Barn presents Celebration Ensemble

PARIS — Celebration Barn presents the Celebration Ensemble’s original new play "Thumbs Up" for three performances September 21-23. Featuring four actors, 44 characters, and one imaginary gnome, you’ll want to buckle up.

"Thumbs Up" follows 20-year-old aspiring-writer Lexi up the Maine coast as she hitchhikes her way to Canada. Along the way she falls in with a wild mix of characters as she chases down her ever-elusive vision quest.

Kara Larson, Director of the Portland Performing Arts Festival, describes the show as, “A comic love letter... innovative, intensely funny and uniquely Maine.”

Building on Celebration's Barn tradition of original and physically-based theater, the Ensemble is a collaboration between Amanda Huotari, Ian Bannon, Kavi Montanaro and Kelly Nesbitt.

With backgrounds in music, photography, puppetry and improvisation, the foursome works collaboratively, telling stories through movement, sound and visual imagery. "Thumbs Up" is directed by Fritz Grobe and coached by acclaimed solo performing artist Robert Post.

Amanda Huotari, Executive Director of Celebration Barn explains, “This show has been two years in the making and we’re so honored to have it produced with support from the Portland Performing Arts Festival and the Maine Community Foundation’s Maine Theater Fund.

After the official premiere at Portland Performing Arts festival in June, we took the show on the road this summer. We’re thrilled to end our summer tour with three shows at the Celebration Barn where we will get to share it with local audiences.”

Advance sale tickets are highly recommended and may be purchased by calling the Barn’s box office at 743-8452. "Thumbs Up" starts at 8 p.m. on Friday, September 21 and Saturday, September 22 with doors opening at 7:30 p.m.

The show starts at 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 23 with doors opening at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are $14 adults, $12 seniors, and $8 for students/kids. Celebration Barn Theater is located just off Route #117 at 190 Stock Farm Road in South Paris.

For more information, visit the theater’s website, www.CelebrationBarn.com.