PORTLAND/ELLSWORTH — The Maine Theater Fund has awarded 23 grants that total nearly $70,000 to support professional and community theaters in the production and presentation of live theater.

Recognizing the connection between vibrant communities and support for the arts, an anonymous couple established the Maine Theater Fund at the Maine Community Foundation in 2005 to strengthen and sustain theater performance throughout the state. Awards are typically between $2,500 and $5,000.

Grant recipients in 2015 included:

Denmark Arts Center, for production of “Rules to Follow in Cloud Engineering,” a full-length experimental work that combines film, theater and music to tell the story of controversial polymath and Rangeley resident Dr. Wilhelm Reich

Figures of Speech Theatre, for the final workshop phase and premiere performances at Bates College of composer David Lang’s Pulitzer Prize-winning composition, “The Little Match Girl Passion”

Harborside Shakespeare Company, for a Shakespeare festival in Acadia National Park, including a series of performances and educational activities.

The Maine Community Foundation, a statewide organization with offices in Ellsworth and Portland, works with donors and other partners to improve the quality of life for all Maine people. To learn more or view the complete list of grant recipients, visit www.mainecf.org.