Welcome to Our 2025 Season
This season includes:
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February 27, 2025 at Meetinghouse Arts: Amy Walter, editor-in-chief of The Cook Political Report and political analyst for the PBS NewsHour, in conversation with Cal McKenzie. Walter specializes in forecasting and analyzing U.S. national elections. McKenzie is the former head of the Colby College Government Department. They will discuss the 2024 election and beyond.
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April 24, 2025 at Meetinghouse Arts: Dr. Ann McKee, a neurologist whose career focuses on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Dr. McKee will discuss with Carol Leary, former President of Bay Path University, her groundbreaking work on the effects on the brain of repetitive head impacts and concussions in sports and of Alzheimer’s.
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June 26, 2025 at Bowdoin's Kresge Auditorium: Ret. Adm. Gregory Johnson, former diplomat Susan Thornton and Former Ambassador Robert Gelbard will speak about the current status of the war in Ukraine in the context of the new world order.
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July 15, 2025, location TBD: Cullen Ryan, Executive Director Community Housing of Maine, Deb Desantis, CEO of CSH, a national organization on homelessness, Dr. Jim O’Connell, President of Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program and subject of renowned author Tracy Kidder’s book Rough Sleepers about his work with Boston’s homeless community, and Tracy Kidder himself will join the conversation about the homelessness crisis nationally and in Greater Portland and proposed alternatives to how we currently manage this issue.
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August 27, 2025, location TBD: Jeffrey Brown, journalist and senior arts and literature correspondent for the PBS News Hour leads a conversation with AO Scott, former chief film critic for the New York Times and now critic at large for the New York Times Book Review, and novelist Richard Russo about the many – oft underestimated – ways in which art and literature impact our lives.
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We will also be bringing to our stages experts in youth mental health, and a discussion about the changing face of news consumption.
Thank you to our many past season supporters. We welcome you to join us as a Season Supporter for our 2025 season.
Our 2025 Season
Thursday, February 27, 2025
Amy Walter, political analyst and award winning forecaster of national U.S. elections joins Calvin Mackenzie, former Chair of the Colby College Government Department, to discuss what the elections of 2024 foretell about the world we live in and the future of national U.S. elections.
Thursday, April 24, 2025
Ann McKee, MD, is a neurologist & neuropathologist at the VA Boston. Her career focuses on Alzheimer's disease and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), She will discuss her groundbreaking work on the effects on the brain of both repetitive head impacts and concussions in sports and Alzheimer’s with Dr Carol Leary, President Emerita of Bay Path University.
Thursday, June 26, 2025
Retired US Navy Admiral Gregory Johnson and retired diplomat Susan Thornton discuss the potential turmoil of Ukraine in 2025 in a conversation moderated by Robert Gelbard, American diplomat and former US Ambassador to Bolivia and Indonesia.
Cullen Ryan, Deb Desantis, Dr Jim O’Connell, Tracy Kidder
Tuesday, July 15, 2025
Cullen Ryan, Executive Director Community Housing of Maine, Deb Desantis, CEO of CSH, a national organization on homelessness, Dr. Jim O’Connell, President of Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program and subject of renowned author Tracy Kidder’s book Rough Sleepers about his work with Boston’s homeless community, and Tracy Kidder himself will join this conversation about the homelessness crisis nationally and in Greater Portland and proposed alternatives to how we currently manage this issue.
Wednesday, August 27, 2025
Jeffrey Brown, journalist and senior arts and literature correspondent for the PBS News Hour, leads a conversation with AO Scott, former chief film critic for the New York Times and now critic at large for the New York Times Book Review, and novelist Richard Russo about the many – oft underestimated – ways in which art and literature impact our lives.
2025 Lead Sponsors
Kathy Biberstein
Gregory Boulos
Joseph Boulos
Gladys Cofrin and Dr. Dan Logan
Dr. Ross W. Greene and Jenny McBrady
The Dara Jeanne Kaufman Fund
Legacy Properties Sotheby’s International Realty
David Douglas Stone
Robert and Joan Carpenter Troccoli
Amy Woodhouse and Tobey Scott
2025 Community Season Supporters
Liza Bakewell
Joe and Maury Bohan
Paul Biberstein
Jack and Kay Emory
Marcia Feller and Bob Murray
Marion Freeman and Corson Ellis
Peggy Golden
Amanda and Nicholas Kent
Kristi Marsh
Elizabeth McLellan
Col. Joseph and Janet Moan
Chris Parker
Tom and Rita Saliba
Ineke Schair
Clayton Spencer
Joseph and Carol Wishcamper
2025 Season Supporters
Michael and Nancy Beebe, Jane and Ed Bradley, Hooper Brooks, Steve and Judy Brown, Maryellen Carew, Amy and Matt Cartmell, Anne and Jim Cram, Julie and Matt Forsyth, Daniel and Julie Freund, Phil Gleason and Mary Schendel, John Gleason and Katrina Van Dusen, Gordie and Judy Hamlin, Michael and Bridget Healy, Carol and Dale Hudson, Jonathan and Cindi Knowles, Carol and Noel Leary, Steve Massicotte, Tony MacDonald and Denise Caron, Mari Miya and Bob Mehler, Stevan Morrow and Rommy Brown, Elizabeth and Hugo Murphy, Ken and Rosemary Murphy, Mary and Ken Nelson, Martha Nichols, Mark Nordenson, John and Dean Paterson, Fred and Pat Palmer, Ann Parker, Stephanie Paine and John Pier, Steve Poulos, Ford and Karen Reiche, Lynn and Jim Shaffer, David Soley and Deb Coppinger, Steve and Beth Sunenblick, Susan Tananbaum
CONTACT
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Freeport Speech
PO Box 284
South Freeport, ME 04078, USA