PRESS RELEASE
MAINE PLAYWRIGHT BRINGS FRANCO-AMERICAN CULTURE TO THE STAGE
“One More Thing” premiered in 2004 at the Pontine Theater in Portsmouth, N.H., and has since been performed at the Franco-American Heritage Center in Lewiston, U-Maine, Orono, The Theater Project in Brunswick, the Norlands Annual Conference, the South Portland Public Library, the McArthur Library in Biddeford., the St. Lawrence Arts and Community Center in Portland, the Amazing Things Arts Center in Framingham, MA., Lewiston-Auburn College, and the Arsenal Arts Center in Watertown, MA.
In “One More Thing,” Michael Parent portrays Jean-Paul Boisvert, a retired Franco-American mill worker who is trying to get "back into the ballgame" of his life after the death of his beloved wife. Now, on his 67th birthday, Monsieur Boisvert watches sports on TV, colorfully berating his beloved Red Sox and Bruins. He sings old French songs, fields phone calls from his children and other family members, and ponders his fragile health and mortality. He also tells stories, some funny, others poignant, as he struggles to resolve a major piece of unfinished emotional business.
“One More Thing” addresses various issues, including aging, grief and loss, class consciousness, generational conflict, the connection between work and self-worth, and Franco-American culture and identity.
Michael Parent is an internationally known storyteller-singer, as well as an actor and playwright.
Since 1977, he has told stories in theatrical and non-theatrical settings. He grew up in Lewiston, and later lived in Virginia for many years. While in Virginia, he was a co-founder of, and frequent performer at Live Arts, a thriving alternative theater in Charlottesville. Michael returned to his home state of Maine in 1998, and now lives in Portland. He received the National Storytelling Network's "Circle of Excellence" Award in 1999, and was a keynote speaker at the 2001 National Storytelling Conference in Providence, R.I.
He has been featured at many storytelling events throughout the United States, and at international events in Canada, France, Ireland, England, Poland, and New Zealand. In addition to his performances for a wide range of audiences, including schools, libraries, theaters, and festivals, Michael also leads storytelling, story-writing, and performance workshops.
For more information, contact:
Michael Parent
95 Congress St.
Portland, ME 04101
(207) 879-0401
www.michaelparent.com (includes press kit with photos at 200dpi)
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