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March 2017
In this issue
Profile
Chris Queally
C

Advisory Board

Brown Bag
Lecture

Bike & Nosh
Group

Notes from Susan

OLLI Book Sale

New Exhibits on
OLLI Wall

Submit Your
Work to
Reflections

Walking Club

Appeal for New
Faculty

OLLI Night Out
The Play’s the Thing
for Chris Queally
hris Queally is a Shakespeare guru. His passion is such that his e-mail address begins
not “CQ” but “FF” — for First Folio, the first published collection of Shakespeare’s plays.
Chris taught English at Thornton Academy in Saco for more than
three decades. He retired in 2007 as Department Chair and Theater
Director. During his tenure he produced or directed 50 plays, 19 of
them Shakespeare’s. He took his students on theater trips to the
Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) in Stratford-upon-Avon and
the Globe Theatre in London.
For the past five years, Chris has shared his love and knowledge
of Shakespeare with OLLI students. As a faculty member, he is
currently offering a two-year series of courses about Shakespeare’s
histories. He is teaching eight plays that cover the period 1397–
1485. These works were not written in the chronological order in
which their action is set — seven kings, from Richard II to Henry
VII, reigned in 100 years — and their backstory is byzantine. In
his written introduction to the course series, Chris jokes about this
complexity: “It took me fifty years to learn these few pages of history. You need to know it next week.”
It might be said that Chris is an unlikely Shakespeare expert. He
readily points out that he quit high school at 16, quit college as a
sophomore, and quit graduate school at Seton Hall to volunteer for
a tour in Vietnam (where he was wounded and subsequently spent
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March 2017
Chris Queally
Page 2
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one year in the hospital). But he did have “good experiences with Shakespeare growing up” and remembers his father, an English teacher, reading the Bard at night.
A native of Yonkers, New York, Chris did get that high school diploma and a B.A. in English Literature from St. Francis College (now the University of New England). After the military, he earned an
M.S. in English and Secondary Education from Fordham University. He was a special education teacher for a couple of years — “I was good at it because I had been one of those students” — before joining
the Thornton Academy faculty.
It was only after he began teaching Shakespeare that Chris realized that Shakespeare’s works were
“better than anything else I was teaching. There was not anybody in the curriculum that I liked as
much.” Over time he adopted his approach of presenting Shakespeare “as an entertainer, rather than a
great writer who is boring and difficult to understand.”
Chris has received a number of teaching citations, including American Teacher Awards, Honoree in
English from the Disney Corporation (1996), and the Excellence in Teaching Award from the American Councils of International Education (1999).
His reach is indeed international. In 1992 Chris earned an M.A. in Shakespeare Studies: Text and Performance from the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon (through the University of Birmingham, England). In 1999, on a State Department grant, he gave a series of Shakespeare lectures to high
school teachers and college students in Kamchatka, Russia.
Chris has traveled, and continues to do so, in conjunction with his role as an accrediting agent for the
New England Association of Schools and Colleges. This work has taken him to Europe, Asia, and Central America, as well as to stateside destinations.
He also travels for leisure. He and his longtime partner, Janice Bayley, went sailing last month in the
British Virgin Islands. In April, they will spend five weeks in Europe, venturing from Germany to Austria to various cities in Italy and France, ending up in Paris.
At OLLI, Chris taught Macbeth, King Lear, and other Shakespeare tragedies and comedies before
undertaking the histories. As a student, he enjoyed his friend Steve Urkowitz’s course on the Odyssey
last summer. “I love OLLI,” he says. “The array of classes and the talent is just amazing.”
Chris and Janice live in South Portland. He is the father of Jennifer, a Portland-area mental health and
substance abuse counselor; Jessica, a labor and delivery nurse at Maine Medical Center; and Jonathan,
who is managing editor at Common Dreams, Portland’s news website for a national audience of the
progressively-minded. Janice also has a grown daughter. Altogether the couple has six grandchildren.
Chris takes his Shakespeare to the community. He taught evening Shakespeare classes at Thornton
Academy from his 2007 retirement until last year. He is currently on the board of MaineStage Shakespeare, a professional company in Kennebunk that performs Shakespeare in the park in the summer —
for free.
Of Chris’s many Shakespeare associations, one of the most gratifying was working with the Royal
Shakespeare Company so that his Thornton students could perform in the gardens of Shakespeare’s
birthplace. This was applied learning at its peak.
And for Chris himself, that learning is lifelong.
—Amy Liston
OLLI Runs on Volunteers ● OLLI Runs on Volunteers ● OLLI Runs on Volunteers ● OLLI Runs on Volunteers
March 2017
ADVISORY BOARD
Janet Stebbins, Chair
Jack Lynch, Vice-Chair
Elsa van Bergen, Communications
Chair
Matt Goldfarb, SAGE Chair
Richard Leslie, Resource Development
Chair
Paula Johnson, Community Chair
John Sutherland, Education Chair
Bob Bahm
Susan Gesing, Immediate Past Chair
Susan Jennings
Joy Larrabee
Tom McGovern
Gael McKibben
Steve Schiffman
Dick Sturgeon
Lois Winter
OLLI members are invited to attend
Advisory Board meetings. Check
with the OLLI office for date, time,
and place. Please contact the Chair if
you wish to address the Board.
WEB SITES
Maine Senior College Network
www.maineseniorcollege.org
OLLI National Resource Center
www.osher.net
OLLI at USM
www.usm.maine.edu/olli
OLLI STAFF
Susan Morrow, Assistant Director for
Program
Rob Hyssong, Program Coordinator
Linda Skinner, Admin. Assistant I
Sue Schier, Admin. Assistant II
OLLI NEWSLETTER
OLLI Office:
Wishcamper Center 210
P. O. Box 9300
Portland, ME 04104-9300
Phone: 207 780-4406 or
1-800-800-4876
TTY 1-207-780-5646
Fax: 207 780-4317
E-mail: [email protected]
Tim Baehr, Managing Editor
Don King, Editor
Amy Liston, Contributing Editor
Mogens Ravn, Layout Editor
Page 3
Advisory Board
I wonder if I could ask the help of the OLLI membership in answering a question posed to us by the OLLI National Resource
Center in preparation for their yearly conference in April:
What is it about OLLI at USM that makes it truly special or noteworthy?
Maybe it is a class that you took, a really compelling teacher, a
particular reading or film you engaged with, a theater or musical
ensemble, an art class or a Special Interest Group.
Maybe it is a friend you made in the process, or a sense of engagement you feel. Maybe it is a SAGE speaker, or an OLLI trip.
Maybe it’s OLLI Night Out, the Wine-Tasting Group, the Ski
Club, the Bike & Nosh group, or the Walking Club.
Maybe it is the helpfulness of the office staff. Whatever it is, I
would really be interested to hear about it.
Please drop me an e-mail at [email protected] — and thanks.
—Janet Stebbins, Board Chair
Brown Bag Lecture
“Music Appreciation: An Introduction” by Carl Smith
Monday, March 27. 11:45 a.m.—Wishcamper Center, 102
This lecture will feature an audio/video introduction to Carl
Smith’s music appreciation courses featuring a selection of
filmed performances of classical music, opera, and jazz, with a
discussion of each selection.
Carl Smith has taught 20 music appreciation courses at OLLI since 2008. He
uses very high-quality audio/video equipment to replicate live musical performances in the classroom.
Bike & Nosh Group March Meeting
Please send newsletter material to the
OLLI Office, via our e-mail.
The snow is melting, so it’s time to start thinking about spring
bike rides. The OLLI Bike & Nosh group will meet on Friday,
March 31, at 3:15 p.m. in Wishcamper
203 to plan our spring and summer
rides. All are welcome to join us. For
more information, e-mail Shoshana
Hoose at [email protected].
Deadline for the April
issue is March 15.
OLLI Runs on Volunteers ● OLLI Runs on Volunteers
March 2017
Page 4
NOTES FROM SUSAN
Thank you to everyone who made Spring registration the smoothest one so far. By letting the
system turn on automatically at one minute past midnight, it appears that there was no “log
jam,” and everyone successfully registered on their first or second attempt. And even though
some people did indeed register at midnight, as of 7:00 a.m. all classes still had space
available.
The staff especially appreciates your patience during registration week. Three out of four
staff persons were home with type A influenza at the same time, and it was during one of the
busiest weeks for the office! Thank you to Sue Schier, who single-handedly held the office
together. Thank you to our work-study students, who worked extra hours to help with
registration, office volunteers who put in extra time and effort, and to Board members who
offered help wherever they were needed. It is very reassuring to know so many people were
willing to step up to the plate when they were needed.
Registrations are still being accepted for Spring courses. Even though this is the largest
enrollment for Spring that we’ve ever had, several courses are in danger of being canceled due
to low enrollment. If you haven’t yet registered, please do. Cancellation decisions will be made
early in March.
—Susan Morrow, Assistant Director for Program
New Exhibits on OLLI Wall
OLLI Book Sale
Annual Book Sale to
benefit OLLI Scholarships:
 May 5, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
for OLLI and USM campus members only.
 MAY 6, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
for everyone
 Room 102, Wishcamper Center.
If you have books, CDs, DVDs, audiobooks,
puzzles, and games to donate, bring them to the
OLLI conference room on the second floor of
Wishcamper between April 19 and May 4.
Come see the new Gallery Wall outside the
OLLI office.
There is a new exhibit for the spring semester.
New offerings include watercolors by Mary
Barthelman and photography by Dudley Warner.
The Gallery Wall exhibit changes twice a year.
If you would like to show some of your work,
please contact Sidney Lincoln:
[email protected].
The only requirement is that pieces need to be
framed with hanging wire on the back. So stop
by, take a look, and
think about showing
your own work.
OLLI Runs on Volunteers ● OLLI Runs on Volunteers ● OLLI Runs on Volunteers ● OLLI Runs on Volunteers
March 2017
Page 5
Submit Your Work to Reflections
Reflections is OLLI’s annual journal of literature and art created by OLLI members. You can send in your submission between now and April 3. You do not have to have taken a writing or art or photography class at OLLI
to submit. You do have to be a current OLLI member. Below are the rules and regulations about submitting; be
sure to follow them closely.
OLLI Reflections Submissions 2017
Send an e-mail with the following required information in the body of the e-mail:
 Your name
 Your phone number and e-mail address
 A short biography (35-word maximum)
 The category of work you are submitting
 Art (including photos)
 Poetry
 Prose
 The title of your work (same as the file name of your electronic submission; see below)
Attach your submission to an e-mail and send it to [email protected] with “Reflections” in the
subject line.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The rules (Read these carefully. You must follow all the rules.)
General — Deadline is April 3, 2017.
 You must be a current OLLI member.
 You may submit up to two works in each of the three categories. Each submission must be sent as an
attachment in a separate e-mail.
 Do not put your name anywhere on your submission. All submissions are judged “blind.” If the
painting or drawing you photograph has your name on it, cover the name.
 If you submit elsewhere, you must let us know if your work is accepted. If we accept your work, you
must inform anyone else to whom you submitted your work.
Written submissions
 Prose: 1,000 words or less, 12-point type, double-spaced, one-inch margins, pages numbered
 Poetry: 12-point type, single-spaced, pages numbered
 Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx) or Rich Text format (rtf) only. We can NOT process Apple
Pages or Adobe .pdf files!
 We cannot accept revisions to your submission after we receive your entry.
Photo and art submissions
 Electronic (digital) file in .jpg or .jpeg format (this is the regular format for most cameras)
 Artwork: Take a digital picture of your non-photo artwork.
Make sure that you name or rename the electronic file (written or photo or art) with the same title as you list in
the actual submission. If you don’t do this, we may lose track of your submission!
 For a story titled “Joe’s Boat House,” send an attachment with the file name joesboathouse.doc
 For a photo titled “Sunset at Biddeford Pool,” send an attachment with the file name sunsetatbiddefordpool.jpg
Don’t let this technical stuff stop you! If you have questions or pr oblems, get in touch with our submissions manager, Tim Baehr, at [email protected] or 899-1043.
OLLI Runs on Volunteers ● OLLI Runs on Volunteers ● OLLI Runs on Volunteers ● OLLI Runs on Volunteers
March 2017
Page 6
Walking Club Lists Two Outings
We are switching the two outings in March.
On Wednesday, March 8, we will visit the Fels-Grove Farm Preserve in Yarmouth for snowshoeing. We will have lunch at a nearby home. Website:
http://rrct.org/preserves-trails/fels-groves-farm-preserve/
On Tuesday, March 28, we go to Riverside Golf Course in Portland to try their trail. You also could ski there if the snow cooperates. Website: http://trails.org/ourtrails/riverside-golf-course/
Both outings depend on the
amount of snow on the trail, so be
sure you check before deciding on
snowshoes or boots or skis.
The new schedule will be out in
April.
Daylight Saving Time resumes Sunday, March 12, and
on the following Wednesday
we begin our schedule of evening dining at a new restaurant.
Located only five minutes from
USM, Woodford Food & Beverage has been recommended
by knowledgeable food lovers.
Woodford F&B serves up
brasserie fare — a superb steak
and fries, luscious fork-tender
pork chops — in a warm,
friendly dining room with
slightly retro booths and wall
tiles. The chef hails from stints
at Fore Street and Bresca —
wicked good places.
For both outings, we will meet to
carpool at the Back Cove parking lot
across from Hannaford at 9:50 a.m.
Bring your lunch and dress in layers.
If you have questions about the
Yarmouth outing or are a new member, call Rae Garcelon at 846-3304.
Since she will be away for the Riverside outing, please call Bev Bair
with questions at 799-5043.
OLLI Night Out
Returns in March
Some of the hardy
women who snowshoed
at Skyline in North
Yarmouth in February
From the Education Committee
Appeal for New Faculty
On Monday, April 3, from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (room
TBA), Jack Lynch and a panel of veteran OLLI faculty will welcome proposals for new courses or workshops from OLLI members.
This workshop is for members who have not previously taught
at OLLI. Are you passionate about a particular subject matter or
skill that you might wish to share with others?
A few parking spots are available on-site and also at the
Woodfords Club, a block down
the street.
Celebrate with us — it will be
fun.
When: Wednesday, Mar ch 15
at 5:15 p.m.
Where: Woodfor d Food &
Beverage 660 Forest Ave.
200-8503 http://
www.woodfordfb.com/
Reservations: A MUST by
noon Tuesday, March 14.
Call or write Barbara
Bardack, 865-2009;
[email protected].
Come and present your idea and receive feedback. Credentials
are less important than knowledge and desire to teach. Even if
you haven’t taught before, your inner teacher may be nudging
you! See you on Monday, April 3, 11:45 to 12:30.
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