The Little Theatre
Teenage Wasteland
One Take Documentary Series

Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World

Friday, July 24, 2026 | 7:00pm

Little Theatre 5 – The Jack Garner Theatre (8 Winthrop Street)
Doors open at 6:30pm

Saturday, July 25, 2026 | 3:00pm

Little Theatre 5 – The Jack Garner Theatre (8 Winthrop Street)
Doors open at 2:30pm

Get Tickets

Regular ticket prices
Tickets available online in advance, at our box office during open hours, or at the door (if available).

If poetry had a pop icon, Mary Oliver would be it. Celebrated best-selling poet, Pulitzer Prize-winner, lover of dogs and long walks in the woods, openly queer but intensely private, Oliver was America’s unlikely contemporary mystic, stalking the ponds and forests of Cape Cod for nearly fifty years in order to open herself – and her readers – to the known and unknowable world. From a lonely childhood to literary fame, Oliver’s life was shaped by devotion to nature, paying attention, and the long journey toward learning to love and to be loved. Her poems inspire liberals and conservatives, atheists and believers, naturalists and urbanites, speaking directly to contemporary anxieties about attention, presence, and the human relationship with the natural world – issues that feel especially pressing in an era of climate crisis, digital distraction, and social fragmentation. 
 
Featuring interviews with her close friends, including John Waters, never-before-seen personal photos, notebooks, and correspondence from her archive, and recitations of her work by Stephen Colbert, Lucy Dacus, Steve Buscemi, and Oprah Winfrey, Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World considers the poet’s long lifetime of work in context, capturing the uniqueness of her world and the natural beauty that inspired her. 
Watch a Trailer

Not Rated | 1 hr 33 mins | Documentary | 2026
USA | English

DCP | Kino Lorber

Community Partner

ImageOut - The Rochester LGBT Film Festival

Writers & Books

Writers & Books promotes reading and writing as lifelong activities for people of all ages and backgrounds to enrich their lives and the intellectual, social, and cultural vibrancy of their communities.

About the series

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One Take Documentary Series

The Little’s One Take Documentary Series is a monthly film series, presenting a unique mix of documentaries — ranging from film festival favorites to unheralded gems — followed by panel discussions and filmmaker Q&As. Read more