Maine Connection: Megan Falley Brings Late Poet's Final Show to Portland
A sold-out event at the State Theatre will feature a screening of Andrea Gibson's last performance and a new orchestral score.
By Layla Edwards ·
Megan Falley is bringing the final recorded performance of late poet Andrea Gibson to Portland on November 12. The sold-out event at the State Theatre, titled "Andrea Gibson's 'Love Letter From the Afterlife'," marks a return to Maine for Falley, who shared a life with Gibson for many years.
Gibson, a native of Calais, died on July 14, 2025, from ovarian cancer. The poet had received the diagnosis four years prior. Falley described the upcoming show as a way to continue elevating Gibson's voice. She called the work "really privileged, fortunate and important" in an interview.
The evening will feature a screening of Gibson's final live performance, which took place in 2024 at the Paramount Theater in Denver. Singer-songwriter Chris Pureka will also perform. The screening will be accompanied by a live score performed by the five-piece Goosebumps Orchestra. Composer Blake Neely wrote the music, which also features in the 2025 Oscar-nominated documentary "Come See Me in the Good Light."
Gibson grew up playing in the woods of Calais, often staying out late in winter snowstorms to play near their house's dryer exhaust for warmth. They graduated from St. Joseph's College in Standish in 1997 with an English degree. During high school, Gibson was a standout basketball player who scored 20 points in the Class C championship game in 1993.
Falley continues to live in the couple's home in Longmont, Colorado. She manages Gibson's Substack newsletter, "Things That Don't Suck," and shares essays about their life together. The couple visited Maine frequently, including a trip to Calais just weeks before Gibson's cancer diagnosis.
Falley noted that Gibson felt a strong pull to return home despite being in significant pain. She recalled the experience as a form of time travel, allowing her to see the map of Gibson's life through their eyes. The Portland event will conclude with Falley reading Gibson's poem "Love Letter From the Afterlife" to the audience.
Source: The Forecaster
