Lost Nation Theater Presents A Reading of the New Play GOING UP THE COUNTRY

They say you've got to know the past to move forward, and in Eric Peterson's stage adaptation of Yvonne Daley's book Going Up the Country with music by John Foley, we get to do just that!

Lost Nation Theater is flying high because for the first time in 15 months, they'll have multiple actors and musicians gathered onstage performing Live for you - a reading of this new musical play "Going Up The Country!" on Wednesday, May 19th at 7pm.

Although restrictions prohibit an audience in the theater itself, the live-stream - with an uninhibited staff along with an invited guest or two reacting to the show, - you'll feel like you are there in the theater too! Then stay online to participate in the discussion after the show with the creators Peterson & Foley, the director, and actors. Our gift to you: it's Free!

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 is a journalist, author, educator, and publisher, concentrating on issues at the heart of what it is to be living on this beautiful planet.

Lost Nation Theater's Founding Artistic Director Kim Allen Bent leads a talented cast of four - including G. Richard Ames, Erin Galligan Baldwin, Maren Langdon Spillane, and Dominic Spillane in the reading and the music will be performed by composer John Foley and cast.

Playwright Eric Peterson (founder of Bennington's Oldcastle Theatre) offers this:

"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."

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!!"

Plus, this time round, we'll get to perform all the songs!

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! Online. Live! Wednesday May 19 at 7pm - and then on demand through 11:59pm Friday May 28th. lostnationtheater.org You must register ahead to get the link to the event or its recording.

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