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USM Evenings at Abromson Screens Documentary about Sports Fans

May 16, 2008

The University of Southern Maine Evenings at Abromson series continues with the New England premiere of the award-winning documentary, “Mathematically Alive: A Story of Fandom.”  The screening will take place at 7 p.m., Wednesday, June 25, in USM’s Abromson Community Education Center, Bedford St., Portland.  Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at http://www.usm.maine.edu/cce/evenings.htm, or call 780-5900.

The film looks at the often unexamined part of everyday life in America - sports fandom. Fans of the New York Mets are put under the microscope during their tumultuous 2005 and 2006 seasons, culminating in a roller-coaster ride through the 2006 National League playoffs. But, the film is not just for Mets fans, or even baseball fans. The similarities among fans are so striking that a fan of any team, any sport, and from any country, can relate to the ups and downs of cheering for their team. Sports psychologist Daniel Wann provides perspective in the film on why sport is so important to our culture and what the different types of fans are.  Wann, who is presenting at USM’s Sports Psychology Institute slated for June 25-27, will be on hand for a post-screening Q & A session with filmmakers Katherine Foronjy and Joseph Coburn.

The screening is an event all its own. Old Shea Stadium favorites, “Meet the Mets,” and, “Lazy Mary,” will be playing in the theater and moviegoers will dodge bags of peanuts and enjoy soda and beer. It’s like being at the ballpark!  First-time directors Coburn and Foronjy succeed in capturing the essence of the fan on screen, and in the theater. “Mathematically Alive” is more than just a trip to the movies, it’s an event.

For more information about Evenings at Abromson, call Molly Morell at 780-5931.  For information about “Mathematically Alive” visit the film’s Web site at www.mathematicallyalive.com.

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