Summer performing arts: Montpelier, Stowe, Duxbury
June 17, 2022 | By Waterbury Roundabout
Abby Paige wrote and stars in 'Les Filles du Quoi?' on stage in Montpelier through June 26. Courtesy photo
Lost Nation Theater this week opened a two-week run of the world premiere of “Les Filles du Quoi?” on the stage at Montpelier’s City Hall Arts Center.
The production is billed as “a comedic, bilingual wild ride through ancestry, identity and storytelling by Abby Paige” and it runs until June 26.
Playwright and actor Paige is a 12th- generation Vermont settler with French-Canadian roots who has created an autobiographical theater work in which she portrays a host of different characters. They include a new mom, a journalist, Jack Kerouac and the ghost of an accused French-Canadian witch.
Lost Nation’s Founding Artistic Director Kim Bent has been involved with the production through its development and called the result a miracle. “The number of voices conjured in her script makes me think it could have been co-written by George Carlin, Maya Angelou, Moliere, Lily Tomlin, or David Budbill. And yet, this rigorous exploration of her Franco-American heritage remains, indisputably and entirely, hers,” Bent said.
Paige emigrated to Canada 100 years after her great-grandparents immigrated in the opposite direction. Her stage play crosses the borders of English and French, past and present, living and dead.
“One of the central questions of the play is, ‘When is a story like a cage?’ We all use stories to explain who we are, or who we want to be,” Paige explains. “The play is about some of the stories I’ve told myself.”
And while the show is bilingual, audience members need not be.
Performances run Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. this week and next. In-person seating requires masks. A livestream is also available.
Tickets are $10 – $30 depending on day and ticket type. Purchase online, by phone or in person. Details are online at lostnationtheater.org. Call 802-229-0492 or email info@lostnationtheater.org.
Stowe Theatre Guild presents one-man ‘Tru’
John Weltman as Truman Capote in 'Tru' presented by Stowe Theatre Guild. Courtesy photo
On July 1-2 at 7:30 p.m, Stowe Theatre Guild presents the one-man play “Tru” featuring actor John Weltman who brings writer Truman Capote to life.
This witty presentation is the group’s first show of the 2022 season.
Calling it a “one-man tour de force,” the production announcement describes Weltman’s performance as an “uncanny portrayal of Truman Capote with a script based on Capote's words and works, through his writing and television appearances.”
Shows are presented at the Stowe Town Hall in downtown Stowe. Tickets: $20 for adults, $18 for students (with ID), $15 for seniors (65+) and for children 12 and under.
Purchase tickets and find more information online at stowetheatre.com/2021/tru.
Stowe Theatre Guild is a nonprofit, volunteer-run organization. To get involved, email info@stowetheatre.
Broadway to Vermont returns to Moose Meadow
Vermont native Merritt David Janes brings fellow Broadway performers to Moose Meadow Lodge. Courtesy photo
Now in its second year, Broadway In Vermont performs Tuesday, July 12, at 6 p.m. at Moose Meadow Lodge in Duxbury.
The production brings Broadway actors to the Green Mountains for a special outdoor concert event.
Behind the production is Vermonter Merritt David Janes who performs regularly on Broadway and in national tours. He enlists friends to travel to Vermont to perform tunes from classic and contemporary musicals.
Accompanied by a live band, the singers will present songs along with stories about their professional experiences for an intimate look at some of the most legendary musicals and life as a Broadway performer.
Originally from Colchester, Vermont, Janes is a graduate of the Circle in the Square Theatre School in New York City and the University of Maine.
“As a Vermont native and former resident of the Mad River Valley, I couldn't be more thrilled to bring my dear friends, who represent the very best of Broadway, back home to perform with me at the beautiful Moose Meadow Lodge!" he said in announcing the event.
Janes' professional career includes numerous Broadway touring productions including roles as the murderous barber in “Sweeney Todd,” the magical French candelabra Lumiere in Disney's “Beauty and the Beast,” and Lord Farquaad in the “Shrek” that included a leg in Asia. His other touring production credits include “Catch Me If You Can,” “Phantom of the Opera” and “School of Rock.”
Gates open at 5 p.m. for picnicking. Parking is limited and carpooling is encouraged. Food will be available for purchase from vendors. Tickets: $35 general admission, $25 students and children. More information and tickets are available online at moosemeadowlodge.net.