I’m not French-from-France, nor quebecoise, nor Acadian. I’m Franco-American, like Jack Kerouac. My solo show, Piecework: When We Were French, explored the enduring influence of Franco-American culture in Vermont and New England. But when I’ve performed the show in Canada, where I live, I’ve felt that audiences needed a fuller introduction to the history it … More Reading In Montpelier
I’m very honoured to have two (two?!) poems on the 2017 shortlist for Poem of the Year by the editors of Arc Poetry Magazine. Arc is a consistently excellent, surprising, and diverse Canadian journal of poetry. I’m excited that these poems caught their eye, as well as to be in such stellar company. You can … More Poem of the Year Shortlist
Judevine By David Budbill April 20-May 7, 2017 Lost Nation Theater, Montpelier, Vermont Directed by Kim Bent and Starring Ben Ash, Sean Gregory, Ashley Nease, Robert Nuner, Abby Paige, Scott Renzoni, and Mark Roberts This month I return to Lost Nation Theater in Montpelier, Vermont for a very special production of the beloved play Judevine, … More Returning to Judevine
An Evening With Abby Paige Thursday, March 23, 7:00pm Franco-American Center University of Maine, Orono The Franco-American Center at the Orono campus of the University of Maine is an unbelievable resource, for Central Maine and for anyone interested in the French heritage of North America. In addition to the Center’s oral history archive, bibliography of … More Presenting New Work-in-Progress at UMaine
Last year I was honoured to be selected as an Artist-in-Residence by the Fredericton Arts Alliance, which hosts a group of local artists each summer in the historic Barracks District of downtown Fredericton. For the week-long residency, I was paired with visual artist Allison Green, who that week was painting on silk. The theme of … More Writing from the Barracks
In January, I was delighted to be included in Shorts and Sweets/Culottes courtes et sucreries, a bilingual theatre party presented by Satellite Theatre and Théâtre la Cigogne of Moncton in collaboration with Fredericton’s Solo Chicken Productions and The Next Folding Theatre Company. After an exciting night of performance and power-outages during an ice storm in … More Shorts & Sweets Coming to Fredericton
I am very excited to present some new performance work next week with a whole gang of exciting New Brunswick theatre artists. Culottes courtes et sucreries / Shorts and Sweets is a bilingual theatre party presented by Satellite Theatre and Théâtre la Cigogne of Moncton with Fredericton’s Solo Chicken Productions and The Next Folding Theatre … More Presenting New Work in Moncton
I’m pleased to be included in a diverse group of Franco-American writers and performers appearing at this year’s conference of the American Council for Québec Studies (ACQS) in Portland, Maine. This biennial conference brings together Québec scholars from around North America, and organizers saw hosting this year’s gathering in Maine as an opportunity to draw … More Franco Voices at the ACQS Biennial Conference
I’m honoured to be included in a new anthology of writings by women of French heritage called, Heliotrope: French-Heritage Women Create. Assembled by Franco-American scholar Rhea Coté Robbins, the volume is being published in recognition of the 20th anniversary of the Franco-American Women’s Institute (FAWI) and includes the voices of more than 100 women, including … More Anthology of French-Heritage Women
It’s the third day of my residency in Fredericton’s garrison district. I feel so fortunate to have been given this week to work on new writing. My residency partner, Allison Green, and I have talked about the value of working in public, when so much of making art is solitary. To be able share the … More Thoughts on Heritage and Here-ness
