Scene from a previous Michael Figueroa produced dance performance. Photo courtesy of Michael Figueroa
Michael Figueroa: This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things
7 p.m. Thursday and Friday. Space Gallery, 538 Congress St., Portland, $15 in advance, $18 day of show, $10 students. space538.org
Michael Figueroa from Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Ruckus Dance, Portland Dance Month and Space Gallery present a collaborative performance featuring five Maine dancers. Auditions were held in August, and the dancers chosen for “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things” are Lucy Soucek, Jacqui DeFranca, Kristen Stake, Emily Brunick and Shaina Cantino. Like some of Figueroa’s other works, this show explores authentic interaction, improvisation and awkwardness through dance.
“Papermaker” runs through Nov. 23. Photo courtesy of Footlights Theatre.
‘Papermaker’
7 p.m. Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Through Nov. 23. Footlights Theatre, 190 Route 1, Falmouth, $20, $18 seniors and students, pay what you can on Thursdays. thefootlightstheatre.com
Here’s a chance to see the play based on Maine writer Monica Wood’s novel “Ernie’s Ark.” Set during the third month of a contentious paper mill strike in a small Maine town, “Papermaker” explores the limits of family bonds and loyalty with a humorous thread running through it. The strike will end with either management or a struggling union family as victors, and a number of events occur, revealing the true nature of the story’s characters.
Grace Bauer stars in “Who’s Holiday” Photo by Hannah Daly
‘Who’s Holiday’
12:30 p.m. Saturday, 5 p.m. Sunday, 7 p.m. Tuesday. Through Nov. 30. St. Lawrence Arts Center, 76 Congress St., Portland, $22. goodtheater.com
Good Theater is ready to launch you head-first into the holiday season with the Maine premiere of a hilarious and heartfelt deviation from a Dr. Seuss classic. “Who’s Holiday” is an adults-only comedy all about Cindy Lou Who (who, at one point in her life, was no more than 2) as she spins the tale of meeting the Grinch on Christmas Eve and what’s happened to her since then. Who, played by Grace Bauer, lives in a trailer on the side of Mount Crumpit and is full of sass – and cocktails.
Maine Roller Derby’s Thanks-for-Giving bout is on Saturday. CartoonDesignerFX/Shutterstock.com
Maine Roller Derby Thanks-for-Giving
5 p.m. Saturday. Happy Wheels Skate Center, 331 Warren Ave., Portland, $8 in advance, $10 at the door, $5 for kids to to 12, free for under 10. mainerollerderby.com
For a fun twist on an already exciting game, head to Happy Wheels for the annual Maine Roller Derby Thanks-for-Giving bout. A portion of ticket sales and your added donations will benefit the Maine Wabanaki REACH program that advances Wabanaki self-determination by strengthening the cultural, spiritual and physical well-being of Native people in Maine. Now, for the extra fun part: As you donate money, you’ll be able to add points to your favorite team, send skaters to the penalty box and reverse the direction skaters are going, among other hijinks on the rink. Let the good times roll.
Image courtesy of State Theatre
Judge John Hodgman
8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 11. State Theatre, 609 Congress St., Portland, $25 reserved seating. statetheatreportland.com
Writer, humorist and podcaster John Hodgman will be holding court, literally, in Portland on Monday night. The show will be a live version of his long-running Judge John Hodgman podcast. He and his “bailiff,” co-host Jesse Thorn, will hear cases from the audience and then present the rulings in hilarious fashion. Hodgman’s previous visit to Maine was in 2016 and the show at Port City Music Hall ended up as a podcast. Hodgman, who owns a summer home in Brooklin, published the book “Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches,” which is based in part on his adventures in coastal Maine in 2017.
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