About MOOSE

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Friday, Jan. 4, 8:00 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 5, 8:00 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 6, 2:00 p.m.

"A Beautiful Game"

Performed by storyteller Michael Parent

St. Lawrence Arts and Community Center

76 Congress St., Portland, Maine, 207-775-5568 (Call for reservations, tickets also available at the door.)

Hello Friends, Storytellers and listeners, Theater-Goers, and Hockey Fans.

I'd like to invite you to my new one-man show, "A Beautiful Game," the mostly true story of my long-time connection to the game of hockey.

". . . this funny and dramatic show is fascinating even for those who know nothing about the game. The arc of the story takes Michael from an awkward childhood, struggling to learn to skate, to his community's big moment, when the St. Dom's team on which he was goalie competed, against heavy odds, at the Boston Garden, for the New England Championship. Some listeners will love this story for its portrayal of hockey, some for its poignant insights into father-son relationships, some for its loving image of the Franco-American community. Its life lessons far transcend sports." -- Jo Radner, The Brick Church for the Performing Arts, Lovell, Maine.

"The spell of Michael Parent's performance and the images he generates linger long after show is over. His themes--of growing up as an underdog, of the closeness of the Franco-American community, of the unquestioning loyalty of a mother's love, and above all, of the need of a boy to prove himself to his father--resonate universally. And, Parent's comic timing is unerring: audiences laugh out loud at the trials and tribulations of the St. Dom's High School hockey team." -- Vicky Smith, McArthur Public Library, Biddeford, Maine

"A Beautiful Game" is suitable for adults and young people who can listen like adults.

Knowledge or appreciation of hockey definitely not required.

Michael Parent, storyteller, actor, and writer, grew up near the textile mills in Lewiston. Since 1977, he has performed in the U.S., Europe, and beyond. He has received the National Storytelling Network's Circle of Excellence Award. He still plays in the GPOHL (Greater Portland Oldtimers Hockey League) and the OFC (Old Farts Classic) Tournament.

 Michael Parent

http://www.michaelparent.com/

Directions to the St. Lawrence Arts Center

1/10/2008 @ 6:30pm

PAJAMA STORY TIME

Learnin' Vernon

Reiche Branch Library, 166 Brackett St, Portland ME http://www.wenamaine.org/calendar.html

Vernon’s Dec ember appearance was CANCELLED Due to Snow. (He was stuck in traffic at show time)

Learnin' Vernon will be sharing stories for preschoolers and their care givers on Thursday January 10^th .

This animated Storyteller will be performing an original work called “Catch my Limit” about his daughters girl scout camping trip, another based on folk tales called the “Lobster Pot” about a lucky Maine fisherman, and he will be performing the “Giving tree” by Shel Silverstein

This performance is FREE thanks to the generosity of the Reiche Branch Library and the performer. Supporting your local Library through attendance and donations will allow quality programs to continue.

Learnin Vernon  www.lulu.com/tales

library: (207) 774-6871

http://www.portlandlibrary.com/locations/reiche.htm

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1/23/2008 7pm

Lewiston Public Library

A Beautiful Game

With master storyteller Michael Parent

Wednesday, Jan. 23, 7 p.m. in Callahan Hall at the Lewiston Public Library

 (200 Lisbon Street/Rte.196 in downtown Lewiston), storyteller Michael Parent presents his poignantly humorous one-man show

"A Beautiful Game," about growing up in a hockey community.

Free admission. Information: 513-3135.

Known for his poignantly humorous glimpses into Franco-American life, Parent describes “A Beautiful Game" as the “mostly true” recollections of his longtime connection to the game of ice hockey. Set in Lewiston, where Parent grew up, the story follows him from his days as a young boy struggling to stay upright on his first pair of skates, to his big moment as goalie for the St. Dom's hockey team which competed, against heavy odds, at the Boston Garden for the New England Championship in 1964.

Though the focus of the program is hockey, Parent emphasizes that no specific knowledge or even appreciation of the sport is required, as he forays widely into mill-town culture, father and son issues, and connections between religion and sports. In the course of these reminiscences he resurrects a parade of memorable characters, such as his father, a traditional, hard-working Franco-American man-of-few-words; and Gaston, a local factory worker who bets his paychecks on the hockey games.

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1/23/2008 @7:30pm

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23
Storyteller Lynne Cullen and fiddler Janet Lynch will
perform stories, ballads and tunes from Ireland,
Scotland (January 25 is Robert Burns' Night), and
Australia

(January 26 is Australia Day) at

Blue, the wonderful little pub/restaurant on 

650A Congress
Street, Portland, Maine.

207-774-4111

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1/25/2008 @ 7-9pm

Seanachie Nights:

Bull Feeney’s Pub Portland, Maine

Featuring:  Castlebay in A Tribute to Robert Burns.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 25 is Burns' Night.
Maine's premier Celtic folk duo, Castlebay, will be
performing a tribute to Robert Burns, Scotland's
national poet, at Bull Feeney’s Irish Pub/Restaurant
on 375 Fore Street in Portland, Maine, from 7pm-9pm.
Admission FREE; $9.00 suggested donation.

The poet Robert Burns (1759-1796) collected and wrote new lyrics for hundreds of traditional Scottish folk
tunes, which he felt were falling into obscurity.
Working in the Scots language of the "lowlands", which
is distinct from the Gaelic of the highlands and
islands, he produced many masterpieces of 18th century poetry and song.

Among these are My Love is Like a Red Red Rose, Comin' Through the Rye and Auld Lang Syne,
popular even today at New Year's celebrations. His
short but colorful life has become the subject of both
legend and documentary.

The duo Castlebay (Julia Lane & Fred Gosbee) have
studied the man, the myth, and the music. They have
presented lecture/performances for elder hostels,
libraries, and schools in New England, New York,
Georgia, and South Carolina. In their program romantic
love songs are interspersed with lively dance tunes as
well as poems and anecdotes about the Scotland's
National Poet.

Castlebay is well known for their sensitive
arrangements of traditional Scottish music. Both Julia
Lane and Fred Gosbee are fine vocalists and support
their singing with a variety of instruments including
Celtic harp, 12-string guitar, fiddle and woodwinds.
They have toured the British Isles annually since 1993
playing at folk clubs, art centres, and festivals.

Castlebay's Celtic tours have inspired the duo to
create much original music, including a collaboration
with Scottish musicians in the southwest of Scotland,
where Robert Burns lived and worked. This work, The
Sang O the Solway, combined original instrumental
compositions written by the duo with traditional songs
from the region. Castlebay performed this work with
Scottish colleagues several times in 1999 and 2000
throughout southeastern Scotland, and in 2001 at the
Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow. They have
recorded several albums of both traditional and
original work including Ae Fond Kiss which features
seven compositions by Robert Burns.

For more information about Castlebay, visit
castlebay@castlebay.net
To hear an audio clip of the Robert Burns show, go to
http://www.castlebay.net/burnsprogram.html

For further information about Seanachie Nights,
contact Lynne Cullen at thetwacorbies@yahoo.com

or
207-846-1321 www.lynnecullen.com