169 Pleasant St/Auburn
Stories reflect on what it means to be an immigrant in the US
UU Theater will stage “American Dreams: Immigration Stories” on November 11 for a 4pm matinee at the First Universalist Church in Auburn. This free encore presentation is part of the “Becoming American” series, and will feature a Q&A after the show.
Linda Britt wrote and directed this new play, comprised of monologues based on the experiences of immigrants from many countries, told in their own voices. The stories focus on different aspects of immigration, from the motives of those who undertook the journey, the difficulties in the crossing, to their experiences in the United States.
Britt’s aim is for the audience to look at immigrants with empathy. “I wanted people to think about that question, ‘What would you do if you were me?’”
The cast includes Caitlin Cashman, Carmela Castro, Maisy Cyr, Danielle Eaton , Baltasar Fra-Molinero, Toby Haber-Giasson, Tessa Hayashida, Mark Hazard, Dut Lual, Luke Lunt, Joanne McDonald, Jane Mitchell, Jason Pelletier, Stan Spilecki, Ron Spofford, Paul Stancioff, Vanessa Stasse, and Michelle Vazquez-Jacobus.
Linda Britt is an award-winning director and playwright. Her plays have been produced from Maine to California, and three (Chosen, Mirrors and Memories, and Mrs. Smith Goes to Washington) have recently been published. Three of the plays she directed with Out of the Box Theater Company (Medea, Death of a Salesman, and Hamlet) were honored by the New England Theatre Conference, two with Moss Hart awards for outstanding performance by a community theatre, and the third with an Honorable Mention in the same category. Her collaborator on these shows, Stan Spilecki, designed the set and lights for each production, including “American Dreams.”
“Becoming American” is a public program, spearheaded by Museum L-A, that features films, discussions, and a wide variety of events offered by partner organizations in the Lewiston-Auburn area. UU Theater is presenting this important show expressly for this series, following a memorable co-production with Community Little Theater in June.
This show is free to the public, but donations are welcome. Running time is 75 minutes. The home of UU Theater is First Universalist Church of Auburn, 169 Pleasant St. (across from Dairy Joy). Parking; accessible. FMI 783-0461 or www.auburnuu.org.
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