December 17-19 Poolyle Productions presents the “funniest holiday show in Maine. Heck, in New England!” Humorist Susan Poulin, creator of “Ida: Woman Who Runs With the Moose!,” “Ida’s Havin’ a Yard Sale!” and writer of the popular Maine humor blog and podcast, “Just Ask Ida” at DownEast.com, spreads Ida’s good cheer as she celebrates Christmas in Mahoosuc Mills, Maine.
Ida just loves Christmas, and she has the inside scoop on everything: the Not-So-Secret Santa plan, the do’s and don’ts of Holiday decorating and more! Come hear what Charlie and the boys are up to, and prepare to be dazzled by Ida’s latest craft project with her pals, the Women Who Run With the Moose. Ida is no Scrooge, though, so banish your bah-humbug’s and come prepared to laugh!
“Both of my previous Ida shows took place in the summer,” says Poulin. “I was interested to see what Mahoosuc Mills was like in the winter. Plus, it’s just fun to hang out with Ida! She genuinely surprises me when I sit down to write, and I’m always discovering more about Ida and her world. In this show, we find out a little about Ida’s childhood, and see more of Mahoosuc Mills. I’m fascinated with what it’s like to live in a small town, and sense of community that comes with it.”
Photos by Janet Mitchko
Selected by Portland Magazine as one of the "Ten Most Intriguing People in Maine,” writer/performer Susan Poulin has been creating and touring her original theatrical productions since 1992. She was a featured performer in “The Mirth of Venus and The Mirth Canal” at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, and at The Maine Festival, the Minneapolis Fringe Theater Festival and Portland, Maine’s “Cassandra Project.” Her work has been supported by the NH State Council on the Arts, the Maine Arts Commission and the Maine Humanities Council. Susan is also a popular keynote speaker, and has brought her humor and insight to presentations for groups such as Seacoast Women’s Week, the American Cancer Society (New England Division), and the Personal Historians National Conference.
Her collaborator Gordon Carlisle has been actively involved as a visual artist, songwriter and actor in the greater Portsmouth, NH area for over twenty-five years. A graduate of the San Francisco Art Institute, Gordon primarily makes his living as a visual artist, creating both private and public murals, theatrical set design, portraits, graphics and illustration. In 1999, Gordon was awarded a New Hampshire State Council on the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship for his achievement as a muralist. His most recent commissions have been a 1493 square-foot exterior mural in downtown Somersworth, NH, celebrating the city’s ”Proud Past, Bright Future,” and a Percent for Art Commission for the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord, NH. His studio artwork has been exhibited across the US).
As Poolyle Productions, Poulin and Carlisle have been collaborating on plays, songs, and artwork for two decades. Their critically acclaimed plays, In My Head I'm Thin, Shutting Up Peggy Lee!, Spousal Deafness…and Other Bones of Contention, Pardon My French!, Ida: Woman Who Runs With The Moose (Seacoast Media Group 1998 Spotlight on the Arts Award for Play of the Year and Best Actress), Ida’s Havin’ a Yard Sale! (SMG’s 2005 Spotlight on the Arts Award for Best Original Script and Best Actress in a Play), A Very Ida Christmas! and A Visit With Ida have broken box office records throughout the Northeast, playing in theaters and colleges. Their plays have also been used as fundraisers for a wide variety of organizations.
Susan’s latest endeavor is a motivational speech and stage performance called “The Moose in Me, The Moose in You! by Ida LeClair, Certified Maine Life Guide.”
“A Very Ida Christmas” runs for three shows only, December 17-19 at Garrison Players, Route 4, Rollinsford, NH: Friday and Saturday @ 8:00pm and Sunday at 3:00pm. Tickets are $15, $10 for students. To reserve, call 603-750-4ART or 800-838-3006.
