In the beginning of November, a group of USM students and faculty from the art, theater, and music departments met to discuss a new collaborative production. This was the first time these groups had assembled to present the separate projects they had been working on.

Once put together, the final result grew and became “Molded by the Flow,” a musical and visual narrative of the effects of water on the state of Maine. The project is headed by Paul Dresher and Rinde Eckert, both internationally recognized performers and composers.

When the project was first initiated, no one had any idea where the student’s creations might lead. The Department of Art, School of Music, and Department of Theatre have all worked together over the past few months to create a theater experience like no other. Students crafted their own musical instruments, as well as composing music, creating visual art and writing the script.

As this project is a collaboration between departments, students and staff had to be open to the ever changing nature of the production. Rinde told the students at a press release, “Visuals can change the necessity of the music.”

The experience has been inspired by rivers and the oceans and their ever-important role in the history of Maine, its people, and its landscape. It is the journey through poetry and music of the people of Maine and how they have been influenced and shaped by our relationship with water, from the storms that strike our shores year after year to the infrastructure created around rivers.

Acting in the performance will be USM students Luis Del Valle, Emma Fitzgerald, Nate Genrich, Ben Holmquist, Ted Ingraham, Emma Page, and Jessie Vander. Kelsey Michaud, stage manager, is in charge of running the show when curtain opens.