About Love: Esther’s Story

When:
December 1, 2024 @ 12:15 pm – 1:30 pm
2024-12-01T12:15:00-05:00
2024-12-01T13:30:00-05:00
The First Universalist Church of Auburn presents About Love: Esther’s Story” on Sunday, Dec. 1 at 12:30pm. This one-act play is staged as a readers theater piece with music, celebrating the remarkable Esther Tucker, of Poland, and her life-long commitment to Auburn UU. Born into the congregation, Tucker is the church’s oldest member at the age of 93.
The Adult Religious Education group, chaired by Charles I. Nero, is presenting a year of programming on the theme “The Power of Love,” to explore the Unitarian Universalist Association’s new covenant, approved at its annual meeting in June of 2024. “Love is the power that holds us together,” the covenant proclaims, “and it is at the center of our shared values. We are accountable to one another for doing the work of living our shared values through the spiritual discipline of love.”
 
Conceived by Nero, “About Love” was developed from an interview with Esther Tucker by Nero and Toby Haber-Giasson, director of the church’s award-winning UU Theater group. This is the first collaboration between Adult RE and  UU Theater, one of the longest-running religious theater groups in Maine. The cast features Cindy Greathouse, Cynthia Grimm, and Toby Haber-Giasson as Esther’s alter-egos, with Ned Claxton as the interviewer. Legendary organist Phil House provides rich musical accompaniment of Tucker’s favorite hymns, and musician Pam Weeks lends her fiddling artistry to the production. 
The performance will be staged in Auburn UU’s Gothic Revival sanctuary. Designed  in 1876 by John Stevens of Boston, Massachusetts, the First Universalist Church of Auburn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
“About Love” will be preceded by a potluck from 11am-noon. Freewill donations to the church will be accepted in lieu of an admission fee. The show will also be viewable on the church Facebook page and the Zoom worship link.
First Universalist Church of Auburn is located at 169 Pleasant St. (entrance on Spring St. across from Dairy Joy). Accessible; parking available.  FMI, call 783-0461 or contact office@auburnuu.org.