LUCY JOSEPH by Mimi McGurl Produced by Farm Arts Collective

“A gripping story beautifully and vividly brought to life!” ~ Jonathan Charles Fox

Damascus, PA—LUCY JOSEPH will enjoy a return engagement at Farm Arts Collective. After a sold-out run last June, the ensemble will present the performance for 3 shows only!

Based on the life of a 19th century gender non-conforming pioneer Lucy Ann Joseph Israel Lobdell, the performance is written and directed by Mimi McGurl. Steeped in deep local history, the musical docudrama includes contributed story and texts from author William Klaber, texts by L.A. Lobdell and contributions by the Farm Arts Collective ensemble. The company of actors includes Jess Beveridge in the title role, Doug Rogers (musical composition), Pam Arnold, John Roth, Samantha Mehlman, Annie Hat, and Laura Moran. Additional text by Mark Dunau.

LUCY JOSEPH will run Friday and Saturday, November 14 and 15 at 7 PM, and Sunday, November 16 at 3 PM at Farm Arts Collective’s new Agri-Cultural Center located on Willow Wisp Organic Farm in Damascus, PA located at 38 Hickory Lane, Damascus, PA 18415.

The performance garnered strong reviews at its premiere:

“Lucy Joseph is fully realized and practically faultless. The cast, featuring a captivating performance by Jess Beveridge in the title role, also showcased the many talents of Laura Moran, John Roth and ensemble players Pam Arnold, Annie Hat, Doug Rogers and playwright McGurl, many of whom played multiple characters with great panache.- Jonathan Charles Fox, The River Reporter

The historical figure at the center of the play is Lucy Ann/Joseph Israel Lobdell, aka The Female Hunter of Long Eddy, who lived in the Delaware River Valley in the mid 1800’s. During Lobdell’s well-documented years, colorful labels were attached to them in newspaper articles, histories, and medical records. Raised as a girl, Lobdell, by 30 years of age, clearly preferred to live their life as a man. Lobdell’s life speaks volumes to the cultural shifts that squeezed through so much religious and political turmoil during the nineteenth century.

The story of Lobdell was meticulously researched by playwright Mimi McGurl, and the play captures the historical times while drawing parallels to contemporary socio-political arguments, how, nearly two centuries later, there are still powerful and influential people who insist that genetic markings at birth remain forever the essential truth of who we are. Lobdell’s life stands as a beacon of exactly how much more work still needs to be done for all of us to have the freedom to determine, for ourselves, our own gender identities and our own personal truths.

Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at www.farmartscollective.org

A limited number of Pay-What-You-Can tickets are available for each performance.

Biography of Mimi McGurl

Mimi McGurl is a director, dramaturg and teacher whose work addresses questions of gender and racial perception in performance. Recent shows include a touring lecture- performance entitled Queer Woods (upcoming performance at Greenhouse Project, Scranton June 28th), Dream on the Farm with the Farm Arts Collective, Tracks by LAVA, Shakespeare’s Will written by Vern Thiessen at the North American Cultural Laboratory, and The Paul Robeson Project at the WOW Cafe Theatre. She also lectures and leads workshops on writing for performance in non-academic settings. She received a B.A. from Middlebury College, an MFA from UC Irvine, and a PhD from Stanford University.

Jess Beveridge (Lucy) is a founding member of Farm Arts Collective and company manger. She has been a part of all Dream on the Farm performances and co-created Alice in Scienceland, the company’s young audiences touring show. She is a “perfarmer” who also spends her days at Willow Wisp Organic Farm in the role of greenhouse manager and flower farmer. She was recently seen in Science Cabaret at Farm Arts Collective and has worked with River Rep, local sketch comedy Times Up, and other local performances. She is an alumna of the Studio Program at AMDA, NY and has trained and performed with 29th Street Playwrights Collective, The Pearl Conservatory, Co-Op Theatre East, GoJo Clan Productions, Cornerstone Theatre Arts and Forestburgh Playhouse. Past credits also include Courage (Governor’s Island), People Like Us and Streets with NACL.