Self-discovery Leads To Surprising Places In ACT ONE’s ‘Franco Fry’

QU’EST-CE QUE C’EST? — ACT ONE Hampton Summer Theatre presents Susan Poulin (pictured), starring in her latest work, “Franco Fry (or Pardon My French!)” August 6-9 at 2 p.m. on Wednesday and 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday at the Performing Arts Center at Winnacunnet in Hampton. Call 926-2281 for tickets and more information. [Atlantic News Courtesy Photo]

HAMPTON – ACT ONE’s Hampton Summer Theatre brings in Susan Poulin once again to perform her latest work, “Franco Fry (or Pardon My French!).” Poulin will take the stage August 6-9 at 2 p.m. on Wednesday and 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday at the Performing Arts Center at Winnacunnet in Hampton.

In the land of hyphenated identity, Susan Poulin sets out on the sometimes humorous, sometimes treacherous path to reconnect with her Franco-American heritage. Her rollercoaster of self-discovery leads her to some surprising places. From the origin of Franco-American Spaghetti, to the textile mills of Skowhegan, from logging camps on the Canadian border, to being hypnotized to find the French in her head, Susan is determined to reclaim her first language, and in the process, she reclaims a whole lot more. She’s doing the “Assimilation Samba,” and it’s not easy as it looks.

As the “Poolyles”, Susan Poulin and Gordon Carlisle have been collaborating on plays, songs, and artwork for over a decade. Their critically-acclaimed productions “In My Head I’m Thin,” “Ida: Woman Who Runs with the Moose,” and “Spousal Deafness … and Other Bones of Contention” have broken box office records throughout New England. Together they’ve been commissioned to write theatrical presentations for the Untied Way of the Greater Seacoast, L/A Arts (in collaboration with Michael Parent), and the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation in partnership with the Lila Wallace Reader Digest Fund.

Tickets for “Franco Fry (or Pardon My French!)” are available in advance and at the door for $21’for adults and $17 for seniors/students for the 2 p.m. Wednesday matinee, and for $25 and $21 for the 8 p.m. performances. Call 926-2281 for tickets and more information. ACT ONE is a non-profit arts and educational organization that presents, promotes, and produces the fine arts.