“Hey, Governah, my taxes are wicked high!” This memorable line came early in Taxing Maine and showed audience members in 31 towns that this Theater of Ideas performance would have a light touch. Commissioned from the Theater at Monmouth’s David Greenham and Dennis Price for the MHC’s 30th anniversary, this story of Maine taxation explored the topic from its earliest days and forms to more current issues, including the Taxpayer Bill of Rights on the Maine ballot in November 2006. Without taking a partisan position, but encouraging audience members to think about what taxes did not only to their pockets but also for their communities, Greenham and Price adopted a series of madcap characters throughout history—little-known politicians to popular grange leaders—to paint a rollickingly funny—and historically accurate—portrait of what people think about taxes. A discussion among audience members, facilitated by the actors, followed each performance.
State of Maine
Taxing Maine won three national awards for the MHC in 2007: both the Award of Merit and the WOW award from the American Association for State and Local History, and the Schwartz Prize from the Federation of State Humanities Councils. The Schwartz Prize is given annually to an outstanding public humanities initiative, and has been awarded to the MHC twice previously.
Taxing Maine toured the state from May through October 2006; it was offered free of charge in partnership with libraries, schools, and other community groups. Venues and partners included:
Auburn: Auburn Public Library | Bangor: Husson College | Bar Harbor: Jesup Memorial Library | Bath: Winter Street Center | Bethel: Gould Academy | Biddeford: McArthur Public Library | Brunswick: Curtis Memorial Library, sponsored by the League of Women Voters | Camden: Camden Public Library | Dexter: Abbott Memorial Library | Dover-Foxcroft: Center Theatre for the Performing Arts | Eastport: Eastport Arts Center | Farmington: University of Maine at Farmington | Gorham: White Rock Grange | Lewiston: Bates College | Lincoln: Lincoln Memorial Library | Lubec: American Legion Post #65 | Machias: University of Maine at Machias | Naples: Naples Public Library | North Haven: Waterman’s Community Center | Portland: Children’s Theater of Maine, Maine Historical Society, & Portland Public Library | Rangeley: Rangeley Public Library | Rockland: Rockland Public Library | Scarborough: Scarborough Public Library | Springvale: Springvale Baptist Church | St. Agathe: Wisdom High School | Stonington: Opera House | Van Buren: Van Buren High School Auditorium | Wells: York County Community College | West Newfield: West Newfield Town Hall. Winthrop: Winthrop Performing Arts Center
Taxing Maine was also performed at the 2006 Maine State Tax Preparers Convention and in Las Vegas, through the national program, Democracy and the Arts. Listen to an audio version via our podcast on our podcast page.
Supported by the We the People initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
