IN PERSON AT THE LEWISTON-AUBURN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND THE PUBLIC THEATRE

Lewiston-Auburn Senior College is partnering with The Public Theatre to offer a unique opportunity for you to get a behind-the scenes look at a thrilling stage adaptation of Stephen King’s MISERY, the first play in The Public Theatre’s 2025-26 season, The Theatre will be offering us a sneak peek into the rehearsal process, including the chance to ask questions about the experience of how much work it takes to produce a professional play.

You may have read Stephen King’s best-selling psychological thriller or seen the Oscar-winning film adapted by William Goldman (Marathon Man), but nothing compares to seeing the story play out live on stage. Truth is stranger than fiction when a famous romance novelist veers off the road in a winter storm and wakes up incapacitated in the home of his “number one fan.” A heart-pounding life or death game of cat and mouse quickly ensues as his number one fan unexpectedly becomes his number one enemy.

Session One: October 8, 11-1 at the Chamber of Commerce Conference Room (415 Lisbon Street, a short walk from the Public Theatre). A two-hour discussion about the themes and content of the play.  How does it differ from its source material?  How are the events from the book and the movie depicted on stage in front of an audience?  How do we give a sense of time and place on the stage, without the book’s narration and the film’s ability to be virtually anywhere?  We will also include a sneak peek of set and costume designs for the play. After the discussion, we will travel over to the Public Theatre to see the set “in progress.”  Experience up close the amazing craftsmanship of the set designers and builders.

Session Two: October 15 (at the Public Theatre, time TBA) A Rehearsal Sneak Peek:  Attend a short piece of rehearsal to watch the script transition from page to stage.  See the Director work with the actors to make the story come to life.

Session Three:  October 26 (at the Public Theatre, 2pm) Attend a matinee performance of MISERY, which will be followed by a post-show discussion with cast members, led by The Public Theatre’s Artistic Director, Janet Mitchko. (Cost of matinee ticket is covered by tuition for the course.)

Reading:  

NOTE:  A familiarity with MISERY is helpful, but reading the book or seeing the movie is not a prerequisite for participation.  Participants will be asked to read the play’s script prior to the first session.  It is available in one of four ways: 

• You may purchase the script for $13 at Dramatists https://www.dramatists.com/cgi-bin/db/single.asp?key=5493
• You may read it free on line at: https://www.scribd.com/document/852716717/Misery-Script
• You can sign out one of 2 copies for 3 days at the Public Theatre.  Please call ahead to reserve the copy for pickup at 782-2211.
• The Lewiston Public Library has ordered copies of the script for borrowing.

Ray Dumont is Executive Director of The Public Theatre in Lewiston, Maine 

Janet Mitchko is Artistic Director of The Public Theatre in Lewiston, Maine

IN PERSON AT AUBURN PUBLIC LIBRARY AND ZOOM 

Everyone who registers will receive a link to ZOOM in their email on the morning of the class, and may attend either in-person or by ZOOM

"Making the Invisible Visible: A Photovoice Project by Black Elders in Maine" is a storytelling project undertaken by Black Elders to challenge the  invisibility of 'aging while Black' in Maine. Leslie Hill, Project Facilitator will describe the PV process from choosing focus questions, coaching in basic photography, sharing stories about the meaning of pictures taken, to celebrating the richness of Black older adults' experiences of and contributions to life in Maine. Learn in this session about the meaning and impact of storytelling with images.    

Leslie Hill, Bates College Professor Emerita and convener of the Black Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPoC) Elders Group, led the work on this MCOA project.

IN PERSON AT AUBURN PUBLIC LIBRARY AND ZOOM

Everyone who registers will receive a link to ZOOM in their email on the morning of the class, and may attend either in-person or by ZOOM

Executive Director of the Wabanaki Alliance and Penobscot Nation tribal citizen Maulian Bryant (she/her) will lead a lecture and discussion on the Wabanaki tribal nations and the quest to restore important rights around sovereignty and self determination. She will analyze history and policy, make recommendations for how to heal the relationship between the tribes and the state, and share about upcoming work and how to stay informed. She invites questions and conversation.

IN PERSON AT AUBURN PUBLIC LIBRARY AND ZOOM

Everyone who registers will receive a link to ZOOM in their email on the morning of the class, and may attend either in-person or by ZOOM

This presentation will focus on the climate and clean energy advocacy of The Natural Resources Council of Maine, the state’s leading nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization dedicated to protecting, restoring, and conserving Maine’s environment, now and for future generations. Since 1959, NRCM has harnessed the power of the law, science, and the voices of nearly 20,000 supporters statewide and beyond to protect the places and way of life that make Maine so special.

Josh Caldwell works to build coalitions that can effectively implement policy by pushing our state and federal legislators to act on climate and clean energy initiatives. For the past six years, he has been engaged in environmental and political organizing in Maine, forging new connections and deepening his knowledge of an incredible state.

INPERSON AT AUBURN PUBLIC LIBRARY AND ZOOM

Everyone who registers will receive a link to ZOOM in their email on the morning of the class, and may attend either in-person or by ZOOM

Tracy Hart, who has spent many years working with Maine’s loon population both for the annual loon count and for the Loon Restoration Project, will talk with us about the health of our symbolic birds and what is being done to protect them.

Tracy Hart is a conservation biologist with Maine Audubon.

IN PERSON AT AUBURN PUBLIC LIBRARY AND ZOOM

Everyone who registers will receive a link to ZOOM in their email on the morning of the class, and may attend either in-person or by ZOOM.

How to get from where your community is to where you want it to be. The City of Auburn is in the process of completing a Comprehensive Plan to guide the City’s development for the next ten years. This class will discuss what comprehensive municipal planning is and why it is important to the future of a community and its citizens, how the public can participate in the planning process, and the legal importance of a comprehensive plan. Good planning is an essential tool for creating a vision for the future its citizens want for their community and identifying the actions needed to achieve it. Learn how to help your community realize the future it wants. 

John J Cleveland is the chairman of Auburn’s 2026 Comprehensive Planning Committee. He brings nearly 20 years of public service as a City Councilor and Mayor of Auburn, and State Senator and 38 years of professional experience as a planning and development consultant helping communities achieve their goals of improving their communities. John is a native of Lewiston-Auburn, and he and his wife Debora raised two adult sons here and have two grandchildren.