ORONO – During the University of Maine spring break, students in the School of Performing Arts are performing “Baba Yaga and the Black Sunflower” at area elementary and middle schools.

Carol Korty, Professor Emerita at Emerson College and a guest artist at UMaine, is author and director of the folktale recommended for children 8 and older. Its themes are about getting along with others, intuition, imagination and courage. Two main characters are Baba Yaga, a wise, feared witch, and Maryushka, a young girl who feels like she doesn’t fit in. Baba Yaga is a Russian folktale character. She brews magic potions, is rumored to eat misbehaving children and lives in a five-sided talking hut that walks on giant chicken legs. She flies through the deep forest in a giant mortar that she steers with a pestle. Maryushka, who both loves nature and is scared of it, has gotten into trouble and is determined to find a way out.

A local performance is scheduled for Thursday, March 6 at the Leonard Middle School in Old Town at 9 a.m. In addition, UMaine students will perform the play at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 22, at Al Cyrus Pavilion Theatre on campus. Tickets are available at the door. Cost is $5 per person; free with a student MaineCard.