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 The Struggle to Be–Photo: Donald Verger  Molly Neptune Parker demonstrates traditional basket making techniques–Photo courtesy of Molly Neptune Parker PDF of this Article (2.5MB) |
THE PENOBSCOT THEATRE in Bangor was the venue for an evening of awards and celebration as the Maine Arts Commission's Fellowship Awardees took to the stage to entertain and educate a captivated audience. The evening began with exhilarating fiddle music from Traditional Arts Master, Greg Boardman and continued with Traditional Arts Fellow Molly Neptune Parker. Molly provided an awe inspiring demonstration of basketmaking on the theatre's giant screen, and as she spoke the theatre's spotlights shone over a selection of her baskets and tools that were placed center stage throughout the evening.
The pace quickened as Visual Arts Fellow Sam Van Aken brought his unique brand of charm and wit to the stage. A mixture of laughter and wonderment greeted Sam's visual arts mastery as he presented an overview of his latest projects.
Next on stage was Literary Arts Fellow Jeffrey Thomson who recited his poetry accompanied by images of his selection. You could hear a pin drop as the audience hung on every word, the silence was only broken between poems as the audience showed its appreciation.
Intermission served only to build the anticipation for the last act of the night. Performing Arts Fellow Karen Montanaro performed her world premiere of The Struggle to Be. Karen's majestic fusion of mime and dance captivated the audience spurring a rapturous ovation, an ovation heightened only by the reemergence of all the evening's performers.
As an event honoring the Maine Arts Commissions Fellows, this was a tremendous success. In October of 2008 the Maine Arts Commission will again bring its Showcase to the Penobscot Theatre in Bangor. The event is free and open to the public and we look forward to meeting you all there. MAC
"It was an honor and privilege to premiere my newest mime-dance in the Award Showcase that took place in Bangor. It felt as if a red carpet was laid out for this to happen; I didn't have to worry about booking a theater or promoting myself."
-Karen Montanaro
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