Michael
Parent's new one-man show
A
Beautiful Game
The mostly true story of my long-time connection to the game of hockey
Upcoming Performances:
Geno's
625
Congress St., Portland, Maine
207-221-2382
(tickets at the
door)
Tuesday,
April 15 at 8 p.m.
Northlands Conference Fringe
Green
Lake, Wisconsin
Saturday, April 26 at 10 p.m.
University of Southern Maine
Hannaford
Lecture Hall, in the Abromson Community Education Center, Portland, Maine
1-800-787-0468
(tickets
$15 general public, $10 USM students, employees, and OLLI members; at the door
and online here)
Thursday,
May 8 at 7 p.m.
"A
Beautiful Game" is suitable for adults & young people who can listen
like adults.
Link here to press kit and printable photo
Click here for full review by Laurie Meunier Graves of performance at the Lewiston Public Library
Known for his poignantly humorous glimpses into Franco-American life, Michael 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.
"This
funny, humane show will appeal to those who are not Franco Americans and who are
not sports fans. Parent has taken a time, a place, characters, and an event and
has brought them vividly to life … A rich, entertaining show that manages to
be humorous, sympathetic, entertaining, and just plain exciting."
-- Laurie
Meunier Graves,
Wolf Moon Journal
"The excitement and delight from Michael Parent's audiences of A Beautiful Game was partly geographical -- some of them grew up in Maine... but Parent's performance transcends geography. A Beautiful Game is peppered with memorable characters such as Parent's father, a Franco-American patriarch who works hard and maintains a tough exterior, and Gaston, the local ex-mill worker who bets his paychecks on the hockey games. The play balances nostalgia with an immediacy of storytelling style that keeps audiences in suspense, while simultaneously tickling their funny bones." -- Liz McMahon, St. Lawrence Arts Center
". . . 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
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.
recent performances:
The Brick Church for the Performing Arts in Lovell, Maine, August 2007
MacArthur Public Library in Biddeford, Maine, November 2007
Surrey Community Theater in Blue Hill, Maine, December 2007
St. Lawrence Arts & Community Center in Portland, Maine, January 2008
Lewiston Public Library, January 2008
SAMPLING OF MICHAEL’S THEATER CREDITS
Wrote or co-wrote, and performed in:
"One More Thing," various venues 2004-present
“Frog Stuck in the Ice,” presented by LA Arts in Lewiston, Maine, ’00.
"Heads Up! -- Theater from the Back Side of the Brain" (with Larry Goldstein) at Live Arts, '96.
"Left-Handed Free Throws," (with Philip Kerl) at Live Arts Theater, Charlottesville, Va. '92.
"Grandpa’s Birthday" (One-person show) at the Four County Playhouse, Barboursville, Virginia, ‘88.
Performed major roles in:
Charlottesville (Virginia) Theater Ensemble's production of "Lie of the Mind" by Sam Shepard, '89.
Live Arts Theatre for Children's "The Great Cross-Country Race" (Tortoise & Hare), '91.
Live Arts & Offstage Theater's production of "Illuminati" by Larson and Lee, '92.
Live Arts Theater Ensemble's production of "More Fun Than Bowling," by Steven Dietz, January, '95.
Solo performances and voiceovers for "Golden Apple Odyssey," Apple Computer Co., Italy and Greece, '95.
Live Arts Theater Ensemble’s “Coffeehouse” cabaret-style productions, ’90-’95.
Contact Michael Parent:
www.michaelparent.com ~ 95 Congress St., Portland, ME 04101 ~ Phone (207) 879-0401