Penobscot Theatre Company to Host TRANSFORMER TALES at Bangor Opera House

Penobscot Theatre Company will host a public forum, July 18, 2016, 6:30-8:00 p.m., at the Bangor Opera House, to unpack a project that has been in the works for the past year: Transformer Tales: Stories of the Dawnland is a new play that will come to life in the context of the theatre's summer educational program for local students.

"These tales revolve around Gluskape, a culture hero of the Wabanaki," explained Director of Education Amy Roeder, who developed the script in collaboration with Penobscot storytellers, playwrights, linguists and scholars. "We are eager to introduce the project to the full community and to start a broad-based conversation around the value of theatre in preserving cultural traditions and inspiring positive change."

Facilitating the discussion along with the theatre's artistic and education leaders will be Assiniboine playwright William S. Yellow Robe, Jr., and Donna Loring, an elder and former council member of the Penobscot Indian Nation, who served as the Nation's Representative to the Maine State Legislature for more than a decade, during which she authored and sponsored "An Act to Require Teaching Maine Native American History and Culture in Maine's Schools." Loring is a Vietnam veteran, an adjunct faculty member at the University of Maine, president of Seven Eagles Media productions, author, playwright, and host of a monthly radio show, Wabanaki Windows. Carol Dana, who worked closely with Roeder throughout the script development process, will describe her involvement with the Transformer Tales project. Dana works at the Penobscot Nation Cultural and Historic Preservation Office, specializing in the Penobscot language. She holds a master's degree in education and is the author of two poetry books: When No One is Looking and Return to Spirit.

University of Maine English Professor Margo Lukens will also add insights based on her experience and research. She teaches courses in Native American literatures and has produced and directed Native plays on campus and regionally. Her research interests include Wabanaki literary and storytelling history, and Native American plays and playwrights. With William Yellow Robe, she edited Grandchildren of the Buffalo Soldiers and Other Untold Stories by William S. Yellow Robe, Jr. and co-published "Two Worlds on One Stage," on creating theater with Native communities.

"In our nomenclature, Penobscot Theatre Company, like many local organizations, is inextricably linked to the Penobscot people," said Bari Newport, the theatre's producing artistic director. "We are exploring the age-old question, 'What's in a name?' to deepen our understanding of the four Maine Indian tribes, including the Penobscot, their historic and ongoing contributions to the region, and how we can move forward collectively to address our common concerns."

Registration is open for students aged 4+ who wish to enroll in the Transformer Tales camp, a three-week session, starting July 25, at Penobscot Theatre Company. The daily schedule will extend from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday, including rehearsal and performance units and classes in voice, movement, stage combat, improvisation, theatre history, and Penobscot language and history. Those interested in working behind the scenes may enroll in the Tech Track program to focus on the technical elements of the production, assisting in design execution under the instruction of theatrical professionals and Native artist Nick Bear. An educational field trip to Indian Island will be offered to increase participants' understanding of the historical, cultural, and environmental context of the work.

Transformer Tales will be staged August 11 at the Indian Island School on Indian Island; August 12-13 at the Bangor Opera House; and August 14 at Blackwoods Amphitheater in Acadia National Park as part of the park's Centennial Celebration. Registration is open for young people aged 4-20 to enroll in the three-week, full-day camp, which will start July 25. "Throughout this exciting, first-of-its-kind session, we will unpack the experience, wisdom, and artistry of Wabanaki past and present," said Roeder.

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