Going UP The Country PlayBill
Lost Nation Theater proudly presents
GOING UP THE COUNTRY - a new play with music
by Eric Peterson and John Foley
based on the book by Yvonne Daley
Directed by Kim Allen Bent
Featuring:
G. Richard Ames
Erin Galligan Baldwin
Maren Langdon Spillane
Dominic Spillane,
and musician/composer John Foley
This new musical play by Eric Peterson and composer John Foley (of Pump Boys & Dinettes) based on Yvonne Daley’s book “Going up the Country” begins when the Hippies, Dreamers, Freaks, and Radicals moved to Vermont and explores how the Counterculture changed Vermont and offers hope for America.
“Yvonne Daley has written an important Vermont and American history book. As members of the hitchhiking, anti-war, free love, weed smoking, tie dyed, rock music, lefty politics, hippie generation ourselves, John & I enjoyed reminiscing about our lives in the late, semi-lamented time while learning a great deal about how much the long-hairs changed Vermont. It wasn't just music that changed but also the state, and the nation's politics, health care, clothing, and yes, even ice cream.” - Eric Peterson
Producing Artistic Director: Kathleen Keenan
Lighting Design: Samuel Biondolillo
Sound Technician & Operator: Andrew Vachon
Production Assistant: Sarah Menard
Live-Streaming/Filming/Engineering: Matthew Binginot, Matthew Binginot Creations
Student Assistant to Mr. Binginot/Digital Media: Elias Manriquez
Virtual Consultant– Theater Engine
This will be LNT’s second reading of the script – and luckily the actors who read the first working script last fall were available to work on this reading as well, giving added depth to the reading and their reactions to the play’s development. Actor Maren Langdon Spillane puts it this way:
“I love to be involved in the process of working on a new play, and the opportunity to revisit a script we’ve previously worked on and see how it’s developed is exciting!!”
Eric Peterson – who first met LNT Founder Kim Bent back in the 60’s at Vermont Principal Association “One Act Drama Festivals” as high school students - continues:
“We're grateful to Kim (Bent) and Kathleen (Keenan) & Lost Nation Theater for supporting new work, and particularly new work about Vermont. And particularly our work as we continue developing the play. The actors have been enthusiastically jumping in and adding so much with their enthusiasm and talent. We are excited about the next steps as we work toward a full stage production.”
Join Us After the Reading for a Discussion about the Play, your reactions, thoughts and where it goes from here!
Thank you for joining us for tonight’s performance; we are so excited to bring you this production and are glad you are here with us for this virtual experience.
Tonight’s performance is Free, but please consider making a donation to support the show and the artists Here
Special Thanks To:
Annabelle & the staff at Capitol Copy, Union 32 High School and Stage 32, Dona Bate, Bennett Shaprio, Andrew Vachon. Sarah Menard, Kim Ward, Jim Lowe of The Times Argus; Doug A Smith – WNUB Northfield, Jessica Goodlin, Gail Schwartz, Jeanne Beckwith, Brett Cox, Maura O'Brien, Sue Zeller, Chris & Mike Zahm
LNT Sponsors
Capitol Copy, The City of Montpelier, Eternity, Montpelier Community Fund, National Life Group, Vermont Mutual, The World, Vermont Arts Council/NEA, State of Vermont, The Estate of Ted Richards, The Mary Shriver Fund of the Alan Weiss Estate
And all our Downtown On Stage and Business Contributors, and Private Contributors
Find all our sponsors here
Lost Nation Theater dedicates itself to staging stories about the hopeful possibilities of human interaction, to education, and realizing the powerful potential of theater to transform individuals and communities
Lost Nation Theater Staff
Kim Allen Bent & Kathleen Keenan - LNT Artistic Directors
Dona Bate - Accounts Manager
Robyn Osiecki - Technical Director
Lighting Supervisor - Samuel J. Biondolillo
Assoc. Managing Director : Brandy Perez
LNT 2021 Board of Directors
Laurie Callahan, Earl Fechter, Jessica Goodlin, Mara Ivers, Shanda Williams, Christine Zahm, Michael Zahm
director Kim Allen Bent confers with playwright Eric Peterson and composer & lyrcist John Foley over zoom to prepare for the reading.
Who's Who in Going Up the Country
G. RICHARD AMES (Reader) - After idly writing songs, poems, monologues and short plays for 30 years, Rick finally decided to mount the better of the bunch at Burlington’s Off Center for the Dramatic Arts in the late winter of 2016. Since then he's done Four sequels, including this April's "It's Him Material: A G. Richard Ames Retro-Spectacle" live steamed from the LNT Stage! He's also written two one-act plays (both of which hav been produced) based on his experiences, The Remaining Hostage and Take Your Hate Out of Our State! Amid all this creating and displaying of his own material, he has found the time to appear in other folks’ stunning works at Lost Nation Theater, Saint Michael's Playhouse, QuarryWorks and Lyric Theatre. Rick has been part of LNT's creative family since 2004, appearing in a plethora of mainstage productions - most recently 2019's "The Complete History of Comedy-Abridged" for which he won Broadway World's 2019 "Best Actor" Regional Theater Award.
KIM ALLEN BENT (Founding Artistic Director/Director) - founded LNT in 1977. A native Vermonter, he’s worked for professional theaters and university drama programs across America, Europe, and Canada as a director, actor, writer, and designer. Favorite directorial projects include: David Budbill’s Judevine (3x), Metamorphoses, and Woody Guthrie’s American Song. As an actor: Didi and Lucky in Waiting for Godot, Stage Manager in Our Town, and Rothko in Red. As a playwright, his play, STONE, won the Hathaway Prize. His adaptations of Lyddie (2012), and Treasure Island (2015) premiered to rave reviews. In 2018, he translated Howard Frank Mosher’s Vermont novel Disappearances for the stage. founded LNT in 1977. He finds it satisfying during this time to be returning to Lost Nation Theater’s roots by focusing on the development of new work and telling Vermont stories.
MATTHEW BINGINOT (filming/digital media) is a designer, producer, and lover of all forms of media creativity. Matt is especially drawn towards music, photography, film, motion graphics, and graphic design. He's always seeking new forms of creative expression to tell stories and share inspiration. Matthew also teaches 'Digital Media Arts' at the Central Vermont Career Center, and finds it highly rewarding rewarding as each day, he gets to inspire young artists to be creative and to show them new ways to practice their passions. This is his third collaboration with LNT. Contact him at Matthew Binginot Creations: www.matthewbinginot.com
SAMUEL J. BIONDOLILLO (Lighting Supervisor) - is a New York based lighting designer for theatre, television, and events. Off-Broadway: NYC Dance & Music Festival, Geek! The Musical. Regional: The Rocky Horror Show, Cabaret (Moonbox Productions), The Complete History of Comedy Abridged (Lost Nation Theater), Private Lives (Vermont Stage), Henry IV Parts 1 & 2, Shakespeare in Love (Connecticut Repertory Theatre), Flamingo Kid (Hartford Stage, Assist.) Television/Events: The Celebration of the Inauguration of Governor Wolf 2019 (ESM, Assit.), The White House Frontiers Conference hosted by President Obama (ESM, Drafting Assoc.), Ice Chips Show of Champions (Boston Skating Club, Assist.). Sam is an adjunct professor of lighting and sound technology at the University of Connecticut, a proud member of Local USA 829 in the Lighting Design category, and holds a BA from Boston College in Theatre Arts. Website: SJBLightingDesign.com
YVONNE DALEY (Book Author) Yvonne Daley is a journalist, book author, educator, director of Green Mountain Writers Conference, and founder & publisher of Verdant Books, a writers’ collaborative. Stories are at the heart of all her writing - the stories we tell about ourselves and others, stories that help us to understand one another, to find solutions, to each do our best to make the world a safe and enduring place.
Since moving to Vermont, herself as a young hippie in 1967, she has called Vermont home, even when working elsewhere. The mother of five children, Yvonne lived in the mountain town of Goshen where she briefly raised milk goats and grew the family’s vegetables. Subsequently, she worked for 18 years as a journalist for The Rutland Herald, Boston Globe, Time, Life, People, Washington Post and many other publications, winning many of the profession’s top prizes including Vermont Reporter of the Year, the New England News Editors’ Master Reporter Award and the John S. Knight Fellowship in Journalism at Stanford University.
JOHN FOLEY (Composer/Musician/Singer) is an actor, musician and writer. He is a co-creator and performer of the Tony-nominated Broadway musical Pump Boys and Dinettes, and starred in Diamonds Studs: The Life of Jesse James (Off Broadway). He has performed in a number of "muscian's theater" productions (national tours), including a Ring of Fire, Merry Wives of Windsor, Texas, and Ain't Nothin' But the Blues (The Hank Williams Story). He continues to write plays and create music… and has settled in Rhode Island.
ERIN GALLIGAN BALDWIN (Actor) Originally from Michigan, Erin began acting and performing at a young age. She attended Interlochen Arts Academy, a fine arts boarding school, as a theater major in high school, and then studied acting, English, creative writing, and dance at the University of Michigan and New York University. Erin has an MFA in Performance Creation from Goddard College, and is the co-artistic director and resident playwright of Open Door Theater. Erin has performed locally with The Bread and Puppet Theater, The Blue Barn Players, The St. Johnsbury Players, Lost Nation Theater, and Open Door Theater.
KATHLEEN KEENAN (Producing Artistic Director) Prior to LNT, Kathleen worked Off Broadway, Lincoln Center, and was featured at NYC’s Folk City. LNT credits: title roles Patsy Cline (for which she won Broadway World’s Regional Theater Awards for Vocalist and Performance of the Decade), Shirley Valentine, Educating Rita, Molly Sweeney, Belle of Amherst and Frauline Schneider- Cabaret. Director: The 39 Steps, Lyddie, The Miracle Worker, To Kill A Mockingbird, Becoming Dr. Ruth. Music: Metamorphoses, Twelfth Night, Midsommer Nights Dreame, and Lyddie. Kathleen directed 2010’s world premiere production of Jeanne Beckwith's Love Letters Made Easy and had a blast re-imagining & restructuring that show with Jeanne for a special hybrid live-from-the-stage /virtual live stream production this past February.
MAREN LANGDON SPILLANE (Reader) lived and worked as an actor in New York City for several years, where her credits include world premieres of Itamar Moses' Love/Stories (Or, But You Will Get Used to it) and A.R. Gurney's Office Hours [The Flea Theater, NYC], The Tenant [Woodshed Theater Company, NYC], and Three Sisters [Williamstown Theatre Festival, MA]. VT credits include [Phantom Theater], Constellations [Phantom Theater, Open Door Theater, Greenroom Productions], Collected Stories, [Greenroom Productions], and Much Ado About Nothing [Middlebury Actors' Workshop]. Maren lives in Northfield where she homeschools her kiddos and performs and teaches acting with her theater company, Dirt Road Theater.
ROBYN OSIECKI (Technical Director) - works as a freelance Technical Director under NotTheTD and as Maker (building theater-like things for non-theater applications) via NotTheSignShop. She teaches technical theater at Norwich University and has been working with area performing arts organizations and arts- related schools/programs for nearly 20 years.
