Portland Present 19-20

From the Artistic Director
Each play in this season is about the transformative change that can happen when
we take time to listen to another person’s perspective rather than doggedly follow
our own. In Karen Zacarias’ Native Gardens, four well intentioned neighbors
find themselves battling over weeds, gardening styles, and property lines. Their
escalating conflict mirrors the partisan divide that seems ever present in our world
today. As the feud spirals to comic heights, the depths to which the four sink seems
limitless until the future abruptly forces the neighbors to think in a different way.
One man’s flower will always be another person’s weed. If we can imagine our
shared future and let that future be a catalyst to propel positive change, perhaps
we can find ways to make the world better for us all.
As the days get longer, and we pine for spring, it has been a challenge bringing
Native Gardens to life on our stage. We’ve had much support for this endeavor:
from The Coast of Maine who donated Quoddy Blend Lobster Composter, to Ron
Forest & Sons Fence Company who donated custom-made wood fencing and
posts, to the wholesale growers who had plants in bloom, to Lowe’s in Portland
who helped round out our foliage, it has taken a village to build this garden.
Here’s to the world we can create together if we choose to plant seeds together.
Anita Stewart,
Executive & Artistic Director
3