May 10, 2009

This week we've got crime, tango, toys

Everyone loves a good crime story, right? That's why shows like CSI and Law & Order have versions that air practically 24/7. Monday is usually a light night on the entertainment schedule but tonight you can check out "Deadfall: Crime Stories by New England Writers," which will be read by some of those writers at Freeport Community Library at 6:30 pm. There will also be a Q&A in case you have big dreams of writing a crime story yourself and, even better, there will be cake! The library will also be celebrating Edgar Allen Poe on what would have been his 200th birthday. It's free to listen and to eat.

If you'd rather listen to music tonight don't forget it's Open Decks at Slainte with DJ Silverchild and Elusid at 9 pm.

And at North Star tonight you can learn to tango at 7 pm thanks to the folks from PortTango. Bring your two left feet and join the fun. The suggested donation is well within your budget.

Spend your Tuesday lunch hour getting educated about your city. Maine Historical Society is offering a free event from noon-1 pm called "The State of Main Street, Maine." Roxanne Elfin and Greg Paxton are the presenters and they'll tell you why investing in downtown Portland (or any city in Maine) is a good thing.

After work head on over to SPACE for the May version of Greendrinks. And even though the green-minded networking is free, you want to bring a little cash to this one. The beer's gonna cost you $1, which will be donated to Goodwill, one of the sponsors of the event. Goodwill will also be putting together a little boutique inside SPACE, and you might go home with some inexpensive used prizes. If you bring an item to donate you'll get a ticket for the raffle so you could win a new prize.

Wednesday sounds like a good day to support the kids in the neighborhood and the Telling Room has just the event. So it's back to SPACE to check out the indoor manufactured neighborhood at 7 pm. You can listen as the student contributors to "Tearing Down the Playground: Neighborhood Stories, Poems and Photographs" share their work. Plan on donating $5 to get in.

If you're looking for good cinema tonight make the drive to Ogunquit for the Classic Film Series at the Dunaway Center (School Street). Tonight's 7 pm show is "The Band Wagon," a 1953 musical comedy with Fred Astaire and Nanette Fabray - and it's totally free.

If it's feeling like a Thirsty Thursday you can do some free sipping at the wine tasting at Portland Public Market House. Find out what you like from 4:30-6:30 pm - which means that the night will still be very young if you decide to grab a bottle for yourself on the way out.

The Little Festival of the Unexpected continues tonight at Portland Stage. The evening's new play reading is "The Toymaker's War" by Jennifer Fawcett. The show about a journalist looking for the perfect story in Bosnia starts at 7 pm. Suggested donation is $5-$10.

Finally this week, if you've been touched by cancer (as a patient, survivor or through a loved one) and are looking for answers, the Cancer Community Center is presenting "The Secret" free of charge from 6-8 pm. Learn how to attract prosperity to your life and leave with a positive attitude - no matter what state you arrived in.