Mad Horse offers staged reading of ‘Club Meds’

On Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 22 and 23, Mad Horse Theatre in South Portland will offer a staged reading of the new musical, “Club Meds.”

Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday and admission is pay-what-you-can. The theater is located at the former Hutchins School, 24 Mosher St. Each of the two readings will be followed by a discussion with the artists.

This groundbreaking musical, which features lyrics by Sarah Safford, book by John Reynolds and music by Rob DelGaudio, Tanya Leah, Natalie Lovejoy and Jonathan Monro, offers an honest, heartfelt and surprisingly witty glimpse into a cancer support group.

“Club Meds” has been workshopped in both New York City and on Martha’s Vineyard and the reading at Mad Horse is another step in the play’s development into a full-fledged production.

“Almost everyone has been affected by cancer in one way or another but most of us have trouble talking about these painful experiences. Our hope for ‘Club Meds’ is to reach people through humor and song,” said Safford.

Land trust offers tidal pool exploration

On Saturday, Aug. 22, at 10 a.m., the South Portland Land Trust will hold a program featuring tidal pool exploration. The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place at the Spring Point shoreway. Come learn about the intertidal areas of Casco Bay and the Gulf of Maine.

Outdoor film fest at Bug Light Park

Bug Light Park in South Portland will play host to the Maine Outdoor Film Festival on Saturday, Aug. 22, 5:30-10 p.m. The rain date for the free event is Aug. 29.

Join in for an afternoon of family fun and outdoor activities. Then, once it’s dark, see various short adventure films from all across Maine and the world, including several finalists from the Broke and Stoked Video Contest.

The late-afternoon activities include a puppy petting area, facepainting, kayak tours, a yoga session on the lawn, food trucks and more. As darkness descends set up a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy the film screenings.

The films to be shown are:

• “Drifting Cloud,” a seven-minute film from Japan that features a lost cloud wandering the sky making friends, experiencing heartbreak and soaking in the wonders of life.

• “A Minute of Maine,” a series of one-minute films by Karl Youngs of Millinocket that attempts to show how the beauty of Maine can be found around every corner.

• “Snapshot of a Skatepark,” a four-minute film by Tim Ouillette of Portland, captures the essence of community, freedom and movement that can be found at any skatepark in any town, in any state and in any country. The movie melds documentary-style interviews with cinematic action shots.

• “The Hunt for Aquatic Invaders,” a nine-minute film by Stephen Underwood of Scarborough, is set on Moosehead Lake and focuses on the vital role that volunteers can play in local and statewide early detection and eradication efforts.

• “Chaos Theory: Point of Divergence,” is a four-minute piece from Canada and is Part 3 of a three-part series on chaos theory and takes the viewer to a far-off city where the protagonist is surrounded by oblivious people. But, when he closes his eyes, the path out of chaos becomes clear.

• “My 52 Weekends in Chile,” is a five-minute film, which tells the story of moviemaker Pier Paolo, who is so busy working he decides not to take any vacations, but to use the 52 weekends of the year as mini-getaways. He travels all around Chile doing the activities and sports he enjoys the most.

• “Nature-Rx: Part 2,” this two-minute movie from Colorado attempts to grab the viewer’s attention by providing a hilarious, unflinching look at what a person really needs to do to save themselves, each other and our planet from the threats posed by climate change.

• “Too Hot, Too Cold,” is a three-minute film by Ross Knowlton, also out of Millinocket.

• “Through the Artist’s Eyes,” is a four-minute movie by Charles Grunder of Kennebunk.

• “Windy Oasis” is a three-minute film from Brazil that focuses on the importance of overcoming challenges for those who want to live their dream.

• “Unrideables: Alaska Range,” is the longest movie to be shown. It’s a 46-minute by Derek Westerlund of California that introduces viewers to the sport of speedriding, which fuses elements of skiing and parachute flight. This hybrid approach gives its practitioners access to terrain that would otherwise be inaccessible.

Egret event, nighttime hike at Audubon center

This weekend, the Scarborough Marsh Audubon Center is offering two special events. See maineaudubon.org/find-us/scarborough-marsh, call 883-5100 or email smac@maineaudubon.org to sign up or for more information.

• Saturday, Aug. 22, 7 a.m.-2 p.m. – Snowy Egret Day

Experience a day of family fun, including a canoe tour, nature crafts, used book sale, nature and bird walks and more. This event is free and open to the public.

Other activities include special programs for children, as well as a variety of displays and information. The event is held in conjunction with the Friends of Scarborough Marsh and is designed to celebrate Maine’s largest saltwater marsh.

• Sunday, Aug. 23, 8 p.m. – Summer Night Hike

Rely on your senses to discover the mysterious nightlife at the marsh. On this family-oriented hike, participants will tune into the nighttime sounds of nocturnal animals as they move through the surrounding sky and land. Participants will also get the opportunity to touch and taste special marsh plants.

Pre-registration is required. The cost is $6 for members and $8 for non-members.

Library to host movie nights

Beginning Monday, Aug. 24, Thomas Memorial Library in Cape Elizabeth will host a new series of movie nights, which will feature independent and foreign films.

On Aug. 24, from 6-8 p.m., Wes Anderson’s 1998 film, “Rushmore” (rated R) will be shown at the library on Scott Dyer Road.

For more information about upcoming movie nights, and to watch the “Rushmore” movie trailer, visit the library’s website at www.thomasmemoriallibrary.org.

Playground social at Wentworth

On Wednesday, Aug. 25, 6-7 p.m., the Wentworth School in Scarborough will host a Playground Social for all incoming third graders and their families.

This is an opportunity for kids to meet and mingle with their classmates and to make new friends. This event, sponsored by the Wentworth PTA, is free and open to the public.

Scarborough host families wanted

The Scarborough School Department is seeking local families willing to host a college student from the Dominican Republic, who will be attending the University of Southern Maine under a foreign exchange program with the Universidad Iberoamericana. Anyone interested should call Kelly Johnston, at the superintendent’s office, at 730-4100.

Sneak peek at Scarborough Middle School

On Thursday, Aug. 20, 10 a.m. to noon, the Scarborough Middle School will hold a “Sneak Peek” event for sixth graders and their parents. The goal is to give students an opportunity to explore the sixth-grade learning community, as well as the rest of the building.

There will also be a laptop informational meeting in the Band Room at 9 a.m. There will also be additional meetings scheduled in September, as well as online opportunities to learn more.

Sign up for fall programs

Online registration for 2015 fall programs through Cape Elizabeth Community Services will open at 8 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 23, at www.capecommunityservices.org.

Residents are expected to receive a brochure about fall programs offered from the last week of August through the end of December.

For those registering in person at 343 Ocean House Road, or by phone, registration will open at 8 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 24. For more information call 799-2868.