Area Arts

Variety Show sure to entertain

The Gray-New Gloucester high school Patriot Players present "GNG Live" this Saturday, January 14th at 7 p.m. The variety show, featuring some of the high school's most talented students, will be held in the west gym. Performances will include vocal, instrumental, dance, theater, and juggling. Proceeds from GNG Live will go to production costs for the spring musical, Kiss Me Kate. The Patriot Players are also looking for a choreographer for the musical. A background in swing dance would be helpful and there is a stipend for the position. If interested, please contact Joe Moran at 926-3751.

Area Artist solo show

Barbara Bagshaw of Windham Maine, has a solo exhibition of 24 paintings at the Inland Foundation Healing Art Gallery. The gallery is located in Waterville Maine, on 200 Kennedy Memorial drive, at the Inland Hospitol. The show runs January- February. Bagshaw is the president of The New England Christian Arts Council, speaks internationally on the connection of art and healing and taught art for nine years at the junior/ senior high level. Her web site is http//homepage.mac.com/bagshaw1
All work has been created 2004-2005.

Women In Harmony Concert

Women In Harmony, a chorus of over 50 women's voices soars into its 12th season by filling St. Luke's Cathedral, 143 State St., Portland with energy and rich harmonies of many genre and cultures. $12 advance tickets, $15 at the door, $10 for seniors and students with ID. Under 12 free. Sat. Jan 21 at 7 p.m. and again on Sun. Jan 22 at 2 p.m. For more information, please call 829-3161 or visit the web at www.wihmaine.org

January '06 Arts News from L/A Arts
Upcoming Films

"The closer you are to death. The more you realize you are alive."
"Touching the Void" is the docu-action thriller of Joe Simpson's perilous descent of Siula Grande in Peru. The actual principals, Joe Simpson and Simon Yates, and Richard Hawkins the non-climber base camp minder, narrate their story as it is re-enacted, partly at the original site in Peru (though some filming was done in the Alps), while actors (with very few lines to say) re-enact the saga of the Siula West Face climb. It is thrilling, suspenseful and unbelievable.

Touching the Void will be shown Wednesday January 4 & Thursday January 5 at 7 p.m. at Kirk Hall Auditorium, Central Maine Community College. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $7 ($5 film club members).
February's film is Moolaade- When a woman shelters a group of girls from suffering female circumcision, she starts a conflict that tears her village apart. Moolaade will be shown Wednesday February 1 and Thursday February 2 at 7 PM at Kirk Hall Auditorium, Central Maine Community College. Tickets can be purchased at the door for $7 ($5 film club members).

Le Vent du Nord concert
The Le Vent du Nord concert is coming, January 19, and tickets are going like crepes, at this time there are less than 50 tickets available. This Quebecois band was the talk of the American Folk Festival this past summer. Plus, you get to hear them in the newly refurbished Franco American Heritage Center where every seat has perfect acoustics and perfect sight-lines.

An Evening of Wine and Roses

The Victorian Christmas Benefit at the Munroe Inn was so well received we just had to do it again. Bring your favored one to a delightful evening - a full course meal and wine tasting. This Evening of Wine and Roses (a benefit fundraiser for L/A Arts) will be held Sunday, February 12 at the Munroe Inn Restaurant beginning at 4 pm. Tickets are $100 each; reservations required.
For more information on the films, concert, or Wine Tasting, call L/A Arts at 207.782.7228.

Moments of Grace Art Opening

February 10, 2006, 6 - 8 p.m, showing through March. Jacob's Chiropractic Acupuncture, 138 St. John Street, Portland, Maine. Drawings and watercolors of dancers, musicians, and others by artist-educator of Young at Art, Judy C. Faust. Proceeds will support the artist's next project about a remarkable Austrian church's efforts to reconcile with Holocaust survivors from their hometown. Photographs and a video will be shown of The Week of The Meeting. Light Refreshments. Call 774-6251 or 799-4715 for more info.

Auditions for "A Month of Sundays"

The Public Theatre, an Equity Theatre (SPT category 7) in Lewiston, Maine, is requesting pictures and resumes from local actors for A Month of Sundays by Bob Larbey. Auditions will be held Jan 28th and 30th at The Public Theatre by appointment only, and readings will be from the script. Contract dates are April 17 - May 14, 2006. Rehearsals are generally 12-8 p.m. Tues - Sunday. Performance dates are May 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. All roles are salaried. Equity Membership Candidate points are available for interested Non-Equity members.

To request an audition, send your picture and resume by Jan 23 to:
The Public Theatre, 2 Great Falls Plaza, Box 7, Auburn, ME 04210
or for more information call 207 782-2211 or email infor@thepublictheatre.org
Do not email your picture and resume unless requested

Roles Available:

Cooper: A cranky Jason Robards type character. Currently cast
Alyott: Plays late 60's. Aging best friend and comic foil to Cooper. He has a dry and sly sense of humor, good natured but still spunky. Enjoys Grumpy Old Men, Sunshine Boys type banter with Cooper. He is facing his fear of dementia.
Mrs Baker: 40's. Uptight and prudish, she is quick to judge the behavior of others.
Nurse Wilson: 20's, An attractive, friendly and idealistic young nurse who gets emotionally invested in her patients.
Julia: late 30's. Cooper's daughter. She protects herself emotionally by presenting a serious and controlling exterior. She tries to do the right thing hoping to please her hard to please father. A bit like an older Claire in Proof.
Peter: Late 30's/40's. A "good sport" of a husband to Julia. He tries his best to appease everyone around him. He is often the butt of his father-in-law's sarcasm.
The producers are open to non-traditional casting. Minorities are encouraged to submit themselves for these projects.

John McDonald to read from his new book
The popular Maine humorist reads in Lewiston and Auburn

New Gloucester --John McDonald, author of the newly released down the road a piece: A Storyteller's Guide to Maine and the classic Maine humor book, A Moose and a Lobster Walk into a Bar, will read from his new book and autograph copies of it from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at the Book Burrow and Café in Auburn. The store is located at 593 Center St. He will read from his new book and autograph copies of it from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Jan. 31, at Mr. Paperback in Lewiston. The store is located at 855 Lisbon St.

In down the road a piece, A Storyteller's Guide to Maine, McDonald enlightens readers with his version of Maine's colorful history, his take on destinations in the state not to be missed, how to interpret Maine-speak, where to shop, what unique Maine foods to eat, and much more. Packed with both subtle and uproariously humorous descriptions and anecdotes, the book offers up a mix of traditional Maine stories and new material. The book is published by New Gloucester-based Islandport Press. For more information on the event, contact the store at 783-2273.

Valentine's Extravaganza -Valentine Workshops for All Ages
Presented by SPIRAL Arts, Inc.

The intergenerational event will be held on Saturday February 11, 2006, from 1 to 5 p.m. at 156 High Street, Portland, Maine. Suggested donations at the door are on a sliding scale from $5 to $12. Make a wide variety of Valentines and gifts of love: exquisite Valentine cards, Origami hearts, Valentine cookies and chocolates, spirit boxes, Valentine jewelry, and Valentine monoprints. All workshops will be led by area artists. There will also be face painting, a dance workshop and a workshop on creating "guerilla Valentines." A silent auction, and inexpensive Valentine gifts will be for sale too. FMI: visit www.spiralarts.org or call 775-1474.