FARMINGTON — The University of Maine at Farmington will be hosting a theatre workshop production of “All the Good They Gave Us” and “Migratory Birds”, both of which are written by playwright and UMF Instructor of Theater Jayne Decker. The productions will take place on Thursday, Dec. 7, Friday, Dec. 8, and Saturday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. and all proceeds will be donated to charity.

The production will feature UMF alumni Jonas Maines [2019 graduate] and Hailey Craig [2020 graduate] and student actors Justin Reid and Eva Tebbutt. The four will be joined by professional actors Tim Wheeler, known for productions at the Nebraska Shakespeare Festival, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, and the Pearl Theater in New York City, and Lisa Stathoplos, who is known for numerous stage, voice, and film roles over her 40-year-career, such as 1989’s Pet Sematary.

No ticket prices are currently set for the productions. Participants are encouraged to make a charitable donation as their admission price and can be made at the box office by cash or check. The organizations that will be benefiting from the performance are Western Maine Community Action and Safe Voices.

Nonperishable food items can also be dropped off at the performance for UMF’s Thrifty Beaver, a student-run food pantry and clothing exchange aimed at supporting the campus community and combating food insecurity, and St. Joseph Nutrition Center.

“We thank the good people who work to house and feed other humans,” Decker said in an email with The Franklin Journal.

Decker’s decision to have the proceeds go to charity play into the themes of the two plays themselves, with “Migratory Birds” being a story about a single father struggling with his rent while his landlord faces the same struggles with his mortgage. The play was a finalist in drama for the Maine Literary Awards in 2022 and contains adult content and language, with themes intended for a mature audience.

“All the Good They Gave Us”, which was awarded the 2023 Maine Literary Drama Award, is set on the coast of Maine and explores the relationship between an Irish father, his adult daughter and their neighbors following a tragic event that is shared between the two families.

“Theatre is a powerful force that can bring us inside the experience of others,” Decker stated. “As a playwright, I’m grateful for this group of actors – our students and alumni performing with our visiting artists, Tim and Lisa – who traveled to our campus to workshop these new plays.”

For more information on the production, contact Decker at jdecker@maine.edu. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling Shari Witham with the Department of Arts and Humanities at [207] 778-7425.

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