“Annual Blistered Fingers Bluegrass Festival,” Fairgrounds, Litchfield

Aug. 23-26, Thursday-Sunday, all day events, “Annual Blistered Fingers Bluegrass Festival,” the festival grounds have a big stage that was built in 2010, Indoor bathroom facilities, four free hot showers and numerous water hookups throughout the grounds, and electrical hookups. There will be several types of vendors located on the grounds. The festival location has that ‘Welcome Home’ Country atmosphere. Everyone who attends loves our camping grounds. We also have a lot of Field picking through the whole time of the festival. We have the Blistered Fingers Kids Academy. Blistered Fingers has a free, relaxed, informative three-day music program for children for ages 6-18. The focus is how to play, sing and perform bluegrass music. Students can bring their own instruments and will commit to the three-day program. The kids all get a Free T-Shirt and perform a couple of songs as a group on Main stage. We’re all so proud!! The gates will open at 8 a.m. on Sunday, August 19, 2018. Weekend tickets for each festival will cover four days of great music and camping from Wednesday to Saturday and Sunday Morning Gospel Sing Along and Jam. Day tickets are also available at the gate. There will be several types of vendors located on the grounds and an extra-large tent for coverage. Just bring your lawn chairs and come have a great time. Prices per person: Tickets available at Gate: Earl Bird Camping (Sunday, Monday & Tuesday before festival) $10/ day per camper All four days with FREE camping- $90Children 16 and under Free with Paying Adult Wednesday only- $15Thursday only- $20Friday only- $35 after 5:00 p.m. – $25Saturday only- $35 after 5:00 p.m. – $25Sunday – FREE with Weekend pass Dogs- $10Power- $35 for your entire stay, Litchfield Fairgrounds, 30 Plains Road, Litchfield. FMI: 207-873-6539, blisteredfingers.com.
Aug. 23-25 and 29, Thursday-Saturday and Wednesday,” 2pm/Thurs, 8pm/Thurs.-Sat. and Wed, “Dial M for Murder,” Tony Wendice has married his wife, Margot, for her money and now plans to murder her for the same reason. He blackmails an old acquaintance into carrying out the murder, but the carefully-orchestrated set-up goes awry, and Margot stays alive. Made famous by the 1954 Alfred Hitchcock film starring Grace Kelly, you won’t want to miss this suspenseful end to the summer, $30/adult, $25/senior, $15/student, Hackmatack Playhouse, 538 School St., Rte. 9, Berwick. FMI: 207-698-1807, hackmatack.org.
Aug. 23-26, Thursday-Sunday, 7pm, “Much Ado About Nothing: Shakespeare in the Plaza,” as part of Lewiston Public Library’s Ye Olde Shakespeare week, Gypsy Lew Theater Company is excited for the return of Shakespeare in the Plaza, with their production of Much Ado About Nothing!When soldiers return from a victorious battle, with all matters of war resolved, it seems there is little to do but party, find love, and meddle in friends’ affairs. This comedy centers around two couples: one, the young and sweet Claudio and Hero, and the other, the reluctant and prideful Beatrice and Benedick, who are caught in a “merry war…of wits.” Our story plays out in the setting of post WWII Hawaii. Bring your blankets and chairs, free but donations appreciated, Dufresne Plaza, Lisbon Street, Lewiston. FMI: 207-513-3135, lplonline.org.
Aug. 23-25. Thursday-Saturday, 8pm, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” a fast-paced farce that promises to have audiences rolling on the floor. Taken straight from the roots of comedy, Forum combines the ancient comedies of Plautus with a vaudevillian delivery. Pseudolus schemes to win the heart of the beautiful virgin, Philia, for his young master, Hero. In exchange, Hero will grant Pseudolus his freedom once and for all. However, things are never as easy as they seem. Chaos ensues with hair-brained schemes, cases of mistaken identity, slamming doors and convoluted plot twists. One of the funniest musicals ever written, Forum promises: “Something for everyone: a comedy tonight,” $23-$25, Lakewood Theater, 76 Theater Road, Madison. FMI: 207-474-7176, lakewoodtheater.org.
Aug. 24, Friday, 6:30pm, “Comedy with Bob Marley and Friends,” one the great storytelling comedians, Marley has an endless supply of material about his family, his travels, and his home state of Maine. This is a 21-plus show. Dinner will begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by the show at 8 pm, $28/show, $60/meal and VIP seating, Somerset Abbey, 98 Main Street, Madison. FMI: 207-696-5800, www.somersetabbey.net.
Aug. 24, Friday, 7:30pm, “Staged Reading of Howard’s End,” staged Reading of Howards End adapted by Caroline Hewitt and Autumn Dornfeld from the E.M. Forster novel. Directed by Linsay Firman “Only connect the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its highest. Live in fragments no longer.” ― E.M. Forster, Howards End Margaret and Helen Schlegel value poetry, romanticism, and emotion. Henry Wilcox wants more money and more power. Leonard Bast aspires to something above the bleak poverty he is stuck inside. When the four characters meet, the sisters’ relationship to each other, themselves, and the way they see the world, changes forever. Four actors play 20 characters in this adaptation of Forster’s 1910 novel which poses questions that seem more urgent now than ever: how can we connect with people who aren’t like us? Can relationships endure changed values? And, what do we owe each other, $10, Theater at Monmouth, Cumston Hall, 796 Main Street, Monmouth. FMI: 207-933-9999, www.theateratmonmouth.org.
Aug. 24-26, Friday-Sunday, 7:30pm/Fri. and Sat, 2pm/Sun, “Marriage is Murder,” ex-spouses Paul and Polly Butler write murder mysteries together. They act out the crimes in Paul’s apartment: poisoned chocolates and lethal martinis, alibis and fingerprints, bodies in a trunk and bodies all tied up, daggers, guns and even an axe all contribute to the hilarity. Nobody gets hurt, but their egos take some hits as they find that their marriage was mixed up with their work. There are many fast-paced comic twists as they attempt to outdo and surprise each other and they learn that marriage, like murder, is in the details. The final witty complication is a real murder which they and the audience should have seen coming. This murderously funny two-character comedy is by the author of Accommodations, $12/adults, $10/students and seniors, Gaslight Theater, Hallowell City Hall, 1 Winthrop Street, Hallowell. FMI: 207-626-3698, GaslightTheater.org.