LEWISTON – The Great Falls Forum kicks off its sixth season Thursday when actor Eric Booth will appear at the Lepage Conference Center at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center.

Booth’s talk is titled, “From Enrichment to Essential: Why America Today Needs the Arts More than Ever.”

Never before has a populace seen the arts as so peripheral to the real concerns of daily lives, Booth said. And never before has a country needed exactly what the arts provide more than America today. Prepare to think of the arts as more than the occasional trip to the museum, or a nice learning enrichment for students or senior citizens, he said. The arts pack a financial, social, educational and cultural wallop that is usually overlooked.

Booth travels the country working with arts organizations and said he sees the impact from the ground up. Don’t expect a PowerPoint lecture with lots of statistics.

Booth admits to having enjoyed four careers, sometimes simultaneously. He has performed in many plays on- and off-Broadway and with many famous actors. He has directed and produced in New York and won acting awards on both coasts. He is currently on the faculty of The Juilliard School and has taught at Stanford University and New York University. He also serves on the faculties of The Kennedy Center, Tanglewood and Lincoln Center Institute.

The Sun Journal, St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center and Lewiston Public Library welcome new partner Bates College on board this season. Bates has been a major contributor over the years through the work of former Dean Jim Carignan.

Great Falls Forum is a monthly public platform encouraging thought-provoking speakers and discussion. Everyone is welcome. There are no dues and no obligations.

Contact Jeanne Lachance at (207) 784-7045, ext. 2243 on or before Tuesday, Sept. 16, for lunch reservations. Lunch is $5 with preregistration or $8 at the door, if space is still available.