ANNOUNCING DOWN EAST SPEAKS 2022
A new, reimagined take on a beloved Deer Isle storytelling event
Deer Isle, Maine — ISLE Theater Company announces Down East Speaks 2022, a new community storytelling event, to be presented live at the Reach Performing Arts Center in Deer Isle on Friday, October 7 at 7:00PM.
Directed by Debbie Weil and Marvin Merritt IV, Down East Speaks reimagines the popular Island Women Speak, originally conceived by Weil in 2017, to include storytellers of multiple gender identities and generations from both Deer Isle-Stonington and the Blue Hill Peninsula. Seven storytellers from seven towns will answer the question that many hesitate to ask but are ever-curious to know: “what is your biggest secret?”
“Downeast Maine has always had a strong storytelling culture," said Merritt, the Founding Artistic & Executive Director of ISLE and generational islander. “Debbie and I are excited to provide a platform for these seven unique voices.”
This past August, Merritt directed the original medieval-period comedy Playing Mercury at Horsepower Farm in Penobscot. The production brought together nearly 700 people over eight evenings.
Weil, an author and writing coach with over 40 years of experience, has directed five iterations of the original all-women event, and she is thrilled to partner with Merritt and ISLE Theater Company on Down East Speaks. “We all know that living in a small community means keeping some things under wraps. To hear a diverse group of storytellers ‘bare it all’ will be so inspiring.”
The seven storytellers are: Torsten Magnus Peterson, 23, Sedgwick; Alexander Turanski, 27, Penobscot; Johnson Boyce, 31, Deer Isle; Carla Guenther, 47, Stonington; Sarah Pebworth, 57, Blue Hill; Sophie Spurr, 71, Brooksville; and Jon Wilson, 78, Brooklin.
"It's our hope that, through this event, we'll get to know our neighbors better and bring all of our communities closer together,” added Merritt.
Join us for this evening of surprising revelations, warmth, and humor. Tickets are $20 and may be purchased online at www.isletheater.org.
Assets
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ISLE Theater Company presents Down East Speaks on Friday, October 7, at the Reach Performing Arts Center on Deer Isle. Graphic by ISLE Theater Company.
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Storytellers and Debbie Weil take a final bow at the end of Island Women Speak 2019. Photo by Dan Rajter.
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Debbie Weil introduces the line-up of storytellers at Island Women Speak 2020. Photo by Dan Rajter.
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Alix Sarain shares her personal story with the audience at Island Women Speak 2020. Photo by Dan Rajter.
About ISLE Theater Company
Founded by recent Harvard University graduates Marvin Merritt IV and Anna Fitzgerald, ISLE Theater Company bridges communities through storytelling. ISLE is dedicated to making professional, community-driven work that is staged in unconventional spaces to connect its audience with new places, people, and perspectives.
For more information, visit www.isletheater.org.
Contact Details
Marvin Merritt IV
Artistic & Executive Director
marvin@isletheater.org
