Lewiston native and Portland resident Michael Parent loves telling a good story.

This summer, the former teacher will be a storyteller in residence at the National Storyteller’s Network with the International Storytelling Center in Jonesboro, Tenn. He will be performing from June 28 to July 2.

Parent, who performs in both French and English, takes part in family programs with storytelling in places from New England to New Zealand and many places in between.

Parent began his career as teacher. For over 30 years, he has combined his profession with creative talents. His versatility includes singing, story telling, acting and teaching. He enjoys the opportunity to conduct small group writing workshops for kids and adults.

Parent, who also produces plays, music and folk stories, said he especially enjoys teaching his Franco-American heritage to audiences, such as singing to children in both French and English.

“I sing in French and repeat the same verse in English so kids can hear and absorb both languages,” he says.

Parent, 64, says his father taught him the value of knowing two languages, both French and English. “Deux langues sont deux fois bonnes,” his father said. (Two languages are twice as good).

When teaching, he likes to include his love for juggling in the educational experience. “Teaching is performing,” he says. “I like to combine both talents.”

Many of his stories are based on experiences related to growing up, dealing with such developmental themes as bullying, dealing with siblings and peer pressure.

Parent’s stories include “mostly true” events he experienced while growing up as a French-speaking Franco-American.

“It’s important for me to communicate my heritage,” he says.

At Biddeford’s La Fete du Printemps on March 26th, he performed “A Beautiful Game”, a story about his passion for playing ice hockey when he was growing up in Lewiston. Biddeford Schools French teacher Nancy Litrocapes and graphic artist Tammy Ackerman helped Parent to promote the Biddeford Franco-American program.

When he performs the play he titled “One More Thing”, he includes stories about Franco-American mill workers.

Parent grew up in a typical Franco-American community. He attended Saints Peter and Paul parochial school in Lewiston, and graduated in 1964 from St. Dominic’s High School. He majored in English at Providence College in RI.

His performing and teaching career began in Charlottesville VA where he helped found the successful Live Arts Theater. In 1998 he moved back home to Maine.

“I feel at home in Maine. I love living in Portland,” he says.

In 1999, he received the National Storytelling Network’s Circle of Excellence Award. He performed at the National Storytelling Festival, in Jonesborough TN four times between 1981 and 2002 and was also a master of ceremonies for the program.

Parent tells an almost inexhaustible number of stories, creating them by listening to his family and friends. “I love telling a good story,” he says.

Although Parent enjoys performing now more than ever, the personal fulfillment he feels is somewhat of a trade off for is not receiving a regular paycheck. Yet, his performance schedule is packed with engagements.

Parent’s Franco-American heritage is evident in his performances. He peppers his plays and stories with Franco-American colloquialisms. Using them, he says, is one way he hopes audiences will learn to understand the diversity of the French language.

“Even some French teachers fall victim to believing there is a purist way to speak French,” he says. “There are as many ways to speak French as there are accents among those who speak English,” he says.

For example, in Lewiston, he typically uses the colloquialism “Cinq Piece” to mean “Five Dollars”, although the more correct phrase might be “Cinq Dollar”.

In his travels, Parent often finds people who are astonished to meet a man from Lewiston Maine who speaks French like a Canadian.

Information about Parent’s performing schedule is available at the website www.michaelparentstorytelling.com.

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