ELLSWORTH — The Maine Theater Fund of the Maine Community Foundation has awarded 17 grants that total $76,829 to support professional and community theaters in the production and presentation of live theater.

Area grant recipients include:

Community Little Theater, Auburn, for the theatrical rights and expenses for the production of A.R. Gurney’s “Love Letters”: $4,000.

Theater at Monmouth, to produce “TopDog/UnderDog” by Suzan Lori Parks as part of TAM’s (R)evolutionary Season Redux: $5,000.

Arts & Cultural Alliance of Freeport, for the purchase of a sound system for Meetinghouse Arts:  $5,000.

Chocolate Church Arts Center, Bath, to replace a ticketing and donation system: $5,000.

An anonymous couple who recognized the connection between vibrant communities and support for the arts established the Maine Theater Fund in 2005 to strengthen and sustain theater performance throughout the state. Awards are typically between $2,500 and $5,000.

The next deadline for applications is Sept. 15, 2021.  Guidelines, application and a list of recent grants are available at mainecf.org.