This week’s edition!
Arts
CLT casts Toto for “The Wiz”
Fifteen dogs and one cat turned out recently to audition for the role of “Toto” in Community Little Theatre’s upcoming production of “The Wiz.” The dog who beat out all the others for the role is Kale, a two-year-old Yorkshire Terrier from Lewiston. Kale lives with his owner, Marissa Lussier, who is very excited to have him join the cast of 40 adults and children from all over Central Maine. The play will premiere November 2. Kale is pictured here with fellow cast member Tiffany Warren, who will play Dorothy.
“Aurore: My Franco-American Mother” recalls L-A of long ago
By Rachel Morin
TCT columnist
The announcement called to me from the pages of the Twin City TIMES: Local author Marguerite Roy was going to discuss her book, “Aurore: My Franco-American Mother”, at USM’s Lewiston-Auburn College. How could I not answer the call?
Me, with a name like Morin, marrying into a large Franco family and before that with a maiden name of Gilbert, with my father and his equally large Franco family—I had to go.
And so, there I was at Lewiston-Auburn College, at the end of August, arriving early, eager to meet Marguerite and her family. It turns out I knew two of her sisters, Madeleine Pare Roy and Louise Pare, from our membership at L/A Senior College!
I knew Marguerite would have a good attendance, and I was right. Behind me, streaming in, were groups of white-haired women, some with husbands following, Marguerite’s siblings and extended family members, her friends, classmates, neighbors and other interested people, some coming from beyond the Twin Cities.
One-room schoolhouses featured at Historical Society
Many school children already know Donna Berry, who regularly plays the part of schoolmarm while recreating an 1850s school day for students visiting the one-room schoolhouse in West Auburn.
Now adults can get to know her too when she speaks at the next meeting of the Androscoggin Historical Society on Tuesday, September 25 at 7 p.m. in the Society’s headquarters, located on the third floor of the County Courthouse building in Auburn. Berry will discuss the history of the West Auburn Schoolhouse, including the school day, the teacher, textbooks, subjects, and discipline, and will invite audience members to share their own stories about education in small rural schoolhouses.
A member of the West Auburn School Historical Society, Berry recently co-authored a book on the history of North and West Auburn. She has played the part of the schoolmarm at the West Auburn schoolhouse for more than ten years. (To book a visit, teachers may call her at 346-3106.) A native of Long Island, New York, Berry is a graduate of the State University of New York at Oswego and Teachers College of Columbia University. Her teaching career spanned 28 years in public schools and museums in New York State. She and her husband retired to Maine in 1996.
Mini Maker Faire brings artists and innovators to L-A
The Maker Faire is coming to Maine! On Saturday, September 8, Museum L-A will present its first Lewiston-Auburn Mini Maker Faire from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Bates Mill Atrium, 35 Canal Street in Lewiston. The event will provide a unique opportunity to learn from and tinker with inventors, scientists, students, artists, do-it-yourselfers and “makers” of all ages as they showcase their projects and inventions.
Nationally and internationally renowned performers EepyBird and AudioBody will headline the event, which celebrates creativity, craftsmanship, art, play (for both adults and children) and hands-on learning.
“The Museum’s inspiration to apply for the national license for the Mini-Maker Faire came from one of our prolific ancestor inventors, Adrien Jalbert,” said Museum L-A Executive Director Rachel Desgrosseilliers. “With a sixth-grade education, he showed the power of imagination and creativity that we often find in the oral histories of our local workers. We feel this is important to celebrate as a community”
The Maker movement attracts inventors, artists, craftspeople, fabricators, artisans and anyone who enjoys hands-on creativity. Museum L-A’s Mini Maker Faire is the in Maine and only the fourth in New England.
CLT exhibit features historic performance halls of L-A
Ticket holders to Community Little Theatre’s “A Night at the Tony’s” fundraising event on Saturday, September 8 will get a sneak preview of a new exhibit of historic photographs entitled “L/A’s Storied and Historic Music, Dance and Theatrical Performance Halls and Performers: A Visual Photographic Retrospective to Remember.” The exhibit will be on display in the lobby, which CLT plans to use going forward as a gallery space.
Featuring vintage photographs of area performance and dance halls dating as far back as the late 1800s, the exhibit will include a diverse collection of original pieces submitted by local and regional history aficionados as well as select items provided by the University of Southern Maine’s Franco-American Collection and the Androscoggin Historical Society.
“I think a lot of people will be amazed at how many performance, music, and dance halls there were in Lewiston and Auburn,” said curator Michael Koch. “Around the turn of the century, Lewiston and Auburn supported more than 25 various halls for entertainment, with traveling acts coming in from all over the country.”
Tickets are just $15 for a “Night at the Tony Awards”
General seating tickets for only $15 are now on sale for Community Little Theatre’s “A Night at the Tony Awards–A CLT Reunion” on Saturday, September 8 at 7 p.m. Premium Seating tickets are also still available for the evening which includes a concert featuring some of the theatre’s favorite performers, a silent and live auction, appetizers and a cash bar.
The doors will open at 5:30 p.m.; the concert begins at 7 p.m. at Great Falls Arts Center at 30 Academy Street, Auburn.
The night of music and fun, with old and new faces is one that cannot be missed. Guests will be able to top off the evening with musical performances of Broadway hits from Tony Award-winning and nominated shows. The entire evening will hosted by Chip Morrison, president of the Androscoggin Chamber of Commerce and a long-time performer at CLT.
Special Art Walk for Dempsey Challenge seeks artwork, music, dance
Art Walk Lewiston Auburn, Captive Elements Art House and L/A Arts are excited to announce a very special addition to the 2012 Art Walk calendar of events. In collaboration with the Dempsey Challenge, Downtown L-A will be once more transformed into an interactive public gallery stretching all the way from Captive Elements Art House on Lisbon Street to Main Street, Lewiston.
Taking place on October 12 from 5 to 8:30 p.m., this Art Walk is part of the Dempsey Challenge Community Celebration. The night will feature local artwork, fun musical performances, dance, theatre, spoken word and all-around community collaboration and spirit.
Art Walk is putting a call out to artists to submit their work centered on the theme of “Hope, Healing and Survival.” Submissions can take on multiple forms, including painting, photography, 3-D works, film, live theatrical performance, musical performance, dance, spoken word and poetry.
“CLT Reunion” to feature old and new faces
Tickets are still available for Community Little Theatre’s “A Night at the Tony Awards – A CLT Reunion” on Saturday, September 8 at 7 p.m. The evening will include a concert by some of the theatre’s favorite performers, past and present. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. at Great Falls Arts Center at 30 Academy Street, Auburn. Tickets are $40 per person.
This night of music and fun will begin with light foods, a cash bar, and a silent and live auction, followed by a concert of musical performances of Broadway Hits from Tony Award winners and nominees. The evening will be hosted by long-time CLT performer Chip Morrison of the Androscoggin Chamber of Commerce.
Performers will include, Mitchell Clyde Thomas, Tiffany Warren, Angela and Shawn Robitaille, Michael Litchfield, Roger Philippon, Michelle Mahon Caron, Renee Mahon Davis, Eileen Messina, Ron Bouffard and Katie St. Pierre.
Veayo Twins to perform at August Art Walk
The featured entertainment for the next Art Walk Lewiston-Auburn on Friday, August 31 will be a free concert by the Veayo Twins. Their performance will take place at 6 p.m. at Dufresne Plaza, across from the District Court Building on Lisbon Street in Lewiston.
The Veayo Twins are identical twin sisters Katherine and Kristen Veayo. Known for their sweet vocal harmonies, they play catchy, original songs that revolve around relationships, life experiences, and overcoming obstacles.
At the tender age of 16, they have already been performing live for over three years, opening for Grammy Award-winning country rock band Emerson Drive and playing at the Jonas Brothers’ softball challenge, Patriots Place at Gillette Stadium, Hard Rock Cafés in Boston and the Bahamas, NYC’s historic Webster Hall, and on local CBS, ABC and Fox TV shows.
Out & About with Rachel Morin: John Ford:“Adventures of a Game Warden in Maine”
Text and photos
by Rachel Morin
John Ford came to the Auburn Public Library at the end of July to tell the story of his 20 years as a game warden in Waldo County. A native Mainer, with the endearing accent to prove it, he had wanted to be a game warden from early childhood.
Most of his family was in law enforcement, and his mother worked for the Dept. of Inland Fish and Wildlife. He grew up loving the land, nature and animals. You could say he was born to be a game warden.
John, now retired, is a warm, friendly and an all-around good guy who the audience could not help but smile, laugh and just be “down home” with. He is a gifted storyteller and humorist with the stories rolling off his tongue as quickly as they came to mind. His descriptive phrases were so vivid; you felt you were right in his stories.
