Staff Writer
Joe Zubrick, director of the Caribou Performing Arts Center, has announced the schedule for the 2010-11 season.
Opening the new season of events will be The Mallett Brothers on Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. According to Zubrick, “The Mallett Brothers Band is a brand new alternative country outfit ground out of the seedy underbelly of northern New England’s ripe and eclectic music scene.”
The band is said to have drawn its members from a true witches’ brew of musical histories (including dabbles in punk rock, Americana, folk, funk, metal, hip-hop and bluegrass) to create a truly dynamic sound consisting of two parts dreadnought acoustic, three parts soaring vocal harmonies, a touch of twang and howl and a rhythm section made of steel and fire.
General admission to hear the Mallett Brothers is $8; children 12 and younger, $4.
“Following the well-established tradition,” stated Zubrick, “CPAC brings back the Robinson Ballet to present ‘The Nutcracker’ on Nov. 28 at 2 p.m. Join with us for this timeless tale of Christmas dreams, as we bring you the story of Clara and her beloved Nutcracker.”
General admission to the “Nutcracker” is $10; children 12 and younger, $4; and special group and family rates apply.
On Jan. 14 at 7 p.m., CPAC will welcomes Natraj, who “seamlessly melds the classical music of India, traditional music from West Africa and contemporary jazz to create their own unique and infectious style. Hard-driving African grooves and graceful Indian ragas meet in the band’s expansive jazz conception.”
Hailed as Boston’s Best Jazz Band by the Improper Bostonian, and nominated Best World Music Act in the Boston Music Awards, Natraj captives and excites audiences with its exotic textures, accessible melodies and rhythmic energy. Natraj will also present a school performance and workshops on improvisation and percussion for Aroostook middle and high school students.
General admission will be $10; children 12 and under, $4.
Following last year’s success with a student written and directed play, Zubrick has announced that the members of the Caribou High School Drama Club will collaborate with CPAC in the production of several new scripts including the first public reading of Stephan Zimmermann’s new three-act play, “No One Has and No One Will.”
“Zimmermann’s play dramatizes the interaction between a recently retired teacher,” said Zubrick, “his nurse and two long-time female friends. The story takes place over a week in New Your and San Francisco and it reveals several misunderstandings and hidden secrets of the man’s past and explores the wisdom and foolishness of advancing old age.”
The author, former professor of economics, has scripted and released several novels. Originally from Europe, Zimmermann currently lives in Presque Isle.
Pat Paul, from Tobique Frst Nation, N.B., is working on a script dealing with the circumstances which befell native children in Canada’s Indian residential schools during the 1900s. The working title is, “Halls of Anguish.” Paul and Zubric collaborated on “Pesun-e-kog” a play about land management and fair usage which was funded by the Canadian government and toured internationally.
Zubrick has also announced that Robbie Kiehn, a Caribou High School senior, will be organizing interested students for a new play to premiere at the regional drama competition in March.
“New plays are the lifeblood of the theater,” said Zubrick, “We’re looking toward embracing a process of staged readings and full productions to introduce new voices and material to our audiences.”
A former director of the New Playwright’s Forum, at a regional theater in Detroit, Zubrick has had much success with getting new works on stage and included in catalogs for royalty productions. “It’s an exciting thing to see the work take shape through the interaction of playwright, cast and the director. We hope our audiences will enjoy these unique opportunities,” the CPAC directed stated.
Zubrick also mentioned the possibility of a community based production of “A Christmas Carol” to be performed in December. “We’ll be looking for participants for the original scripts and the Dickens piece in early September,” said Zubrick.
Season tickets for the three headline shows to be presented at CPAC will be available in September at $25. Season ticket-holders will be admitted free to original plays and also be eligible for discounted tickets for community-based productions.
For more information contact Zubrick at jzubrick@mail.rsu39 or 493-4278.
