Maine illustrator and writer Anne Sibley O’Brien will give a presentation.

PORTLAND – Portland Stage Company will host an afternoon of free performances and workshops for families, with the PSC’s Affiliate Artists as both performers and teachers, Saturday, Jan. 14. Featured will be staged-readings and songs celebrating nature and winter with special selections focusing on cultural diversity in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

The open house will begin at 1 p.m. The first offering will be staged-readings of three adapted children’s stories: “Anytime Mapleson and the Hungry Bears,” by Mordicai Gerstein; “Curse in Reverse,” by Tom Coppinger and Dirk Zimmer; and “My Brother Martin,” by Christine King Farris. These tales about sugaring time in New England, a witch who can make a curse do good, and the childhood of Martin Luther King Jr. are recommended for children ages 4 to 7.

Later in the afternoon, Maine illustrator and writer Anne Sibley O’Brien will take the stage with a multimedia presentation of “Who Belongs Here?” recommended for children 8 years and older. “Who Belongs Here? An American Story” (written by Margy Burns Knight, illustrated by Anne Sibley O’Brien and published by Tilbury House) traces the experiences of a young Cambodian boy who fled from war in his homeland as he adjusts to life in a new country. Side by side with this individual story is the larger history of immigration to the United States, challenging young minds to seek compassionate answers to important questions of our day. Yunhee O’Brien and young people from the Portland area will join O’Brien in presenting the book.

O’Brien is a children’s book writer and illustrator who lives on Peaks Island. She has performed in a number of local productions, including “Food Chain” (Portland Stage Studio Theatre) and her own solo piece, “White Lies,” directed by Michael Rafkin.

Throughout the afternoon, PSC’s Affiliate Artists will lead theater games and workshops for children and their parents/caregivers. One section is geared for students 8 years and older; the other for children 4 to 7 years old.

The program will also offer backstage tours of the Portland Stage Company facility, including the set and costume shops. Refreshments will be served in the lobby for a modest donation.