Big trouble at Lincoln Academy

     NEWCASTLE -- Huck Finn gets a talking-to in Lincoln Academy’s production “Big River,” which concludes this weekend at the Newcastle school. From left are Avery Fisher as the Widow Douglas, Carl Johanson as Huck and Mae Ciampa as Miss Watson. The Lincoln Academy production, directed by Beth Preston, features a large mostly student cast and a pit orchestra. The tech director is Griff Braley and the musical director is Kevin Kiley. Final performances continue at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 5 and 6. Tickets are $10 in advance and $13 at door. Call 563-3596, Ext. 29.

‘Aesop’s Fables’ at the Waldo

     WALDOBORO -- The Theater at Monmouth will perform “Aesop’s Fables” at 7 p.m., Friday, May 5, at the Waldo Theatre on Main Street.

     This entertaining production features some of the most beloved tales of the large collection of fables including “The Boy Who Cried Wolf,” “The Innkeeper and the Thief,” “The Two Sailors on the Ship,” “The Tortoise and the Hare” and “Androcles and the Lion.”

     Written in a lively style, often using rhyming couplets, the Theater at Monmouth’s production of “Aesop’s Fables” is fine for students of all ages. The colorful costumes and sets, combined with outrageous characters, draw in the younger students and the professional level of acting and intelligent writing engage even the most cynical teens.

     “Aesop’s Fables” features two veteran Theater at Monmouth actors, Jeri Pitcher and Dennis Price. The two were last seen together in the highly acclaimed 2004 production of “The Arabian Nights.”

      Pitcher is a well known and respected actor, director, playwright and teaching artist. In addition to her work for the Theater At Monmouth, she is a frequent teaching artist for the Maine Alliance for Arts Education and Foothills Arts. Price originally is from Virginia and has spent five seasons with the Theater At Monmouth. Since being in Maine, he also has performed in several productions of Penobscot Theatre Company and the Children’s Theater of Maine. He has directed at the Grand Auditorium in Ellsworth and led extended workshops in Improvisation at Bates College and the University of Maine at Farmington.

     Tickets are $10, $7 for students and senior citizens; call 832-6060.

Family contra dances continue

     BOOTHBAY HARBOR -- Monthly contra dances continue at the historic Opera House at Boothbay Harbor, which will host dancers and learners of all ages Friday evening, May 5.

     The lively evening of fun, in the tradition of old-time barn dances, will begin at 8 p.m. at the opera house, 86 Townsend Ave. John McIntire will be the caller and the band Calliope will provide the music. Beginners and singles are welcome, and all dances will be taught.

     Admission is $7, $20 for an entire family. The evening is sponsored by the Four Potatoes Dance Society and the Midcoast Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Edgecomb. For information, call 633-6148 or Elin 380-5722.

MVHS Players’ ‘Dearly Departed’

     WALDOBORO -- The Medomak Valley High School Players invite their friends, families and neighbors to join them for a night or afternoon of nonstop laughter.

     MVHS will present “Dearly Departed,” written by David Bottrell and Jessie Jones, at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 5 and 6, at the school, 320 Manktown Road.

     Cast members include Eliza Mohlie, George Graves, Tom Goodwin, Ariel Lackoff, Brianna Carleton, Noel Beck , Sam Nevins, Nathan Beck, Charlotte Woodman, Chelsea Moccia, Collin Pope, Ben Daley, Mitch Magbie, Sarah Tuttle and Amanda Pendleton.

     The comedy takes place in Lula, a little town just below the Mason-Dixon line, where the lovable, dysfunctional Turpin family proves that living and dying in the South is seldom tidy and always hilarious. Despite their earnest attempts to pull themselves together for their father’s funeral, the family’s other problems keep overshadowing the solemn occasion. By the time the Turpins sort through hangovers, money problems and headstone engraving options, they have learned that coping with life’s losses can be drop-dead funny.

     Tickets are $7 adults and $5 students. They will be available at the door or can be reserved in advance by calling the school at 832-5389.

The Band’s Weider heads to Opera House

     BOOTHBAY HARBOR -- Jim Weider and his ProJECT PERCoLAToR band will perform at 8 p.m. Saturday, May 6, at The Opera House at Boothbay Harbor, 86 Townsend Ave.

     Calling in from the road last week, Weider said his Maine appearances would be the first on this tour with the people who appeared on his latest album, “Percolator,” which he described as all groove guitar instrumental.

     “I’m really excited; we’re going to be right out on the edge,” he said, adding there will be some Band tunes in the mix.

     ProJECT PERCoLAToR features Weider, a former member of The Band, on guitar; guitarist Mitch Stein of the Steve Kimock Band; and Ron Jenkins (Gato Barbieri) on bass. Joining them for this performance will be renowned drummer Rodney Holmes, a member of the Steve Kimock Band. Holmes formerly played with Santana and is featured on the cover of Modern Drumming magazine.

     “I can’t say enough about him; he’s one of the top drummers in the United States, if not the world,” Weider said of Holmes.

     Weider said he expected to be out on tour all year and, as the CD has just gotten an overseas distributor, he and the band probably will head to Europe in the fall. While in Maine, however, he hopes they will get a chance to see a moose, since “that’s Mitch’s nickname.”

     The doors will open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $18 in advance at the box office (633-5159) and will be $20 day of show.

‘Cruisin’ To Graduation’ Car Show at MVHS

     WALDOBORO -- Medomak Valley High School’s 5th Annual ‘Cruisin’ To Graduation’ Car Show will take place Sunday, May 7, rain or shine at the high school on Manktown Road.

     Gates open at 8 a.m. and trophies will be awarded around 2:30 p.m. before the show concludes around 3 p.m.

     Exhibitor registration will be held in the lobby at the high school from 8 a.m.-11 a.m.

     The freshmen class will kick off the show with a pancake breakfast, and students from all other grade levels will run concession stands. Food will include hamburgers, sandwiches, beverages and baked goods. Proceeds will go to their respective graduation budgets.

     More than 30 classes of cars and four classes of motorcycles are anticipated. Some of the categories are antique, 1940s through 2000s, customs, street rods, imports, trucks, restoration-in-progress, special interest and Corvette classes.

     Three trophies will be awarded per class and a judged Best of Show will win a $100 cash prize. Raffles and special attractions offer something for the whole family.

     Exhibitors and MVHS students with a student ID will be admitted free. Spectator admission is $3. All proceeds benefit the Medomak Valley High School Project Graduation 2006 and Scholarship Fund.

     For information about exhibiting at the show, making a donation or sponsoring the event, call 832-4160 or 832-5389, ext. 131.

Trescots collaborate at Waldo

     WALDOBORO -- “Collaboration,” featuring photographs and paintings by Damariscotta artists Al and Mary Trescot, will open with a 3 p.m.-5 p.m. reception Sunday, May 7, at the Waldo Theatre Gallery, 916 Main St. The public is invited to meet the artists at an opening.

     Graphic designer and photographer Al Trescot will display photographs from the book “Twelve Miles from the Rest of the World” and will include images of Muscongus Bay from a possible new book.

     After dreaming about learning to paint for a lifetime, Mary Trescot finally picked up a brush and some watercolors four years ago. She has studied with Deb Arter, Nancy Glassman, Tom McCobb and Jean Harris. She has found paint fun and relaxing and so does not go anywhere without her camera or her painting equipment.

     During May and June, the show will be open to viewers during theater office hours or by appointment. For information, call the Waldo box office at 832-6060.

More woodturning at Round Top

     DAMARISCOTTA -- Five woodturning classes for beginning and intermediate enthusiasts will be offered in the next four-week session that begins Monday, May 8, at Round Top Center for the Arts, Business Route 1.

     Ken Keoughan, who directs the woodturning program, has designed an educational woodturning curriculum that offers beginning and intermediate woodturning students a chance to develop their skills in a consistent, safe and friendly environment.

     Scheduled classes through June 5 include: Introduction to Woodturning I, 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays; Intro II, 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Thursdays; Bowl Turning I , 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Tuesdays; and Bowl Turning II, 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Thursdays. For more advanced students, a new specialty session on Hollow Turning will be offered on four consecutive Saturdays, beginning May 13.

     Classes are open to men and women at least 16 years of age. No prior woodworking experience is required. Every student will have their own personally assigned lathe and tools to use for the duration of the class.

     The cost for 12 hours of instruction is $140 or $115 for Round Top members. There also is a $20 materials charge for the entire session. All instructors are professional woodturners and are members of the American Association of Woodturners.

     Introductory woodturning classes are prerequisites for the more advanced specialties. Individuals with equivalent experience are invited to talk with Keoughan about their eligibility for enrollment. For information or to register, call 563-1507.

Skidompha strums 1939 ‘Balalaika’

     DAMARISCOTTA -- The 1939 musical “Balalaika,” starring Nelson Eddy and Ilona Massey, will be Skidompha Public Library’s Spring Classic Film program at 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 8, at the library’s Porter Meeting Hall, Elm Street entrance.

     A cinema white Christmas might seem a little early, but this film offers a White Russian Christmas celebrated in a Hollywood musical, set during the Russian revolution of 1910. “Balalaika” was released in a period known for Communist intriguers jockeying for propaganda advantage. Comrade Stalin and his cronies probably did not appreciate Western movie makers mocking proletarian dictatorship by portraying Russian Cossacks as fun loving, wenching, melodious warriors enjoying themselves at Christmas.

     “Balalaika” is a perfectly delightful operetta with magical music, Cossack chorus and solos by Eddy and Massey. It held its own as a top musical, despite the seasonal tag, and also was a platform for some Hollywood legends with Charles Ruggles as an amusing, scampish orderly; Frank Morgan as the harried imperial opera impresario; and C. Aubrey Smith as a symbol of empire.

     The movie will be preceded on the Skidompha screen by a 1951 cartoon. The requested $5 donation will help preserve and increase Skidompha’s classic film collection.

Round Top’s class session adds more

     DAMARISCOTTA -- A new session is about to begin at Round Top Center for the Arts, Business Route 1, and there still are openings in many classes. For information or to sign up, call 563-1507 or visit www.roundtoparts.org.

     Ruth Monsell will teach The Art of Public Speaking from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Wednesdays, May 10 through June 28. Specific work on proper breathing, projection, articulation, body language, gestures, timing, extemporaneous talks, debate and speech writing is included. The fee is $250 or $220 for Round Top members.

     Due to popular demand, Round Top has added another John Whalley oil painting class to run from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Thursdays, May 11 through June 29. The course will include how to prepare the canvas or panel on which to paint, compose a picture, mix and use color and much more. There will be practical demonstrations illustrating the use of oils and the pitfalls one should avoid, as well as time to be inspired by the work of past and present masters. The fee is $250 or $220 for members.

‘Plaza Suite’ rehearsals under way

     DAMARISCOTTA -- Warm weather has arrived and rehearsals for Neil Simon’s “Plaza Suite,” Lincoln County Community Theater’s spring production, have sprung up like perennial bulbs.

     The classic comedy takes place in Suite 719 of the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Each act tells the story of a different set of occupants of the suite. The first act, “Visitor from Mamaroneck,” is directed by John Price and stars Geary Smith as philandering husband Sam Nash. His wife, Karen Nash, is played by Kim Fletcher, who happens to be married to Smith in real life. Enter Jean McCormack, Sam’s assistant and the other woman, played by Sara Shannon.

     Act 2 of “Plaza Suite” is titled “Visitor from Hollywood” and is directed by Wayne Barber. Jesse Kiplinger, played by Chad Hanna, comes to New York to get away from his harried life as a Hollywood producer. He gets in touch with his high school girlfriend, played by Muriel Tate, who comes to New York to get away from her mundane life in New Jersey.

     Visitors from Forest Hills arrive in Act 3. Norma Hubley (Phyllis McQuaide) is in Suite 719 with a problem: she cannot get her daughter to come out of the bathroom. That might be okay if it were not time for Mimsey Hubley (Sara Shannon) to go downstairs and get married. Roy Hubley, played by Ron Aho, is summoned from the reception to help talk the nervous bride out of the bathroom. Longtime LCCT actor Brian Redonnett directs this comic finale to the show.

     “Plaza Suite” will be performed at 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, May 12, 13, 19 and 20, and 2 p.m. Sundays, May 14 and 21, at the downtown Lincoln Theater. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students, available by calling 563-3424.

Tapestry plans all Brahms concert

     DAMARISCOTTA -- The Tapestry Singers, under the direction of Beth Preston, will present the group’s spring concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 13, at Damariscotta Baptist Church, Bristol Road.

     The all-Brahms program, accompanied by Sean Fleming and Ron Marlowe, features a variety of lush and sparkling choral works, including “Nänie,” “O Schöne Nacht” and selections from the Liebeslieder Waltzes.

     Advance tickets for the concert are available from any Tapestry Singers member and at Maine Coast Book Shop. Tickets are $8 in advance and will be $10 performance day. Tickets also will be available at the door.

Shade gardening class at botanical garden

     BOOTHBAY -- Finding flowers and plants that thrive in the shade can be a real challenge for gardeners. Holly Emmons knows just about everything about plants that grow in the shade -- which ones to use and how to grow them in Maine. She’ll share that knowledge Saturday, May 13, in an illustrated talk at in the Horticulture Building at Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, located on Barters Island Road in Boothbay. The class runs from 1 p.m.-3 p.m.

     Until recently, Emmons was a professor of plant science at the State University of New York at Cobleskill. She has retired to become a full-time shade gardener in South Bristol, where she and her husband, Professor Bob Emmons, have a home. Since she knows and understands the local growing environment, this class will be particularly valuable to Maine gardeners.

     Using her own brilliant color photographs, Emmons will present a slide show of native plants and their foreign counterparts that are especially suited to the Maine shade garden, and she’ll show how native and non-native standards can be combined in exciting ways. She’ll draw upon information she taught in university classes on wildflowers, as well as on annuals and perennials, and will also talk about some lesser-known (but still obtainable) shade-loving plants to highlight in a Maine garden.

     Each participant will receive a garden plan featuring some of the yellow and white shade plants highlighted during the talk. These plans can be used exactly as they are, or they can become a starting point for class participants’ own designs.

     The fee is $12 for CMBG members and $15 for non-members. Since numbers are limited, reservations are required. Call 633-4333 to sign up or for information.