By Barbara Scott
Staff Writer
Since the beginning of the year there have been a wide variety of events held at the Caribou Performing Arts Center. From the songs of John Lennon, to the young ladies who were contestants in local pageants to the talented participants in the ever-popular fundraiser Dancing Like a Star, the stage at CPAC is always promising great performances.
“Cinema Limbo” as expressed by Damarre Doody-Corriveau and Joshua Kovach during the April 6 CHS Class of 2012 presentation of Junior Exhibition.
On April 6, the Caribou High School Class of 2012 kept with the CPAC promise when they presented the long-standing tradition of Junior Exhibition. As piano strains of the processional, played by class member and talented musician Kjetil Rossignol, began, students of the junior class, marching together for the first time, entered the theatre, led by Annie Collins and Joshua Kovach, class marshals.
Following a welcome address by Class President Renee Dube and the introduction of Danielle Akerson and Sarah Plourde, mistresses of ceremonies, the evening’s entertainment proceeded.
The first Jr. Ex. speakers were Annie Collins and Katherine Keaton who presented, “Dance Therapy” by Anonymous. With Keaton portraying the somewhat eccentric Madam Chakas, promising to dance student Annie Collins, that participating in her expressive dance class, she would become a child of the universe and — blueberry muffin maker — paying for her instruction with the currency of life — chick peas and legumes. Collins and Keaton never missed a line as their audience was kept busy (and laughing) watching the constantly changing facial expressions and hand movements of the pair. The speakers were coached by Mrs. Alana Margeson.
The only solo speaker for the evening, Morgan Swan, dressed in mismatched gloves, sports jacket, jeans and bedroom slippers, accented by a bucket-style chapeau, informed the audience first off that, “I would love to live at the golden arches.” Swan’s presentation of “Talking with French Fries” by Theresa Merritt, was filled with unusual logic and continuous praise for the positive life-changing effects of eating at McDonald’s, including being healed by a Big Mac and is also the only place in the world where you can go and just sit — for a 100 years — “they don’t care.” Swan was coached by Mr. Joe Zubrick.
“Protein: A Love Story” starring Marigan Doody and Nickolas Dobson.
Magically, Kjetil Rossignol seemed to have grown a beard of sorts from the time he finished playing the piano during the processional to his appearance onstage with Paige Small as they delivered a self-composed presentation of “My Blackberry is Broken.” (For those who have seen Miss Small’s slight frame dance effortlessly across the stage during Dancing Like a Star, you might have noticed she seemed to be carrying an unusual amount of extra weight behind her).With Rossignol portraying a street-side fruit vendor, the dialogue, filled with puns and witticisms kept the audience busy trying to keep up with the constant play on words as Small, as Sally O’Malley, approached the vendor stating, “My blackberry is broken,” reaching into her oversized purse producing not the popular cell-phone but a real blackberry. “What’s the matter with it,” asked Rossignol in a total dead-pan expression, “No juice?” From there conversation traveled through a broken ‘apple’ (McIntosh of course) which the fruit vendor, after tossing it aside, confirming it had crashed.
The two Jr. Ex classmates managed to keep the pun-filled oration going at a rapid speed without ever cracking a smile, even when it was noted that the vendor was also selling, “Eggs box, 4/$3.60.” The pair were coached by Mr. Jamie Bell.
When Samantha Murchison, Kelly Kashian and Marc Sturzl portrayed the characters of the favorite children’s book, “Chicken Little,” it wasn’t with the usual conveyance of the moral that things aren’t always as bad as they seem. The trio delivered a more politically correct version, (by James Finn Garner) reminding the audience that Little was a family name, not a derogatory adjective describing a diminutive stature and as the story unfolded it became obvious that Chicken Little was being encouraged to “sue the losers,” and to seek retribution for damages including bodily harm, loss of income and mental anguish.
The three CHS juniors kept their dialogue moving smoothly, as they expressed themselves with a sky full of facial and vocal expressions(not to mention the occasional ‘loser’ hand signal). Murchison, Kashian and Sturzl were coached by Mr. Daniel Fishman.
Did you ever wonder what kind of conversation would take place if Cinderella and Juliet met face to face? In the dialogue, “Julia and Cindy” by Bruce Kane, delivered by Renee Dube as ‘Julia’ and Bethany Curtis as ‘Cindy,’ it was obviously one of two women disenchanted with their ‘princes.’ Dube and Curtis discovered their lives weren’t so different after Cinderella got over the shock of meeting Juliet Montague, who she thought was deceased all these years and Juliet realized that Cinderella and her prince had called it quits. The duo continued to question each other, finding out that their lives really hadn’t been much of either — a romantic tragedy or a fairy tale after all — especially when Cindy explained that after she and her prince had split, she had to sell her slipper on eBay, cash in the 401K but did get to keep the Labradoodle. But what about the carriage and six white horses you ask? — Rented. Dube and Curtis were coached by Mrs. Alana Margeson.
“Talking with French Fries” presented by Morgan Swann.
Have you ever found yourself in an argument that seemed to never end? During “The Argument Clinic,” by Monty Python, Laura Kavin and Corry Marrett entered into a frustrating (for them) conversation that went round and round from the very first question, “is this the right room for an argument?” to, “I already paid for my session,” (no you didn’t) to the defining of an argument as “an intellectual process.” Marrett and Kavin, coached by Barbara Souther, seemingly never stopped their words to take a deep breath while delivering their argument, in much the same thought process as is found in “Who’s on First?”
In “Cinema Limbo,” by Unknown, Damarre Doody-Corriveau, portrayed Vicky, a teenage assistant manager of a movie theatre who is quite content to sit in the ticket booth (her fish bowl where she feels protected from life). Vicky explains what is it like to be “bored by love,” yet seemed to take pity on poor pathetic geeks to Stewart, (Joshua Kovach) who also works in the box office and is a self-proclaimed geek however is bad at mathematics — but did “letter in chorus.” The pair continue to discuss life, one (Corriveau) from what appears to be a knowledgeable but somewhat cautious perspective, the other (Kovach) from a shy, smitten but logical view. Corriveau and Kovach were coached by Ms. Diana Locke.
The final speakers of the Class of 2012 Junior Exhibition were Marigan Doody and Nickolas Dobson, presenting “Protein: A Love Story” by Anonymous, straight from the Hearty Breakfast Hotel. With Doody outfitted as a fried egg and Dobson, as strips of bacon who laments the unfairness of being condemned to the life of somewhat shunned status, giving anything to be a carbohydrate, admitting to dreaming about fruit-filled danish pastry. Doody tries to make her sidekick feel better, by “cracking herself up” and encouraging him by stating she had, “great egg-spectations for him.” The speakers were coached by Mrs. Alana Margeson.
Following the speakers , awards were presented by Mr. Mark Jones, CHS principal and Mrs. Claudia St. Peter, CHS Class of 2012 advisor.
Prior to the Class of 2012 singing their class song, “Better Days,” by the Goo Goo Dolls, and the recessional, Renee Dube once again addressed her peers as their class president, charging them to, “Stop, right now, and soak this night into your memories,” reminding them that one year from now, they would be close to graduation.
Following the evening affair, a reception for the CHS Class of 2012 was held in the cafeteria.
Other officers for the Class of 2012 include Cory Marrett, vice president; Paige Nadeau, treasurer; and Kelly Kashian secretary.
The class members extended sincere thanks to the following individuals who assisted with the evening’s production: Sherrill Campbell, Jr. Ex. advisor; Kenneth Atcheson, marching coordinator; Andrew Kirby, class advisor; Claudia St. Peter, class advisor; Damarre Doody-Corriveau, class banner; Shop ‘N’ Save, refreshments; Meredith Sleeper, Sean Barbosa and Devin Ballard, stage assistants; John Belanger, technical assistant; Regan Buck, Emma Duplissie Cyr, Kelsie Espling and Kayla Cormier, usherettes and Tyler Willey, usher.
Renee Dube, president of the Class of 2012 at Caribou High School reminds her classmates to hold on to the memories of Jr. Exhibition.
“The Argument Clinic” with Cory Marrett, left and Laura Kavin.
Class officers, marshals and other Jr. Ex. assistants from the CHS Class of 2012 are, from left: Kjetil Rossignol, pianist and speaker; Danielle Akerson, mistress of ceremonies; Paige Nadeau,treasurer; Kelly Kashian, speaker and secretary; Joshua Kovach, class marshal and Jr. Ex. speaker; Annie Collins, class marshal and speaker; Renee Dube, class president and Jr. Ex. participant; Cory Marrett, vice president and speaker; and Sarah Plourde, mistress of ceremonies.
“My Blackberry is Broken” with Paige Small and Kjetil Rossignol.
Katherine Keaton, left, and Annie Collins in “Dance Therapy.”
“Chicken Little” as told by from left, Samantha Murchison, Marc Sturzl and Kelly Kashian.
“Julia and Cindy” with from left, Bethany Curtis as Cinderella and Renee Dube as Juliet.
Julie (better known as Juliet) reads all about Cinderella’s Prince Charming and why Cindy sold her slipper on eBay.
