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Located at: Administrative Office: For Tickets: 120 Exchange Street (207) 773-3150 PortTIX Portland, ME 04101 20 Myrtle Street Portland, ME 04101 (207) 842-0800
e-mail: info@portlandovations.org
TTY:(207) 842-0812 Order online at: www.PortlandOvations.org www.PortTIX.com
Located at: Administrative Office: For Tickets: 25A Forest Avenue (207) 774-1043 25A Forest Avenue Portland, ME 04101 Portland, ME 04101 Fax: (207) 774-0576 (207) 774-0465
e-mail: boxoffice@portlandstage.org Order online at: www.portlandstage.org
Located at: Administrative Office: For Tickets: 85 Exchange Street (207) 773-6128 PortTIX 4th Floor 20 Myrtle Street Portland, ME 04101 Fax: (207) 773-6089 Portland, ME 04101 (207) 842-0800
e-mail: psobox@portlandsymphony.org
TTY:(207) 842-0812 Order online at: www.PortlandSymphony.org www.PortTIX.com
Located at: Administrative Office: For Tickets: 20 Myrtle Street 212 Canco Road PortTIX Portland, ME 04101 Portland, ME 04101 20 Myrtle Street (207) 808-5400 Portland, ME 04101 (207) 842-0800
Information: www.portlandevents.com
TTY:(207) 842-0812 www.PortTIX.com
A cooperative effort by Portland Ovations, Portland Stage, Portland Symphony Orchestra and Merrill Auditorium Concert Events.
The program book for Northern New England’s premier arts and entertainment organizations.
Portland Presents wishes to thank our advertisers for the 2024-25 season.
Visit our website at www.portlandpresents.org for direct links to our advertiser’s websites.
Acadia Insurance
Atlantic AV
Atlantic Design Center
Bach Virtuosi Festival
Baker Newman Noyes
Bath Savings
Browne Trading Company
Casco Bay EyeCare
Chilton Furniture
Coffee by Design
Conroy-Tully Walker Funeral Homes
cPort Credit Union
Cross Insurance
Cuddledown
Davis Landscape Co., Inc
Drummond Woodsum
Eyecare Medical Group
Fermatix
Gnome Landscapes, Design, Masonry & Maintenance
Greencare Landscape Management
Greenhut Galleries & Cove Street Arts.
Hammond Lumber Company
HeadInvest
Holbrook at Piper Shores
Home Instead
Hopkinson & Abbondanza, P.A.
Kennebec Company
LandVest Inc.
LeBlanc & Young
Lincoln Theater
M & T Bank and Wilmington Trust
Maine Historical Society
Maine Periodontics
Malone Commercial Brokers
Marden’s Surplus & Salvage
Market Basket
Martin’s Point Health Care
Marvin Design Gallery by Eldredge Lumber
North Yarmouth Academy
Northern Light Mercy Hospital
Norway Savings Bank
OceanView at Falmouth
Perkins Thompson
Pierce Furniture
Portland Museum of Art
Portland Veterinary Emergency and Specialty Care
R.M. Davis, Inc.
Reger Dasco Properties
Renaissance Voices
Roux & Cyr International Fine Art Gallery
Rowe Westbrook
Sentry Hill at York Harbor
Ted Carter Inspired Landscapes
The Bennett Law Firm, P.A.
The Cedars
The Docent’s Collection
The Hill Arts
Thornton Academy
Thos. Moser
Town & Shore Real Estate
Veterinary and Rehabilitation Center of Cape Elizabeth
Vitalius Real Estate Group
Waynflete
Woodhull
Wright Ryan Homes
If you or your business would like to advertise with Portland Presents, please contact any of the above organizations or check out our website at www.portlandpresents.org.
ON STAGE • APRIL 2 - MAY 4, 2025
Portland Stage is committed to cultivating our region’s playwrights while introducing our audience to the creative process. We inspire, nurture, and launch plays that will delight audiences for decades to come by incubating new work.
Since its debut in 1990, the Little Festival of the Unexpected (LFU) has established a tradition of nurturing artists, invigorating audiences, and exploring new voices, visions, and forms of theater. Past LFU scripts include Almost, Maine (LFU 2003) and Papermaker (LFU 2014).
Actor, Tony nominee and playwright, John Cariani, whose Almost, Maine is one of the most produced plays by high schools and colleges, will return to Portland Stage this season with a new Made in Maine production, Not Quite Almost.
CELEBRATING 51 YEARS OF MAKING THEATER IN MAINE
INSPIRING LITERACY, CULTURAL AWARENESS, COLLABORATION, & CREATIVITY
Education is central to Portland Stage’s mission. Vital education programs are offered in schools for students from pre-K through high school, and to children ages 4-18 through classes in our Susie Konkel Theater for Kids storefront space.
Top Feature: Students participating in Portland Stage Design Camp, 2024 summer camp.
Above: A student acting in Shakespeare Teen Company’s performance of Hamlet.
CELEBRATING 51 YEARS OF MAKING THEATER IN MAINE
HANDCRAFTED THEATER MADE IN MAINE
With a season of six Mainstage shows, Portland Stage brings a wide range of performances to Maine. Every Mainstage show is handcrafted in our historic building in the Portland Arts District. Throughout one season, Portland Stage creates over 200 live performances and serves 50,000 people from around the state and beyond.
Photos from the 2023 production of Saint Dad by Monica
Top Feature: Emily Upton, Liam Craig*, Moira Driscoll*, Pilar Witherspoon*, & Jenny Woodward
Above: Moira Driscoll* & Jenny Woodward
Side: Patrick O’Brien* (* Member of AEA). Photos by James A. Hadley
CELEBRATING 51 YEARS OF MAKING
Welcome to Merrill Auditorium, Portland’s Premier Performing Arts Venue
Home to Prime Tenants - Portland Symphony Orchestra, Portland Ovations and The Friends of the Kotzschmar Organ.
Each year we host a variety of concerts, dance performances, children’s programming, comedy shows, corporate meetings and non-profit events with over 150,000 patrons in attendance annually!
Thank you for being a guest at our theater, please enjoy the show!
Merrill Auditorium is managed by the City of Portland Public Assembly Facilities Division Andrew J Downs, Director
Wednesday September 18th @ 7:30 pm
Elite Entertainment & Parachute Concerts presents THE PIANO GUYS
Thursday September 26th @ 7:30 pm - REG Presents KILLER QUEEN
Thursday October 3rd @ 7:00 pm - WHEEL OF FORTUNE LIVE
Tuesday October 22nd @ 8:00 pm - STEPHEN SANCHEZ
Friday October 25th @ 7:00 pm
The Kotzschmar Organ presents THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME
Saturday October 26th @ 10:00 am
The Kotzschmar Organ presents SPOOKTACULAR SONGS & STORYTIME
Saturday October 26th @ 6:30 pm
The Kotzschmar Organ presents AN EVENING WITH OLIVIER LATRY
Sunday November 17th @ 2:30 pm
The Kotzschmar Organ presents GRAND OPERA MEETS THE MIGHTY KOTZSCHMAR
November 29th thru December 8th Maine State Ballet’s NUTCRACKER
Tuesday December 17th @ 7:00 pm Portland Ballet presents VICTORIAN NUTCRACKER
Monday December 23rd @ 7:00 pm
The Kotzschmar Organ presents CHRISTMAS WITH KENNERLEY
Saturday March 1 @ 7:00 pm
Outback presents SAL VULCANO EVERYTHING’S FINE TOUR
Wednesday March 19 @ 7:30 pm
Outback presents NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON - ASTRONOMY BIZARRE
Saturday March 22nd @ 7:00 pm
The Kotzschmar Organ presents BACH BIRTHDAY BASH
For more information about these and all our performances or to purchase tickets please visit PortTix.com or Call 207-842-0800
PortTix is the Official Box Office for Merrill Auditorium. Please make sure when purchasing tickets, you are buying from PortTix.
BATH SAVINGS TRUST COMPANY IS A WHOLLY-OWNED SUBSIDIARY OF BATH SAVINGS INSTITUTION. INVESTMENT PRODUCTS ARE NOT INSURED BY THE FDIC, ARE NOT DEPOSITS OR OBLIGATIONS OF THE BANK, AND ARE NOT GUARANTEED BY THE BANK. INVESTMENT PRODUCTS ARE SUBJECT TO INVESTMENT RISK, INCLUDING THE POSSIBLE LOSS OF PRINCIPAL. PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT AN INDICATION OF FUTURE RESULTS.
Your life. Your voice. Your care.
A t Holbrook, we provide the life your loved one wants with the care they need. Here, you’ll find a community setting that focuses on the individual— a place to call home filled with compassion and care. We call it PersonFirst ®
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Call Monday–Friday, 8 am–8 pm. 1-855-207-0882 (TTY: 711) MartinsPoint.org/Stage
Benefits vary by plan. Plans offered in ME & NH. You must continue to pay your Medicare Part B premium. Martin’s Point Generations Advantage is a health plan with a Medicare contract offering HMO, HMO-POS, and Local PPO products. Enrollment in a Martin’s Point Generations Advantage plan depends on contract renewal. Martin’s Point Health Care complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. Y0044_2024_300_M Accepted: 6/22/2024
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FRIDAY & SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18 & 19, 2024 • 8 PM, 1 PM & 7 PM
MERRILL AUDITORIUM, PORTLAND
WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20 & 21, 2024 • 7 PM
MERRILL AUDITORIUM, PORTLAND
THE CHER SHOW
WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12 & 13, 2025 • 7 PM
MERRILL AUDITORIUM, PORTLAND
CHAMPIONS OF MAGIC
WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY, MARCH 12 & 13, 2025 • 7 PM
MERRILL AUDITORIUM, PORTLAND
THE ADDAMS FAMILY
WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY, MARCH 26 & 27, 2025 • 7 PM
MERRILL AUDITORIUM, PORTLAND
AIN’T TOO PROUD: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE TEMPTATIONS
TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY, MAY 27 & 28, 2025 • 7 PM
MERRILL AUDITORIUM, PORTLAND
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5, 2024 • 7 PM
WESTBROOK PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 2025 • 8 PM
STATE THEATRE, PORTLAND
CONTRA-TIEMPO: joyUS justUS
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2025 • 7 PM
MERRILL AUDITORIUM, PORTLAND
COMPLEXIONS
CONTEMPORARY BALLET
FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 2025 • 7 PM
MERRILL AUDITORIUM, PORTLAND
COAST TO COAST: AN EVENING OF HIP-HOP ARABIC POETRY & MAQAM MUSIC
WEDNESDAY & THURSDAY, APRIL 16 & 17, 2025 • 7 PM ONE LONGFELLOW SQUARE, PORTLAND
PORTTIX IS OUR TRUSTED TICKET SELLER
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2024 • 7 PM STATE THEATRE, PORTLAND
MARYNA KRUT, BANDURA
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2025 • 7 PM FIRST PARISH CHURCH, PORTLAND
THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2025 • 7 PM AURA, PORTLAND THE
COUNT BASIE ORCHESTRA
THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2025 • 7 PM MERRILL AUDITORIUM, PORTLAND
THE NIGHTINGALE’S SONATA
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2024 • 2 PM
MAINE JEWISH MUSEUM, PORTLAND
ESPRESSIVO! PIANO QUARTET
SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 2025 • 2 PM
HANNAFORD HALL, USM CAMPUS, PORTLAND
CONRAD TAO PIANO
SUNDAY, MARCH 9, 2025 • 2 PM
HANNAFORD HALL, USM CAMPUS, PORTLAND
CIRQUE KALABANTÉ: AFRIQUE EN CIRQUE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2024 • 7 PM
MERRILL AUDITORIUM, PORTLAND
SUGAR SKULL! A DÍA DE MUERTOS MUSICAL ADVENTURE
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2024 • 10 AM
MERRILL AUDITORIUM, PORTLAND
BEAUTIFUL BLACKBIRD LIVE!
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2024 • 11 AM
WESTBROOK PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD
SUNDAY, MARCH 23, 2025 • 3 PM
MERRILL AUDITORIUM, PORTLAND
FRAGGLE ROCK: BACK TO THE ROCK LIVE!
SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2025 • 1 & 4:30 PM
MERRILL AUDITORIUM, PORTLAND
Membership gives you greater access to live performance and exclusive Member benefits including disounts and early ticket access.
Ovations Offstage connects audiences with artists by bringing experiences directly to the community. Programming includes pre-performance lectures before each chamber music concert, masterclasses and public workshops with visiting artists, community conversations, post-performance Q&A’s, film screenings, the popular Drag Storytime series and more.
CELEBRATING 94 YEARS OF PERFORMING ARTS
In business, you have a lot to keep your eye on. Sometimes it’s hard to see the opportunities and the risks clearly. That’s where Drummond Woodsum can help. We use a team approach – a small group of highly specialized attorneys focused on helping your business see what’s ahead before you take that next step.
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President
Vice
Jonathan
Ylvisaker Tardiff
Peter S. Plumb
McKenzie Blanchard, Director of Learning & Community
Liz Kane, Director of Artistic Operations
Allison Page, Director of Marketing & Communication
Leah Robertson, Director of Development
Jennie Ryan, Director of Finance
Marketing Manager
Donor Relations & Database Manager
Goodman, Music Librarian
Executive Assistant & Office Manager Sarah A.
Graphic Designer
Richardson, Annual Fund Manager
Schraeder, Grant Writer
Liz Shapiro, Production Manager Alyson Spencer-Reed, Finance Coordinator
Webster, Orchestra Personnel Manager
Zichella, Major Gifts Officer
BEETHOVEN’S 9 TH
SUNDAY, SEPETEMBER 22, 2024 | 2:30 PM
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2024 | 7:00 PM
ROARING ’20S:
Rhapsody in Blue
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2024 | 7:00 PM
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2024 | 2:30 PM
YO-YO MA with the Portland Symphony Orchestra
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2024 | 7:00 PM
VOCTAVE:
The Corner of Broadway & Main Street
ALSO SPRACH ZARATHUSTRA
TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2025 | 7:00 PM
CLASSICAL MYSTERY TOUR: A Tribute to the Beatles
SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2025 | 7:00 PM
SUNDAY, MARCH 16, 2025 | 2:30 PM
MOZART MEETS KLEZMER
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2024 | 7:00 PM
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2024 | 2:30 PM
MENDELSSOHN & STRAUSS
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2024 | 2:30 PM
MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS with Cirque de la Symphonie
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2024–
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22, 2024
LA BOHÈME in collaboration with Opera Maine
FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 2025 | 7:00 PM
SUNDAY, JANUARY 26, 2025 | 2:30 PM
BEETHOVEN LIVES UPSTAIRS
Classical Kids LIVE!
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2025 | 2:30 PM
TUESDAY CLASSICAL | SUNDAY CLASSICAL POPS! | MAGIC OF CHRISTMAS DISCOVERY CONCERTS FOR FAMILIES
SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2025 | 2:30 PM
FANTASTIC BEASTS & WHERE TO HEAR THEM:
Side-by-side with Portland Youth Symphony Orchestra
SUNDAY, APRIL 6, 2025 | 2:30 PM
CARMINA BURANA
SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 2025 | 2:30 PM
TUESDAY, APRIL 29, 2025 | 7:00 PM
STAR WARS: A NEW HOPE IN CONCERT
SATURDAY, MAY 3, 225 | 7:00 PM
SUNDAY, MAY 4, 2025 | 1:00 PM
SLEEPING BEAUTY with Portland Ballet
SUNDAY, MAY 11, 2025 | 2:30 PM
CLASSIC ROMANCE with Portland Ballet and Portland Stage
TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2025 | 7:00 PM
DVOŘÁK’S NEW WORLD SYMPHONY
TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 2025 | 7:00 PM
McCullough mixes a gold metallic ink with additives to create a specific viscosity.
McCullough mixes a gold metallic ink with additives to create a specific viscosity.
McCullough and Brown discuss the design while setting up the printing station.
McCullough and Brown discuss the design while setting up the printing station.
Silkscreen printing involves pushing ink through a mesh screen onto paper or another surface. Each color in the design requires a separate screen, with layers of ink applied sequentially to create the final image.
Silkscreen printing involves pushing ink through a mesh screen onto paper or another surface. Each color in the design requires a separate screen, with layers of ink applied sequentially to create the final image.
ON SALE NOW. Posters may be purchased online or at PSO performances. All proceeds benefit PSO education and artistic programs. For more information about how to own a piece of PSO history visit: `PORTLANDSYMPHONY.ORG
ON SALE NOW. Posters may be purchased online or at PSO performances. All proceeds benefit PSO education and artistic programs. For more information about how to own a piece of PSO history visit: `PORTLANDSYMPHONY.ORG
Last year we asked local artists to help create a design for the PSO’s 100 th season expressing the celebratory spirit of the Symphony. The final design came from emerging artist Lydia Jane Brown, a native Mainer who has lived in the Portland area since 2008 when she moved from Aroostook County to study art at USM.
Last year we asked local artists to help create a design for the PSO’s 100 th season expressing the celebratory spirit of the Symphony. The final design came from emerging artist Lydia Jane Brown, a native Mainer who has lived in the Portland area since 2008 when she moved from Aroostook County to study art at USM.
“ The starting concept was a dynamic overlapping image of a conductor with arms spread wide as a gentle explosion of instruments bursts above their head and around them, melding together while simultaneously growing out from the center. It’s meant to feel celebratory, like a fireworks display.”
“ The starting concept was a dynamic overlapping image of a conductor with arms spread wide as a gentle explosion of instruments bursts above their head and around them, melding together while simultaneously growing out from the center. It’s meant to feel celebratory, like a fireworks display.”
-Brown
-Brown
Printmaker and PSO Graphic Designer Sarah McCullough collaborated with Brown to create a four-color screenprint commemorating the PSO’s 100th Anniversary season. This limited-edition silkscreen poster will be signed by the printmaker, artist, Music Director, and possibly a special guest. It is printed with water-based inks on 100% cotton, archival Stonehenge paper.
Printmaker and PSO Graphic Designer Sarah McCullough collaborated with Brown to create a four-color screenprint commemorating the PSO’s 100th Anniversary season.
This limited-edition silkscreen poster will be signed by the printmaker, artist, Music Director, and possibly a special guest. It is printed with water-based inks on 100% cotton, archival Stonehenge paper.
9/3/24 5:17 PM
5:17 PM
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13
2:00 PM (Preview) & 7:00 PM
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14
2:00 PM & 7:00 PM
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15
11:00 AM (Family-Friendly) & 3:00 PM
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20
2:00 PM & 7:00 PM
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21
2:00 PM & 7:00 PM
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22
1:00 PM & 5:00 PM
Sponsors: Media Sponsor:
This beloved Maine holiday classic brings a delightful combination of nostalgic traditions and unexpected surprises.
Experience perennial favorites like the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s Messiah and “Sleigh Ride” (performed in a distinctly unique PSO fashion— and yes, pun intended for those in the know), new traditions like “The Maine Christmas Song,“ and specially chosen brand-new selections heard for the first time each year.
“THIS PERFORMANCE IS ALWAYS A WIN! JOYFUL AND INCLUSIVE WHAT WE ALL NEED!” –Veroneau B.
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INDEPENDENT LIVING AT THE ATRIUM is luxurious and carefree, focused on wellness and personal growth, and filled with culture, activities, and friends. From farm-to-table dining to the saltwater pool, we give you the time to truly enjoy all Portland, Maine offers.
Schedule your personal visit today!
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At Waynflete, curious young learners discover the joy of building rovers and rockets from recyclables while older students work with NASA scientists to identify and name real asteroids in Astrophysics class.
Students need hands-on learning opportunities— personalized to their passions— to reach their true potential. If you miss seeing that spark, visit waynflete.org to see how our challenging curriculum can change the trajectory of your child’s life.
“Join
We want to share our 51st season with YOU!
With new Made in Maine productions, classics revisited, sharpwitted dramas, charming comedies, and murder mysteries, this season holds a range of shows we hope will delight and inspire you.
Each play in this season is about uncovering unexpected truths and finding the strength to face problems head on. From a senator standing up for what’s right, to discovering secrets in a recipe box or on the golf course. From confronting an angel or your wife, to sharing your deepest thoughts as shooting stars fill the night sky, each play this season brings a mystery and a different approach to finding a better solution.
Join us at Portland Stage!
Anita Stewart, Artistic Director
CELEBRATING 51 YEARS OF CREATING THEATER
Portland Stage is committed to creating great art, passionate about using the theater to educate, and dedicated to enriching our community. WE:
• Engage, connect, inform: Through intimate, personal exchanges that can only happen in a live theater, we foster a shared empathy and sense of belonging.
• Build community: We create productions from the ground up, combining local talent with artists from away: Enriching both through lasting relationships and deeper understanding of each other and the world.
• Evolve to stay relevant: We innovate, cultivate, and incubate new ideas on our stages, in our classrooms, and with community partners.
Ellen Alderman
Tony San Antonio
Samantha Bowen
Sarah Campbell
Susan Carter
Peter H. Clough
Scott Cowger
Margaret Groban
Amanda Hannan
Edith Iyer-Hernandez
John F. Leonard IV
Theresa McCarthy
Alisa Conroy Morton
Sara A. Murphy
Todd Nicholson
Carole Ann Palmer
Cathy Stankard
Robin Talbot
Courtney Thorpe
Nelson A. Toner
Daniel Tucker
Anne Wade
Wendy Winer
Meg Villarreal
(*Member AEA).
CELEBRATING 51 YEARS OF CREATING THEATER
LEADERSHIP
Artistic Director ............................................................................... Anita Stewart
Managing Director ...........................................................................Martin Lodish
Associate Production Manager • Sound Supervisor ...............Seth Asa Sengel
Associate Technical Director ........................................................ Jacob Coombs
Company Manager.................................................................... Jennifer London
Costume Shop Manager................................................................. Susan Thomas
Literary Manager ..................................................................... Todd Brian Backus
Production Manager • Lighting Supervisor ...............................Mary Lana Rice
Props Coordinator ...................................................................................Elliot Nye
Stage Managers .......................................................Myles C. Hatch & Meg Lydon
Technical Director ................................................................................Ted Gallant
ADMINISTRATION
Apprentice Coordinators ................................ Jennifer London & Julianne Shea
Audience Services Manager ............................................................Donald Smith
Box Office Assistant Manager .................................................... Renee Myhaver
Business Manager ..........................................................................Paul Ainsworth
Development Associate ............................................................... Lindsey Higgins
Development Director .....................................................................Covey Crolius
Education Administrator ................................................................ Julianne Shea
Education Assistant ........................................................Stacey Salotto-Cristobol
Education Director................................................................ Michael Dix Thomas
Front of House Associates .................................. Beka Bryer & Cassie Edincott
Grant Coordinator ................................................................................. Allison Fry
Graphic Designer •Marketing Associate................................ Aressa Goodrich
Group Sales Coordinator ...............................................................Myles C. Hatch
House Manager .......................................................................... Adam Thibodeau
Marketing Assistant....................................................................... Savannah Irish
Marketing & Communications Director ...................................... Erin Elizabeth
APPRENTICES
Company Management..................................................................... Casey Pitts
Costumes ........................................................... Renata Cortes, Jessica Podemski
Directing & Dramaturgy............................ Kimmarie McCrann, Larsen Nichols, ............................................................................................. Micki Demby Kleinman
Education ............................................................Charlie Bowen, Sadie Goldstein
Electrics ..................................................................................................Sierra Riley
Props ............................................................................................ Grainne Sheehan
Stage Management ..................................Kevin Commander, Charlotte Teplitz
Subscribers are the Backbone of Our Organization Providing ongoing support for the theater both within our community as well as financially.
Seated Subscription
A full 6-show seated subscription, same days and seats throughout the season, plus the ability to exchange tickets if your plans change.
Choose the best plan for you!
1 Misplaced or forgotten tickets can be easily reprinted at the Box Office on the day of the show.
2 Per-ticket price is lower than average single ticket prices and you only pay a one-time handling fee for each subscription package in your purchase.
3 Get access to reservations, exchanges, and additional tickets before shows go on sale to the general public.
4 The first exchange for each show is at no extra charge for a performance of the same price (i.e., evening to evening).
Because each contribution is an investment in the arts. Tax-deductible contributions keep Portland Stage a living, breathing, thriving theater, and ultimately ensure the fulfillment of our mission and the enrichment of our community. The generosity of individual donors, corporations, and foundations enables us to surround the work on our Mainstage with Education Programs, New Work Development Initiatives, and Community Engagement Events that deepen and broaden the impact of the shows themselves.
CELEBRATING 51 YEARS OF CREATING
The classes and camps at Portland Stage produce a safe environment for young people to find a higher sense of play, stretch their imaginations, and gain valuable social skills.
Serving children pre-K to grade 12 year round in our theater, the community, and schools.
Theater for Kids is made possible by the support & vision of Susie Konkel.
SATURDAYS AT 10:30AM OCT. 19 - NOV. 23 • AGES 4 - 10
for Kids is made possible by the support & vision of Susie Konkel.
Join us for a book club discussion of the plays in our 50th season at the Portland Public Library. Portland Stage Literary Manager Todd Brian Backus will lead discussions alongside assistant directors, dramaturgs, and special guests. Scripts are available at the Main Branch Reference Desk at the Portland Public Library and take place in the Rines Auditorium at the following dates and times.
Angels in America, Part 2: Perestroika.... Saturday, October 12th • 1:30 - 2:30pm Murder on the Links.................................... Saturday, January 18th • 1:30 - 2:30pm
Madelines .................................................. Saturday, February 22nd • 1:30 - 2:30pm Not Quite Almost...........................................Saturday, March 22nd • 1:30 - 2:30pm Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf........................... Saturday, May 3rd • 1:30 - 2:30pm
Join us after the fith Sunday Matinee of each production for a discussion with Artistic Director Anita Stewart, as well as artists and scholars related to the production. These discussions are always free and open to the public, and attendees can join even if they didn’t attend the matinee itself. Check in with the Box Office for runtimes and try to arrive at Portland Stage about five minutes before curtain to join the audience after bows.
after the second Sunday Matinee of each production for a discussion with the cast of each show, moderated by Literary Manager Todd Brian Backus. These discussions are always free and open to the public, and attendees can join even if they didn’t attend the matinee itself. Check in with the Box Office for runtimes and try to arrive at Portland Stage about five minutes before curtain to join the audience after bows.
Created by the Portland Stage Literary Department, these extensive guides present a broad spectrum of information and perspectives on each play in our Mainstage season.
Read more on our website Portlandstage.org
For more information about who we are and what we do, and to buy tickets, click on the qr code to our brand-new website: www.RenaissanceVoices.net
Cathedral Church of St. Luke, 143 State St, Portland, ME
Saturday, December 14, 7:30 pm
Sunday, December 15, 2:00 pm
Music by Thomas Weelkes, Juan Esquivel, Sergei Rachmaninov, Sally Herman, & more
Cathedral Church of St. Luke, 143 State St, Portland, ME
Sunday, May 18, 2:00 pm
director’s cut – Music Director Harold Stover picks favorites from 30 years of Renaissance Voices concerts
To address safety concerns, WH Demmons updated our HVAC system to utilize bipolar ionization technology to deactivate harmful substances like bacteria, mold, allergens, and viruses.
CELEBRATING 51 YEARS OF CREATING THEATER
JAN. 29 - FEB. 23
“To escaping reality every once in a while”
When I’m reading a book, I love getting so engaged in a story that, when I set the book down, it’s a surprise to re-enter the “real” world. For me, Murder on the Links, Steven Dietz’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s murder mystery, is the theatrical equivalent of a satisfying read.
Links is a play that keeps you guessing, not only about the murder(s) at hand but also about the ingenious manner in which six actors, playing over 30 characters, manage to tell a complex story with only a few props and theatrical elements. You, the audience, play a part; for we rely on your “little grey cells,” as Poirot would call them, to flesh out each of the bold characters and lavish environments described in the story using your imagination.
This adaptation demands that we make more with less, and we’ve done our best to comply. Our goal was to create an experience that allows you to immerse yourself in a world of pure fun, traveling with us to France in the 1920s and forgetting the bleak winter days that surround us, if only for a few hours.
Each play in this season is about uncovering unexpected truths and finding the strength to face problems head-on while standing up for what is right. Our dynamic duo, Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings, do that in spades, with spades and putters and a couple of chairs. I hope you have as much fun watching what we have put together as we have had in using our own “little grey cells” to think of interesting ways to tell this story.
To escaping reality every once in a while...
Anita Stewart, Artistic Director
By Steven Dietz, from the novel by Agatha Christie
This theater operates under an agreement between the League of Resident Theatres and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
*Members of the Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.
**The Scenic, Costume, Lighting,
and Sound Designers in LORT are represented by United Scenic Artists Local USA-829, IATSE.
***The Stage Directors and Choreographers Society is the theatrical union that unites, empowers, & protects professional Stage Directors and Choreographers throughout the United States.
The video and/or audio recording of this live production by any means whatsoever are strictly prohibited.
1923, Merlinville-sur-Mer
Hercule Poirot ....................................... Tom Ford*
Captain Hastings ........................ Lauren Karaman*
Man One ..........................................Andrew Rein*
Man Two .......................................... Ross Cowan*
Woman One .............................. Brenny Campbell*
Woman Two............................... Michela Micalizio
Director ..............................................Kevin R. Free***
Scenic Designer ................................... Anita Stewart**
Costume Designer ......................... Jacqueline Firkins**
Lighting Designer ................................. Mary Lana Rice
Sound Designer.................................... Seth Asa Sengel
Stage Manager .......................................... Meg Lydon*
Fight Choreographer ..................... Michael Dix Thomas
Intimacy Coordinator ................................ Hollie Pryor
Dialect Coach ......................................... Abigail Killeen
Movement Coach ................................. Dahne Yaitanes
Casting Director ...................................... Jenn Haltman
Asst. Director & Dramaturg .................... Larsen Nichols
Production Assistant .......................... Charlotte Teplitz
Lead Electrician.......................................... Sierra Riley
Lighting and Sound Operator ..................... Sierra Riley
Wardrobe .............................................. Renata Cortés
Deck Crew................................................... Casey Pitts
Wardrobe Swing ................................ Jessica Podemski
Deck Crew Swing............................... Gráinne Sheehan
Murder on the Links was originally produced at North Coast Repertory Theatre, Solana Beach, California; David Ellenstein, Artistic Director.
Special Thanks: Adam Thibodeau, Michael Trautman, and Dirigo Physical Therapy & Performance.
Steven Dietz’s forty-plus plays and adaptations have been seen at over one hundred regional theaters, as well as Off-Broadway and in twentyfive countries internationally. Dietz has been named one of the “20 Most-Produced Playwrights in America” by American Theatre Magazine on multiple occasions. Recent premieres include Gaslight, adapted from Patrick Hamilton; Murder on the Links, adapted from Agatha Christie; and the serio-comic thriller How a Boy Falls (Joseph Jefferson nomination for Best New Play). Dietz’s widely-produced play, Shooting Star, was adapted into the Meg Ryan movie, What Happens Later by Dietz, Ryan, and Kirk Lynn. Awards include the American Theatre Critics Association’s Steinberg New Play Citation for Bloomsday; Kennedy Center Fund for New American Plays Award for Fiction and Still Life with Iris; PEN USA Award in Drama for Lonely Planet; and an Edgar Award® from the Mystery Writers of America for Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure. Dietz taught in the MFA Playwriting and Directing program at UT/Austin for twelve years, and continues to regularly conduct master classes in playwriting, directing, story-making, and collaboration across the US. Dietz and his wife, playwright Allison Gregory, divide their time between Seattle and Austin.
At Portland Stage: The Play That Goes Wrong, Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, Last Ship To Proxima Centauri, Where We Stand, Marianas, Trench, The Last Five Years; Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. Elsewhere: Black & Blue (Ars Nova ANTFest); Pass Over (Marin Theatre Company); Pipeline (Peterborough Players); Marcus, or the Secret of Sweet (UNLV); The Gravediggers Union (Bates College). Upcoming: Tiny Beautiful Things (at Mile Square Theatre in Hoboken, NJ, where he is the Artistic Director); Kudzu Calling (Alabama Shakespeare Festival). Former: Producing Artistic Director, The Fire This Time Festival (Obie Award). The narrator of over 500 audiobooks in the past 20 years, he was honored with a Golden Voice award by AudioFile Magazine in 2023. www.kevinrfree.com
By Larsen Nichols
Larsen Nichols (LN): This piece deals with varying levels of performance and theatricality. How have you been exploring that in rehearsals?
Kevin R. Free (KRF): Oh, God! What I will say is that so far (because I feel like we’re still early), I’ve been watching the performance styles of the actors and thinking about how I can make them aware of when their characters are acting, when they are acting as their characters, and when they are acting as themselves. When we get to our third week is when we start asking those questions. The prime example in the play is Madame Renauld has a plan and is playing proud and steely, and then something happens that ruins the plan, and we get to see Madame Renauld have a real emotional moment. And that’s, I think, what the play is in conversation about. Like in Shakespeare, all the world’s a stage, and in our time, we’re all players. I think the play is sort of having a conversation about mythology and how we make up who we are, how we create our own destinies, how sometimes our destinies are chosen for us, or even how we have made up an entire story about ourselves, but the world is still revealed to us, or our essence is still revealed to the world, somehow. So that’s what I’m thinking about. We haven’t gotten to really talking about that yet.
LN: Some of the people on our team you’ve worked with before or known for years, and others you’ve just met. What do you find challenging and/ or exciting about working with a team like this?
KRF: There’s nothing challenging about anything ever. I don’t believe in challenges, only conflict. No. In general, as a leader of a room, I wonder about how people are getting along when I’m not around. I want the people with whom I’ve worked to like the other people with whom they’re working. I want the people who I’ve known for a long time to be liked by the newer people in my life. And I want everyone in the room to feel brave enough to create. So the biggest challenge for me is getting out of the way, and allowing everybody to be who they are without worry. I can be heavy-handed about the things that I want on a stage, but I’m not controlling, and I also go home every night and think, “How could I have done this better? What are the words that I need to say to unlock this moment for that actor? And how have I failed at doing that?” So I don’t feel like there are insurmountable challenges. I think I have a really beautiful opportunity to create new colleagues. I think we have a space where people feel safe enough to disagree. To disagree with me, to disagree with each other, and that disagreement isn’t about discounting anyone’s humanity. It’s just about saying, “Mmm, I’m not sure that that’s right, in this moment.” So to go back to your original question, the big challenge [is that] we’re working with people with varying degrees of comfort with the material, varying degrees of comfort with each other, varying degrees of comfort with being in Portland in general and that we also have a space, a room where people start to make decisions about how something will work when I’m not here. If I give a foundation for how to make this play, then if a new choice happens to come in while I’m gone, everybody knows how to deal with it. So we’re creating an ensemble, and I’m trying to create an ensemble that really wants to work together to solve this mystery.
LN: The energy in the rehearsal room for Murder on the Links is very fun and collaborative. How do you go about creating such an environment as a director, and why do you feel this kind of environment is important?
KRF: I’ve spent a lot of years as an actor, and I still do it from time to time. And one of the things that’s really difficult about being an actor, both when you’re in a play and when you’re not in a play and looking to do a play, is that feeling of powerlessness. And there are a lot of directors who treat actors like they’re just a cog in a vast machine, even if the machine is very small. And I have never enjoyed that as an actor. I’ve never enjoyed not having the autonomy to make my own choices about a scene. And then on top of it, I’ve always been the kind of actor who just figures things out on his own. So I like when a director says, “No, seriously, tell me your ideas.” And so that’s one reason I want to empower the artists in the room to do the show well. If they had wanted me to act in the show, somebody would have cast me as an actor in the show. My body’s not onstage doing it, so I want them to feel comfortable doing a thing seven or eight shows a week, and I’m not gonna know that unless they tell me what they’re comfortable with. The other part is in my rooms, I prefer for people to bring their whole selves. So we have a whole check-in system in my room that basically is about what kind of energy people are bringing in, and that way I know how to direct them. I know if I need to lean on them to stay focused or if I need to step back a little bit because they’re having a challenging day. I think I’m pretty good at casting the show, pretty good at finding the right people to play the right roles and because of that, I think I can spend more time on their humanity because I care more about them as people than I do about them as actors. Which has not gotten me in trouble with producers yet. But I feel like if I bring in the right people, the play is going to work itself out because those people will be searching for the truth of the play. So I prefer to have fun in a room. You know, when you tell people, “Oh, I’m a director, I make my living as an actor and a director,” they all think, “Oh, that’s really, really cool.” They don’t know about how hard it is to prepare to do a show or the research involved or all the reading, the wear and tear on your body as an actor, they’re not thinking about that. They’re thinking about how they feel when they see an actor onstage. They feel like, “That’s a really cool job. Look at them, they can do that thing and that’s great.” And so, those of us who have been artists who are constantly looking for work, constantly trying to figure out how to make our ends meet, why wouldn’t I make work fun and cool?
FOR THEIR GENEROUS CONTRIBUTION TO OUR PRODUCTION OF MURDER ON THE LINKS
Tom Ford* (Hercule Poirot)
Portland Stage: A Christmas Carol, A Tuna Christmas, Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, Last Ship to Proxima Centauri, Read to Me, Greater Tuna, Bach at Leipzig, The Mystery of Irma Vep, I Am My Own Wife, The Snow Queen, Iron Kisses, The Woman in Black, Lend Me a Tenor, Art, Gaslight. Boise Contemporary Theater: The Show on the Roof (World Premiere of a New Musical, book by Tom Ford, music and lyrics by Alex Syiek, LAMDA Nominee Best LGBTQ+ Drama), Lewiston, Tru, This Wonderful Life, I Am My Own Wife. Northern Stage: Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Sense and Sensibility, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Radio Play; and Matilda. Idaho Shakespeare and Great Lakes Theater: My Fair Lady; The Hunchback of Notre Dame; And Then There Were None; King Lear; Deathtrap; Sweeney Todd; Les Miserables; The Imaginary Invalid; The Mousetrap; Into the Woods; A Funny Thing Happened...; You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. New London Barn Playhouse: The Odd Couple, The Man Who Came to Dinner, The Drowsy Chaperone, A Funny Thing Happened..., Hairspray, Harvey, The Pirates of Penzance, The Producers, and She Loves Me. Broadway: By Jeeves. Upcoming: The Show on the Roof, King’s Head Theatre, UK. tomfordactor.com
Lauren Karaman* (Captain Hastings) is thrilled to make her Portland Stage debut! Her Off-Broadway credits include The Rover (Red Bull Theater) and The Belle’s Stratagem (Red Bull Theater). Film and streaming credits include Release for Amazon Prime and Kinsley Vs. on YouTube. Regionally, she was most recently seen in Espejos: Clean at Studio Theatre in DC, and Romeo & Juliet and Mr. Burns, A Post-Electric Play at the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. As a curve model, Lauren has walked in New York Fashion Week, worked for top designers, and was one of the first series regular curvy models on Project Runway. She received a BFA from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. All my love to my family, friends, goddaughter Evelyn, and Will! Thank you for your endless love and support! laurenkaraman.com. IG: @laurenkaraman
(*Member of AEA)
Andrew Rein* (Man One)
Portland Stage debut. Off-Broadway: Jericho (59E59); Acts of Love (Theatre Row); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (TBTB). Regional: Ink (Round House Theatre/ Olney Theatre co-production), ROE (Connecticut Rep); The Source, Jericho (NJ Rep); THIS (TheaterWorks Hartford); Around the World in 80 Days, Bloody Blackbeard (Triad Stage); Mojo (Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater); I Hate Hamlet, Rounding Third, The Owl and the Pussycat, A Thousand Clowns (Bickford Theatre). Film: 39 and a Half, Remains, Bobby G. Can’t Swim, Ménage à Trois, and the upcoming Not Dead Yet. Television: The Blacklist, Evil, The Equalizer, Younger, Power, Luke Cage, Odd Mom Out, Law & Order: SVU, Law & Order. Training: MFA, American Conservatory Theater; BA, Duke University. Andrew won a 2016 Webby Award for the pilot for the web series The Small Time, which he co-created, co-wrote, and starred in. www.andrewrein.com
Ross Cowan* (Man Two)
Previously at Portland Stage: The Play That Goes Wrong, It’s a Wonderful Life, The Importance of Being Earnest, Arsenic & Old Lace, Red, Homestead Crossing. Other Stage: Very Fine People (La MaMa/M-34), Fly (Pasadena Playhouse, New Victory Theater, Crossroads Theatre Company), Hamlet (St. Louis Repertory), The
Brenny Campbell* (Woman One) joins the good people at Portland Stage Company for the first time. Theater: Blithe Spirit (Ruth), Other Desert Cities (Brooke), and God of Carnage (Annette) at Capital Rep; Hand to God (Margery) with Florida Studio Theatre, August: Osage County (Ivy Weston) with Arkansas Rep, SoHo Playhouse (NYC), Majestic Theater, Adirondack Theatre Festival, Bristol Riverside, among others. TV: Gotham (Fox), The Other Two (Max). Film: Kid Happy. Proud member of Actors’ Equity. Always for Dale and Nolan.
Michela Micalizio (Woman Two) is an actor and maker, local to Portland, Maine. She recently appeared in the DRC mainstage production (that was presented by Portland Stage) of Angels in America as Harper Pitt. When she’s not onstage, she works at her mom’s bakery, makes puppets, and looks at rocks on the beach.
By Kimmarie McCrann
Poirot travels to the fictional town of Merlinville-sur-Mer, which is located about halfway between the real French towns of Calais and Boulognesur-Mer. This stretch of land between Boulogne and Calais is along the northwestern coast of France, making it the nearest point of connection between France and the United Kingdom. Curious minds can get an idea of what Merlinville-sur-Mer might look like by researching French towns like Marquise, Wissant, and Saint-Inglevert, which are all located on Côte d’Opal, or the Opal Coast. All of these towns are characterized by their quaint ambiance, stony cathedrals and villas, and lush green landscapes. Although “Merlinville” has no direct translation to English, the French phrase “sur-mer” means “on sea,” which is a direct reference to its coastal atmosphere.
France in the early 1920s was becoming more and more culturally and socially ambitious. This French renaissance is known as the “Années Folles,” which translates to “crazy years.” Across the pond in the United States, the same time period is often referred to as the “Roaring Twenties.” Despite the northwest of France recovering from economic and political instability only five years after the end of World War I (Calais was the target of multiple bombings during WWI), this era was still distinguished by a flourishing of art, music, and literary collaborations. The Art Deco movement, derived from the French term Arts Décoratifs, flourished in the United States and Europe in the 1920s to early 1930s. Featuring new materials like ebony and ivory, Art Deco stylist choices represented luxury, glamour, and progress. People rejected pre-war values and ideologies and embraced a new wave.
However, it wasn’t all parties and folly in the early 1920s. Tensions were heating up between France and Germany, as a result of Germany’s repeated refusal to provide wartime reparations as agreed upon in the 1919 Treaty of Versailles. This resulted in the “Occupation of the Ruhr” from January 1923 to August 1925. French and Belgian troops together invaded the Ruhr business district of western Germany, with the intention of staying there until Germany supplied the predetermined raw materials required by the Treaty. Amongst acts of sabotage and retaliation, an estimated 137 civilians were killed and 600 were injured during the Ruhr’s occupation. This cross-border conflict greatly impacted the nearby northwestern region of France in 1923. In Christie’s fictional Merlinvillesur-Mer, political pressures and a general feeling of suspicion would have been felt regarding any foreigners visiting the region.
By Micki Demby Kleinman
Agatha Christie’s world-renowned detective Hercule Poirot holds a special place in the public’s heart. From his first appearance in Christie’s debut novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, the public was captivated by this strange man and his keen ability to use inductive reasoning to solve seemingly unsolvable crimes. In addition to Christie’s 33 novels and two plays starring Detective Poirot, there are countless British TV shows, radio dramas, and blockbuster movie adaptations in which Poirot is brought to life. Poirot left such an indelible mark on culture, that upon his “death” in his final book, Curtain, the New York Times published its firstever obituary of a fictional character.
Hercule Poirot, famed Belgian policeman-turned-detective, arose during the Golden Years of Detective Fiction, a time in the 1920s and ’30s with an abundance of detective fiction novels that often contained similar patterns to one another. Poirot is physically characterized by his shortness, his egg-shaped head, and his distinctive mustache, which was “stiff and military,” and further described as “enormous,” “immense,” and “gigantic.” His signature, illustrious mustache precedes him and becomes almost a sidekick to the detective. The way Poirot chooses to present himself is indicative of the traits that appear in his detection. Poirot is particular, specific, and pays immaculate attention to detail. Unlike other investigators who may rely on external evidence, Poirot is remarkable in that he uses psychology to understand a case and to form conclusions. By having a deep understanding of the criminal mind, and a desire for order and method, Poirot is able to solve cases that others can’t.
In addition to Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie created other iconic detective characters in her novels, including Miss Jane Marple and the duo Tommy and Tuppence. Each of these characters has a unique background that allows them to bring unique and intriguing traits to their detecting. Christie’s works are full of captivating, witty, and intriguing characters. Specifically, Agatha Christie’s detectives have had a remarkably enduring impact on literature and culture. Each detective’s distinctive perspective enables them to be unique puzzle solvers, and their unique quirks make journeying with them a delight.
Read more in the Portland Stage PlayNotes Available for free online, or to purchase in the Lobby or Box Office!
We are creating theater on land that has been cared for by the Wabanaki. We honor their community and invite you to go to the Wabanaki Reach website to learn more about the Wabanaki culture, as well as about restorative justice and truth-telling that is necessary for healing.
We encourage you to learn more about the peoples who cared for the land that you now reside on whether you’re from here in Portland or are visiting from away. For more information about the Wabanaki Confederacy, visit mainewabanakireach.org, and to find out whose land you are on, visit native-land.ca.
We also want to acknowledge that the history of Maine is deeply connected to the institution of slavery in the United States, and that residents of Maine participated in both slavery and the transatlantic slave trade even after slavery was outlawed in the District of Maine. While it may be easy to think of Maine and more specifically Portland as a very White place, we recognize that this is simply not the case and we are working to dismantle these harmful ideas. We encourage our audiences to visit the Abyssinian Meeting House (learn more at abyssinianmeetinghouse.org) or the Eastern Cemetery here in Portland, and to explore scholarship on the subject, like Lives of Consequence by Patricia Q. Wall, to learn more about this oft-neglected part of Maine’s history.
We recognize that the American Theater has also exploited, misrepresented, and excluded communities of Latine, Asian, Indigenous, and Middle Eastern descent for centuries. Portland Stage is recommitting to telling authentic stories from diverse backgrounds that all of our audiences can experience and enjoy.
Anita Stewart** (Scenic Designer) has worked as a set and costume designer at leading theaters across the country, including the Guthrie, Seattle Rep, Canadian Opera Company, Minnesota Opera, A.R.T., Steppenwolf, Hartford Stage, Dallas Theater Center, Long Wharf Theatre, New York Theatre Workshop, Boise Contemporary Theater, New Jersey Shakespeare, and Portland Stage. Anita’s desire to play a meaningful role as an artist in a specific community brought her to Portland Stage as Artistic Director, a company for which she had previously done significant freelance design. Anita holds an MFA in Design from the Yale School of Drama.
Jacqueline Firkins** (Costume Designer) is thrilled to return to Portland Stage after two years as resident costume designer in 2001–2003. Other design work includes the Court Theatre, Victory Gardens, TimeLine Theatre, House Theatre of Chicago, Marin Theatre Company, Hartford Stage, Dallas Theater Center, Portland Center Stage, Goodman Theatre, Shakespeare Festival of St. Louis, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Virginia Stage Company, Westport Playhouse, Shakespeare & Company, Shakespeare Festival of Tulane, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Yale Repertory Theatre, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Brave New Repertory, About Face Theatre, Northlight Theatre, and Yale School of Drama. Jacqueline is also an author of joyful, romantic coming-of-age novels and teaches design at the University of British Columbia.
Mary Lana Rice (Lighting Designer) is a recent transplant to Maine after several years working around the country as a lighting designer and electrician. Some of her favorite design credits also include Sanctuary City and Wolf Play (Portland Theater Festival); The Three Little Pigs (MSMT); Born Yesterday and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Cortland Repertory Theatre, NY); Wait Until Dark, I Am My Own Wife, and Five Guys Named Moe (Fulton Theatre, PA). All my love to Seth, Hazel, and Logan!
(**Member of USA)
Seth Asa Sengel (Sound Designer) has spent decades making theater with creative souls all over our United States. He is glad to be home in Maine, and at Portland Stage, where he has collaborated on dozens of wonderful productions. A few favorites include The Play That Goes Wrong, What the Constitution Means to Me, Angels in America, Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, and Last Ship to Proxima Centauri. Please be kind to others, and to yourself, and tell people you love them. Much Love to Mary Lana.
Meg Lydon* (Stage Manager) Even though she’s writing this prior to the start of rehearsals, it’s safe to say that Meg is having an amazing time working on this production! How could she not, with a team like this?! Outside of Portland Stage, recent work has been at the Theater at Monmouth, Fenix Theatre Company, Dramatic Repertory Company, and Bowdoin College. She also loves to spend summers at Chester Theatre Company in the Berkshires. Meg is a proud member of AEA and is forever grateful to Darren. Many thanks to the cast and the entire production team – here’s to a great show!
(*Member of AEA)
Like Portland Stage, Migis Hotel Group creates exceptional experiences for their patrons to immerse themselves in. They are dedicated to creating an unparalleled world of relaxation, recreation, and welcome. From the windswept front deck of the Black Point Inn, to the classic wooded beauty of Migis Lodge, these remarkable hotels and inns are a perfect setting for a romantic getaway, special event, or family reunion.
Thanks to the longstanding support of Migis Hotel Group, Portland Stage is able to bring Murder on the Links to life on our Mainstage this season.
A very special thank-you to W.H. Demmons for supporting our public safety! The HVAC system installed by W.H. Demmons utilizes bipolar ionization technology, which releases charged atoms that attach to and deactivate harmful substances like bacteria, mold, allergens, and viruses by pulling the hydrogen atom away, causing the harmful substances to die. Testing of the building’s system for effectiveness against the COVID-19 virus by two different independent laboratories, Analytical Lab Group and Innovative Bioanalysis, revealed that the level of the virus would be cut by 90% within 60 minutes.
Our corporate partners help us to enrich our community while positioning their companies as cultural leaders. Want to learn more about how a corporate partnership can benefit both your business and the theater you love? Contact Covey Crolius, Development Director, at 207.774.1043 x109. Murder on the Links by Steven Dietz is funded in part by a grant from the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. Generous support also provided by Maine Theater Fund/Maine Community Foundation, the Libra Foundation, the Fisher Charitable Foundation, and the Shubert Foundation.
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Alice Moisen
Rick & Debby Molander
Wendy Moore
Jeremy Moser & Laura Kittle
Richard & Sandra Neiman
Michael & Lucretia Nelson
Larry Nicks
Erin & Jon Nitschke
Catherine O’Connor & John Kelly
Janet O’Toole
Rebecca Oreskes & Brad Ray
Richard & Carole Palmer
James & Judith Parkhill
Ralph T. Perry & Mary
Louise Seldenfleur
Jeff Peterson
Charlene & Jerry Petruccelli
Hugh & Norma Phelps
Malcolm & Patti Poole
Carole A. Pope
Nancy & Frank Read
Steven Samuels
Megan & Tony San Antonio
Paul & Penelope Sarvis
Bonnie Nelson Schwartz
Curtis & Nina Scribner
Ellen Seidman
Orrin & Linda Shane
David & Kathleen Stuchiner
Robin Talbot
Deborah & Hall Thompson
Gay Tucker
Lorraine & Ralph Twombly
Louise Valati
Nancy R. Wade
William Walker
Anonymous (3)
Alice M. Abbott
Christenia Alden-Kinne
Nancy Ansheles
Robert & Linda Ayotte
Ann Babbitt
Peter & Lyn Ballou
Judy & Jack Bauman
Michael & Connie Beck
Tiffanie Bentley
Nancy Berges
Thomas & Marjorie Berman
Philip Blampied
Bruce Bouchard
Samantha Bowen
John E. Brandt
Emily Breitner
Dan & Dale Bryant
Maryellen Carew
Robin & William Carter
Paul & Stephanie Castle
Jennifer Caven
Susan & James Cook
Ann K. Corbey & Stephen H. Painter
Dick & Margaret Curran
Richard & Judy Curtis
Rob & Christine Dalzell
Jerry & Gretchen Davis
Brenda Delahanty
Tom DeMarco
Linda J. Docherty
Mary Doherty
Bruce Donath
Richard Doucette
Pamela Doughty
Moira Driscoll & David Pence
Mary Lou Dyer
Katherine Dyhrberg
John Edwards
David Ellenstein
Barbara & Mark Engel
Dr. & Mrs. David Flavin
David H. Fluharty & Linda R. Hjortland
Jean Foy
John Funk & Deborah Chase
Susan Garfield & Lynda Mullen
George & Martha Gilmore
Linda & Schuyler Grant
Elizabeth Guffey
Ann Havener & Richard Estabrook
Stephen & Debra Honey
Woody Howard & Gib Twitchell
Elizabeth & Christopher Hunt
Al & Pauline Huntley
Tom & Laurie Hyndman
Mary Iyer
Edith Iyer-Hernandez
Jack & Kenneth Jackowitz
William Jenks
Sandra Jensen & Samuel Broaddus
Anita B. Jones
Patrick & Valerie Kelly
Judith & Daniel Kennedy
Lily King
David Kling & Kathryn Sanders
Paul M. Knight
Ken & Jean Kriedberg
Neil & Cathy Lamb
Denise LaRue & Bob Furman
Calien Lewis & Martha Mickles
Andres Llorente
Benjamin Lund
John & Jane Lunt
David & Jeanne Mason
Jackie Mathews
Mary Beth Mathews
Anne McBride
Heidi McDonald
Sheila McGarr
Mary Anne McLean
Sarah Meacham
Marianna & Pete Mickelson
Bruce Moore & Jan Chapman
Kenneth & Mary Nelson
Victoria Nolan & Clark Crolius
David & Caro Nutty
Jackie Oliveri
David & Jacqueline Orsmond
Elizabeth Owens & Douglass
Flaherty
John & Denise Palmer
James & Diane Paterson
Heather Payson
The Poole Group of Companies
Hope Putnam
Ted Rand & Sarah Campbell
Lenore Rapkin
Francis Robbins & Nirupama
Aggarwal
Jacqueline Robinov
Michael & Naida Rodman
Larry & Robin Rubinstein
Donald J. & Sue Rudalevige
Helen Ryder
Gwen & James Sartoris
Elena Schmidt
Mike & Pam Schwotzer
Robert Scribner & Claire Julian
Peggy Shapiro
Linda Shary & Jeffrey Logan
Nancy Shaw & John Gilmour
Robert Slater
Mary Snell & Irwin Novak
Alan & Jonell Solander
Peter & Lynn Soucy
Alice Spencer
Patricia Stevens
Bud & Susan Stiker
Jacqueline Stowell
The Frank C. & Carrie C. Strasburger Fund
Kristin G. Sweeney
David Terrio
Adam Thibodeau
Marielynn Towers
Mary Turner
Benjamin & Christine Twining
Patricia Vantuyl
Peter & Elizabeth Ventre
Deena Weinstein
Susan & Fancis Whitten
Heidi Wierman
David Wilcock
David & Elise Wilson
James & Jennifer Wolak
Rick & Janet Wolf
Laura Young
Bill & Patty Zimmerman
Steven Samuels in memory of Alan Samuels and Louis Berlin
Bonnie Nelson Schwartz in honor of Martin Lodish
Ann Shenassa in honor of Monica Wood
Kathleen Silvia in honor of Bud & Cheryl Higgins
