on Tuesday, May 5 at 7 p.m. in the Museum’s Program Center. Grabin, branching out from singing history, has created this show about birds and birders. The program is co-sponsored by the York County Audubon Society. In addition to Grabin’s “Birdsongs,” audience members can expect to find the museum’s collection of taxidermy birds on display for the evening, and will have the chance to test their skills at identification of the birds with the help of York County Audubon Society members. Tickets are $8 per person and $4 for museum and York County Audubon Society members. Tickets may be purchased at the door, or ahead of time at www.brickstoremuseum.org/programs.

Ogunquit Performing Arts presents “In Harm’s Way,” the 1965 epic WW II film, on Sunday May 10 at 2 p.m. at the Dunaway Center, 23 School St. in Ogunquit. Admission and popcorn are free. This will be the final film in the classic film series and stars John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Patricia Neal, Tom Tryon, Paula Prentiss, Stanley Holloway, Burgess Meredith, Brandon deWilde, Jill Haworth, Dana Andrews, and Henry Fonda. The film is also known for being the last black and white World War II epic and the last black and white John Wayne film.

The Brick Store Museum invites the community to take part in its “Night at Our Museum” event on Saturday, May 16 from 5-8 p.m. Like in the popular movie series, the museum will “come alive” in various ways throughout the evening. The event will take place throughout the museum’s campus so that visitors can see more of the museum than they have ever seen before. Tickets for the event are $20 per person, $40 per family and members receive $5.00 off any ticket. Registration is required for this event. Reserve your tickets online at brickstoremuseum.org, by calling 985-4802 or in person at 117 Main St. in Kennebunk.

AUDITIONS

Maine State Music Theatre will hold open call audutions for “Footlight Follies” on Saturday, May 2 at 11 a.m. at the Maine State Music Theatre Administrative Offices & Studio at 22 Elm St. in Brunswick. “Footlight Follies” is a fundraising evening combining the talents of the local community, MSMT’s acting company and Board of Trustees as well as past MSMT veterans. The end result is seven outdoor stages brimming with talent and two full acts on the main stage at the Pickard Theatre. For more information, visit the website at www.msmt.org.