Posts Tagged ‘Celebration Barn’

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Inside Dance Conversation with Rennie Harris Puremovement

July 13, 2018

Celebration Barn – Bates Dance Festival

In the days leading up to their performances at the Bates Dance Festival, choreographers and performers will fan out across Lewiston-Auburn and as far away as Portland to reveal the secrets and stories behind their work in a series of free Inside Dance Community Conversations.

Celebration Barn is proud to partner with Bates Dance Festival to present one of these conversations with Rennie Harris Puremovement on Monday, July 16 at 7:00 PM. The event is free. Box Office: 207-743-8452

Rennie Harris has taken hip-hop dance from inner-city streets to a mainstream audience. In so doing he has transformed both art form and audience, and has proven that hip-hop can transcend boundaries of race, religion, gender and economic status. With his company, Rennie Harris Puremovement, this North Philadelphia native is internationally known for such works as the spiritually driven “Facing Mekka” and the critically acclaimed “Rome and Jewels,” a hip-hop opera that transports “Romeo and Juliet” into the world of rival B-boys and street gangs which premiered at the Bates Dance Festival in 1999.

“There’s the option to buy a ticket and sit in the theater to watch beautiful, dynamic contemporary dance,” explains Bates Dance Festival director Shoshana Currier, “but with our new program, there’s now the option to meet a dance artist at the public library or the YWCA and chat about their work. So the festival can be meaningful in different ways to different people.”

Additional conversations will also take place July 2 to August 1 in Lewiston, Auburn, and Portland.

For the full schedule of free Bates Dance Festival events, visit batesdancefestival.org/performances/more-events.

For mainstage performances, visit batesdancefestival.org/performances/. Information about Concerts on the Quad appears at bates.edu/conference/summer-lakeside-concert-series.

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Who Are They?: Celebration Barn – Part 5

April 28, 2016

Producing

This blog post is part of a series called Who Are They? where information is provided for the Maine Arts Ed blog readers to learn about community organizations and institutions that provide educational opportunities in the arts. You will learn that they are partnering with other organizations and schools to extend learning opportunities, not supplant. Please consider ways in which you can collaborate to provide excellent arts education for all learners.

This is the last of 5 blog posts about Celebration Barn which is located at 190 Stock Farm Rd, South Paris, ME. Thanks to Ian Bannon for providing the posts.

Celebration Barn Theater has a long history of producing new work that is crafted, innovative, and wildly alive. In the 70’s and 80’s the Barn’s founder, Tony Montanaro, trained and directed ensembles of touring performers in addition to helping individual artists create compelling works that are uniquely their own.

he Last Hurrah at Camp Maine Photo by Davin Currie

he Last Hurrah at Camp Maine
Photo by Davin Currie

The tradition continues with Amanda Huotari at the helm as Celebration Barn’s Artistic and Executive Director. Last summer, NYC’s Jeff Wirth wrote and directed The Last Hurrah at Camp Maine, a comic summer camp reunion. Celebration Barn’s property played the role of the oldest summer camp in the state as the story unfolded all over the grounds and all around the audience.

Those of you who participated in the performance experienced firsthand the power of Jeff Wirth’s unique brand of interactive theater. It was met with such rave reviews from our audience that we have invited Jeff back to the Barn this summer to teach and present his latest creation: StoryBox.

StoryBox-1024x753The StoryBox itself is a multi-tech stage designed specifically for interactive performances- where live performance seamlessly integrates with improvisational lighting, soundscapes, and video streaming.

Jeff will bring together an ensemble of interactive performers during a week-long intensive training at Celebration Barn. The ensemble members will emerge as, “‘quintuple threat’ performers, combining skills in acting, dramatic improvisation, story structure, social psychology, and technology.”

Inter-actors employ these skills to empower the audience members, referred to as spect-actors, to play and direct the action of each scene. Audience members are invited to engage in whatever way they are most comfortable. They may choose to participate or sit back and enjoy the show as usual.

We can’t wait to see what Jeff–and all of you spect-actors–have in store for us this summer!

For more information about Celebration Barn Theater workshops, visit their by CLICKING HERE.

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Who Are They?: Celebration Barn – Part 4

April 21, 2016

Summer performance series

This blog post is part of a series called Who Are They? where information is provided for the Maine Arts Ed blog readers to learn about community organizations and institutions that provide educational opportunities in the arts. You will learn that they are partnering with other organizations and schools to extend learning opportunities, not supplant. Please consider ways in which you can collaborate to provide excellent arts education for all learners.

This is the fourth of 5 blog posts about Celebration Barn which is located at 190 Stock Farm Rd, South Paris, ME. Thanks to Ian Bannon for providing the posts.

Celebration Barn’s Summer Show Series offers Western Maine audiences the opportunity to experience original performances by a diverse range of world-class touring artists. From masterful physical comedy to powerful storytelling, and off-the-wall improvisation to unforgettable spectacle, each Saturday night performance offers a truly unique experience. offer local, statewide and national audiences the opportunity to experience original performances by a diverse range of world-class touring artists.

Happenstance Theater's Brouhaha, coming to Celebration Barn on August 20, 2016

Happenstance Theater’s Brouhaha, coming to Celebration Barn on August 20, 2016

Our 2016 Summer Show Series will feature Mike Miclon’s The Early Evening Show on the First Saturday of every month: June 4, July 2, August 6, September 3 & October 1! See what made this Western Maine gem the longest running variety show in the state.

Tickets are typically $14 adults, $12 seniors (60+) and $8 kids (17 and under), unless special event pricing is indicated. Seating is general admission. Purchasing tickets in advance is highly recommended. Shows begin at 8:00 PM (unless otherwise noted). Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.

Tickets can be purchased anytime online at http://www.celebrationbarn.com/shows-at-the-barn/ or Monday-Saturday from 9:30-12:30 via telephone at Celebration Barn’s Box Office: (207) 743-8452.

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Who Are They?: Celebration Barn – Part 3

April 7, 2016

Incubation Residencies

This blog post is part of a series called Who Are They? where information is provided for the Maine Arts Ed blog readers to learn about community organizations and institutions that provide educational opportunities in the arts. You will learn that they are partnering with other organizations and schools to extend learning opportunities, not supplant. Please consider ways in which you can collaborate to provide excellent arts education for all learners.

This is the third of 5 blog posts about Celebration Barn which is located at 190 Stock Farm Rd, South Paris, ME. Thanks to Ian Bannon for providing the posts.

Celebration Barn Theater is an incubator for physical theater with an emphasis on collaborative process. Our Show Incubation Residencies provide artists a retreat from daily demands, allowing them to fully immerse themselves in creating and refining work. This year, we will host up to three artists/ensembles for two week-long residencies in June August.

Performers of all types are encouraged to apply to the residency. Last year’s forms included physical theater, interactive performance, juggling, and puppetry. 2015 participant Lisa Jackson-Schebetta from the University of Pittsburgh valued, “the trust and faith placed in artists. The ownership given to artists to steer the course of the week, not only in their work, but in the day to day ness of the experience: this is incredibly valuable.”

"This is the kind of experience that lets you realize how important your surroundings can be when working on a project." -- Thom Wall, Juggler Photo by Davin Currie

“This is the kind of experience that lets you realize how important your surroundings can be when working on a project.” — Thom Wall, Juggler
Photo by Davin Currie

Located in the beautiful countryside of western Maine, Celebration Barn’s 44 year history fuels a super-charged atmosphere that encourages artists to play on their creative edge, to be nurtured and challenged by collaborators, and to launch performance in new directions. Thanks to generous support from the Nolan Family Foundation, the program, including our meal plan, is free for all participants.

In addition to housing and meals, the Barn provides artists with designated rehearsal studios; opportunities to share work, network, and process with other artists; a public workshop performance; and access to the Barn’s 11 acres of fields and forests including a fire pit, volleyball court, horseshoe pit, and laying hens. In exchange, artists are asked to provide feedback on how the residency served to advance their work and provide visibility for Celebration Barn in promotional materials for the work.

For more information about Celebration Barn Theater workshops, visit their by CLICKING HERE.

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Who Are They?: Celebration Barn – Part 2

March 31, 2016

Workshops

This blog post is part of a series called Who Are They? where information is provided for the Maine Arts Ed blog readers to learn about community organizations and institutions that provide educational opportunities in the arts. You will learn that they are partnering with other organizations and schools to extend learning opportunities, not supplant. Please consider ways in which you can collaborate to provide excellent arts education for all learners.

This is the second of 5 blog posts about Celebration Barn which is located at 190 Stock Farm Rd, South Paris, ME. Thanks to Ian Bannon for providing the posts.

Celebration Barn is an immersive physical theater school where students develop their own works. Summer workshops are offered in a restored horse barn in rural Maine – a picturesque place that’s only a one-hour flight from New York City. This beautiful setting – away from distractions and obligations – allows performers to fully focus on their craft and develop their work in a supportive atmosphere where creativity and experimentation are encouraged.  The Barn attracts today’s most sought-after physical theater instructors and performers who grow and refine artists’ ideas through a uniquely rigorous and collaborative process.

Students perform as part of Dodi Disanto's 2015 Body-Motion-Gesture Workshop Photo by Davin Currie

Students perform as part of Dodi Disanto’s 2015 Body-Motion-Gesture Workshop
Photo by Davin Currie

Depending on the instructor, the one- and two-week-long intensive workshops can consume between 6-12 hours a day. Further, intimate class sizes ensure each student gets adequate attention during their stay. This professional training is open to students (ages 18+) of all experience levels.

Each year brings a different set of workshops. In 2015 the Barn is offering 7 workshops taught by artists from around the world. Natsuko Ohama encourages students to, “Free your voice! Free yourself!” through The Voice and The Performer. Aitor Bassauri from London’s Spymonkey Theater will teach a workshop on Creating Clown Material. Giovanni Fusetti will lead an exploration into a grotesque of humanity with Bouffon and The Ecstasy of Mocking. Lastly, Jeff Wirth will train an ensemble of cutting-edge, interactive performers during his StoryBox: Interactive Performance Intensive.

Then there are the perennial favorites:

Avner the Eccentric and Julie Goell have been mainstays of the program for many years with two week-long courses on their Eccentric Principles of clowning. The Barn’s most popular workshops, Intro to Eccentric Performing and Advanced Eccentric Performing draw many participants back time and time again.

Davis Robinson and Karen Montanaro, along with guest instructors, lead the Celebration Barn Devising Intensive each summer. This workshop is designed for directors, teachers, and performers interested in devising their own theater pieces. Students learn several methods for imaginative theater problem-solving by spending two intensive weeks devising solo, duet, and ensemble pieces. Students participate in daily classes in movement dynamics, improvisation, partnering, premise work, graphics, and scripting. In the afternoon, world-class artists provide them with a range of approaches. Evenings are spent working on assignments and sharing devised material.

For more information about Celebration Barn Theater workshops, visit their by CLICKING HERE.

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Who Are They?: Celebration Barn – Part 1

March 24, 2016

Celebration Barn

This blog post is part of a series called Who Are They? where information is provided for the Maine Arts Ed blog readers to learn about community organizations and institutions that provide educational opportunities in the arts. You will learn that they are partnering with other organizations and schools to extend learning opportunities, not supplant. Please consider ways in which you can collaborate to provide excellent arts education for all learners.

This is the first of 5 blog posts about Celebration Barn which is located at 190 Stock Farm Rd, South Paris, ME. Thanks to Ian Bannon for providing the posts.

Photo by Davin Currie

Photo by Davin Currie

Celebration Barn Theater is a center for creating and performing original theater. Dedicated to unleashing individuals creativity and building a creative community. Celebration Barn fuels the development of new work that is crafted, innovative and wildly alive.

Founded in 1972 on a farm in South Paris, Maine, the Barn was born out of internationally acclaimed mime artist Tony Montanaro’s drive to encourage people to create their own original theater. Now in its 44th year, Celebration Barn is world renowned for generating diverse and uniquely personal physical theater. Alumni are performing on Broadway, in film and television, and at thousands of festivals and theaters around the globe. From this creative oasis in the woods of Maine, we are launching the next generation of theater pioneers.

Each Saturday night, the Barn’s Summer Show Series brings world-class artists to Western Maine: from masterful physical comedy and powerful storytelling to off-the-wall improvisation and unforgettable spectacle.

Summer Workshops and Residencies provide theater artists with opportunities to train and develop new productions in a creatively-charged and bucolic setting. Many of these new works then tour world-wide and are seen by millions of audience members each year.

For more information about Celebration Barn Theater, visit their website by CLICKING HERE.

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Celebration Barn

July 24, 2014

Silent Auction underway!

Screen Shot 2014-07-23 at 12.58.01 PMFolks at the Celebration Barn are having a silent auction this month that includes some really great items including a week at a house on Cape Hatteras Island, a weekend in a condo in Boston, opening night tickets to the Metropolitan Opera, a weekend at a solar powered lake house in Norway, Maine; and a group juggling lesson in NYC with a member of the Flying Karamazoff Brothers, among lots of other things.

Here’s a link to the auction on-line: http://www.celebrationbarn.com/auction/

The auction ends this weekend, so if you’re looking for something cool, check it out. Your money goes to a great Maine organization, the Celebration Barn Theater.  And if you’re in Maine and looking for a cool event, their Big Barn Family Show, and Big Barn Spectacular is this weekend and 2 p.m. for the family show, and 8 p.m. for the spectacular. Here’s info: http://www.celebrationbarn.com/shows-at-the-barn/

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