Oscar short subjects at The Strand

     ROCKLAND -- Friday through Thursday, May 12-18, the downtown Strand Theatre will present the 78th annual Academy Award-nominated short films.

     These films represent the cutting edge in short subject filmmaking from up-and-coming directors and established filmmakers alike. They are rarely seen on the big screen.

     The films will be presented in two separate programs -- Animated/Live Action shorts and Documentary Shorts -- and will include the Oscar winners for each category. Due to the two-and-a-half-hour program length, there will be one show each evening, with an intermission halfway through the program.

     For show times, call 594-0070 or visit www.rocklandstrand.com.

     The Animated/Live Action program features “The Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation,” directed by John Canemaker, USA; “9,” Shane Acker, USA; “Badgered, Sharon Colman, UK; “The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello,” Anthony Lucas, Australia; and “One Man Band,” Andrew Jimenez and Mark Andrews, USA.

     The Live Action program features “Our Time is Up,” Rob Pearlstein, USA; “Ausreisser (The Runaway),” Ulrike Grote, Germany; “The Last Farm,” Rúnar Rúnarsson, Iceland; “Six Shooter,” Martin McDonagh, Ireland; and “Cashback,” Sean Ellis, UK.

     The Documentary program features “A Note of Triumph: The Golden Age of Norman Corwin,” Corinne Marrinan and Eric Simonson, USA; “The Death of Kevin Carter: Casualty of the Bang Bang Club,” Dan Krauss, USA; “God Sleeps in Rwanda,” Kimberlee Acquaro and Stacy Sherman, USA; and “The Mushroom Club,” Steven Okazaki, USA.

CHRHS hosts annual dinner theater

     ROCKPORT -- Camden Hills Regional High School’s dinner theater presentation of “The Nerd” will take place at 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 12 and 13, in the Black Box Theater, complete with linens, china and a candlelit dinner prepared by Susan Boivin and the Wave Cafe staff.

     Tickets are $20 and may be reserved by calling 236-7800, Ext. 264. No tickets will be sold at the door.

     Although he never met the man who saved his life in Vietnam, Willum Cubbert vowed that the welcome mat would always be out for Rick Steadman, the unsung hero. But joy takes a U-turn when his faceless rescuer shows up unexpectedly one day and turns out to a hopelessly annoying nerd who has no intention of leaving. Rick’s prolonged presence leads to one uproarious incident after another, until Willum is forced to out-nerd the king of the nerds.

     “The Nerd” marks the final performance for seniors Matt Jensen, Alec Donoso, Tana Scott and Allyson Ettinger. Other cast members include William Welte and Zakary Jaques, as well as Ryan Thompson as the title character.

     Senior Jaime Williamson is the stage manager; Dustin Hamalainen, lighting designer; and Nick Barrows, sound. Tech crew members Kim Rubin, Caroline Kopesky, Robert McKinley, Jacob Kerian and JC Whittier have been busy with set design and construction.

     Shue, a promising actor and playwright, had his career cut short at age 39 by the crash of a commuter plane in 1985. He left behind two comic achievements, “The Foreigner” and “The Nerd.” “The Foreigner” was performed to sell-out audiences at the first CHRHS dinner theater in 2002.

Vet signs memoir at Breakwater

     ROCKLAND -- Retired big animal veterinarian Bradford Brown will sign copies of his new book at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 13, at Breakwater Bookland, Route 1.

     “While You’re Here, Doc” is a set of stories from Brown’s 23 years running his Belfast-based practice. Now retired, he lives on the family farm in Vassalboro.

     For information, call Breakwater Bookland at 593-9354 or Tilbury House Publishers at 582-4899.

‘Almost, Maine’ hits Midcoast

     CAMDEN -- “Almost, Maine,” which recently appeared Off-Broadway in New York City, will be presented at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 13, at the Camden Opera House on Elm Street.

     The romantic comedy by noted Maine author John Cariani was the most attended play of any season when it debuted last year at Portland Stage Company. Its successful run Off-Broadway was at the Daryl Roth Theatre. The Midcoast premiere is a collaboration between the Penobscot Theatre Company of Bangor, and the opera house. PTC produced “Almost, Maine” earlier this spring at the Bangor Opera House.

     The play revolves around residents of a small town in northern Maine who are falling in and out of love at an alarming rate. In the show, love is discovered and hearts are broken -- and sometimes mended -- almost.

     Tickets are $18 for reserved orchestra seating, available by calling (866) 468-7619 or online at www.ticketweb.com. General admission balcony tickets are $15 and are available at HAV II in Camden. Tickets for children younger than 13 in either orchestra or balcony are $8.

     For information, visit the Web sites: www.camdenoperahouse.com or www.almostmaine.com.

Steppin’ Out mounts ‘City Nights’

     UNION -- Steppin’ Out School of Dance will hold its dance recital, “City Nights,” Saturday evening, May 13, at Thompson Community Center, Route 131. The doors will open at 5 p.m., with the program at 6 p.m.

     The performance will begin with Abby Brooks of Warren singing the “National Anthem” a cappella. The recital will feature the younger students dancing to “Aristo-Cats,” “Colors of the Wind” and “So This Is Love,” plus familiar children songs.

     The show features lively tap, jazz and clogging numbers, energetic hip hop routines and several ballet numbers. Showcased will be the Steppin’ Out Rockettes performing high kicks to Greg Soucy’s rendition of “New York, New York,” and a concluding tribute to those who lost their lives on 9/11.

     Tickets are $8, available by contacting Trudy Soucy at 273-3610 or at the door.

Meet baby belties

     ROCKPORT -- Aldermere Farm will host its fifth annual New Calf Unveiling Day from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Saturday, May 13. The public is invited to tour the farm and welcome the new calves into the world. The Aldermere Achievers 4H Club will be at the farm demonstrating techniques used in caring for cattle, while staff and volunteers will provide information about the farm and calves and answer questions.

     In support of sustainable agriculture, the farm will once again have several local farms on site offering information regarding the goods they produce. Examples of locally raised goods include blueberries, alpacas, lamb, goats, poultry, maple syrup, garden vegetables, and fruit.

     More than 700 people visited the farm last year for the event. In case of rain, the event will be held Sunday, May 14.

     The farm asks that visitors be considerate of these new moms and baby cows by not running or using loud voices when around them; dogs must remain home.

     The farm is located at 70 Russell Ave. Call 236-2739 for information.

Old-time music mastery at The Strand

     ROCKLAND -- Old-time music master Bruce Molsky will present a solo performance at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 13, at The Strand Theatre, 345 Main St.

     One of the most influential fiddlers of his generation, Molsky also is a remarkable guitarist, banjoist and singer. His high-spirited music melds the archaic mountain sounds of Appalachia, the power of blues and the rhythmic intricacies of traditional African music.

     Renowned old-time musicians Tommy Jarrell and Albert Hash were two of Molsky’s mentors in the Blue Ridge Mountains where he first learned to play. Thanks in part to time spent with these masters, Molsky has earned numerous awards at fiddle and banjo competitions and has become a highly sought-after fiddle and banjo teacher. He conducts his own intensive fiddle workshop program all over the United States and is a regular instructor at Augusta Heritage Center, Jay Ungar & Molly Mason’s Ashokan Music Camp, Alasdair Fraser’s Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddle Camp and others.

     Molsky has been featured on “A Prairie Home Companion” and has performed and recorded with many great players including Martin Hayes, Darol Anger, Alasdair Fraser, the Waverly Consort and Mike Seeger. He has performed extensively at festivals and concert venues including New York City’s Lincoln Center and the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival, and he tours frequently both here and abroad.

     Tickets are $12, general admission. For information, call 594-0070.

Music for Mother’s Day

     ROCKLAND -- Midcoast Chorale will present its spring program, under the direction of Dan Allen of Rockland, at 3 p.m. Sunday, May 14, at Aldersgate Methodist Church, Route 17.

     The Aldersgate Bell Choir also will perform. A special treat will be a reprise of portions of the standing-room-only concert by organist Dorothy Koski and pianist Barbara Marsh. The concert, “An American Music Experience,” promises enjoyable music for all.

     The Midcoast Chorale was founded in 2004 as an opportunity to sing widely varied choral music in an atmosphere of fun and fellowship. Potential audience members must ask themselves if they are willing to laugh while also enjoying spirited quality presentations by musicians both known and unknown to the Midcoast.

     Admission will be donations to help defray costs for music, space and other fees. For information, call 743-6001.

Jazz jam at Second Read

     ROCKLAND -- The second Sunday jazz jams continue at the Second Read Books & Coffee, 328 Main St.

     The next jam extravaganza will be 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, May 14. All musicians interested in jazz are welcome, and there will be free drinks for participants.

     For information, call 594-4123.

Service honoring mothers

     WEST ROCKPORT -- The public is invited to attend a program honoring mothers and tradition at the Rockville Community Chapel on Old Rockland Street at 3 p.m., Sunday, May 14.

     The Rev. Ralph Miller will be the guest speaker and music will be presented by Bob Smith and Glennis Bickman.

     Special moms will be acknowledged with pansies and begonias.

     The chapel’s Board of Directors is excited about reviving old traditions at the chapel and hopes this will become an annual event. The last Mother’s Day service took place in 1972.

     The Rockville Community Chapel is a non-denominational facility.

Family concert for Mother’s Day

     WASHINGTON -- Gibbs Library will offer a free, family concert at 4 p.m., Sunday, May 14.

     The nationally-touring husband and wife musical duo, Two of a Kind, will present “Seven Nights To Read,” an interactive family concert featuring songs about reading books. Their music gets audiences of all ages involved through singing, movement, puppets, sign language and more.

     For information call 845-2663. The library is located at 40 Old Union Road.

Historic premiere at RDHS concert

     ROCKLAND -- The Rockland District High School Concert Choir and Concert Band will present the final program for the year at 6:45 p.m. Monday, May 15, at the high school’s Performing Arts Center, 400 Broadway.

     The program will open with the mixed choir, followed by solos and small vocal ensembles performed by members of the senior class. The group is under the direction of Richard Walton.

     The Concert Band, comprised of Rockland District middle and high school students under the direction of Marlene Hall, will take the stage to perform several selections, including two performed May 6 at the Music In the Parks Festival at Six Flags New England, for which the band received a second-place award.

     The concert will conclude with the premiere of a composition commissioned by the School Administrative District 5 Music Boosters for the RDMS/RDHS Bands by Annette LeSiege of New Jersey City University. The composition, “Boynton’s Quest,” musically honors the historic flight of Rockland’s own Stanley Boynton and his record-setting transcontinental flight in 1930 from the airfield located on the current South School/RDMS property.

     “Boynton’s Quest” is a multi-media presentation, with historic aerial photos accompanying the music. Students Jen Lothrop, Greg Gagne and Dustin Dinsmore, with the assistance of Dave Machaiek of the Owls Head Transportation Museum, are coordinating this presentation for the premiere. A reception to meet LeSiege and to honor the seniors will be held in the cafeteria immediately after the concert.

     LeSiege received her musical training at San Jose State University and the Eastman School of Music. LeSiege is a member of the music faculty at New Jersey City University, where she teaches music theory and composition in the undergraduate and graduate programs.

     LeSiege’s music has been performed throughout the United States and in Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan and Spain. Her composition include chamber music for a variety of combinations, several orchestral works, vocal and choral pieces and music for dance and theater productions. LeSiege has received several awards, including being awarded a residency at the MacDowell Colony in Peterborough, N.H.

CHRHS presents spring choral concert

     ROCKPORT -- The Camden Hills Regional High School choruses, under the direction of Kimberly Murphy and accompanied by Mary Bevan, will present their annual spring choral concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 16, in Strom Auditorium.

     The concert will feature the CHRHS Concert Choir, Chorale, Women’s Choir and Chamber Singers, plus many student soloists. The program marks Mozart’s 250th birthday and will be a celebration of music from the time of Mozart to the present. The selections, presented in chronological order, will span a variety of styles and cultures.

     Preconcert music, ancient melodies sung by the CHRHS Women’s Choir, will waft through the lobby as audience members enter the auditorium. The concert will officially open with the combined Concert Choir and Chorale singing a rendition of Mozart’s “Alleluia” from Exultate Jubilate, accompanied by student string players Sarah Oakes, Shelby Crowell, Kateland Oakes, Zoe Jones, Sarah Miller and Audrey Maddox.

     Additional favorites will be “Ol’ Man River” with soloists Bruce Dodge, Cole Seymour, Mike Frier, Brian Allen, Justin Johndro, Kevin Moholland and Michael Weferling; “Over the Sea to Skye,” accompanied by Saphrona Stetson on piano and Tana Scott on clarinet; and a contemporary setting of “Agnus Dei,” accompanied by Kevin Moholland on piano, Casey Garretson on French horn and Alysson Ettinger and Brian Sandefur on percussion.

     The CHRHS Women’s Choir and Chamber Singers each will sing a selection from their award-winning trip to New York City. The women will sing Carillo’s sensitive rendition of “Ave Maria,” while the Chamber Singers will offer a rousing version of the sea chantey “Drunken Sailor.”

     In addition to performances by the CHRHS choirs, two selections will be sung by the new a cappella boys ensemble, an after-school group with singers in grades four through 12. Awards recognizing students’ achievements at this year’s district and state festivals, plus special recognition awards, will be announced at the concert and presented in a celebration reception in the Wave Cafe following the concert.

     The reception will feature cake in honor of Mozart’s birthday and in celebration of the students’ successes in New York City. Admission to the concert is free. For information, call Murphy at 236-7800, Ext. 295.

Film Fest and dessert at GVHS

     THOMASTON -- The 2006 Buccaneer Broadcasting Film Festival and Project Graduation dessert buffet is set for Tuesday evening, May 16, at Georges Valley High School, Valley Street.

     Buccaneer Broadcasting Co.’s third annual film festival will be 6 p.m.-9 p.m. GVHS film students are finalizing film projects created during the year for award categories that include Best Production Co. Logo, Music Video, Commercial, Special Effects, Best Animation and Film of the Year.

     The “Charlie” will be given to the winning film company of the Film the Year and these student filmmakers will have their hands cast in a Hollywood-style cement slab. Students will be filming the arrivals of the production companies starting at 6 p.m.

     In addition to the films and awards ceremony, there will be special performances by Waiting on Ian, Wooly’s Sound Investment and J-Dawg and the Advisees. Film festival-goers can help raise funds for Project Graduation by satisfying their sweet tooths at the dessert buffet.

     Admission will be $5 adults and $3 students.

Composting classes offered

     CAMDEN -- Two free classes on home composting will be given this spring. The first is at 7 p.m., Wednesday, May 17, at Camden Hills Regional High School, and the second is at 10 a.m., Saturday, June 3, at Merryspring Nature Park in Camden.

     By composting kitchen scraps and garden prunings, leaves and weeds, individuals can produce a rich, sweet-smelling soil amendment for house plants, flower and vegetable gardens, and a valued gift to other gardeners.

     Compost makes garden soil loose and absorbent, holding moisture in dry weather and feeding your plants. An estimated 25 percent of the average household’s waste can be composted, saving trips to the dump and avoiding the town’s costs of shipping wet waste to the incinerator that turns it into greenhouse gases.

     The classes will be be conducted by Sonia Spalding and Beedy Parker.

     The May 17 class is sponsored by Five Town CSD Adult and Community Education. Call 236-7800, Ext. 274 to register.

     The June 3 class is sponsored by Merryspring Nature Park and no preregistration is necessary. Merryspring is located at the end of Conway Road. For information, call Merryspring information at 236-2239 or visit www.merryspring.org.