A lot of general stores in Vermont have regulars — locals who not only pick up milk or eggs, but stop for a cup of coffee and a visit. Over time, some meetups become like a store fixture.
A new play, written by Middletown Springs resident Herb Childress and presented by Theater in the Woods as part of a community playwrighting project, imagines the backstory of one of those small town coffee klatches.
“Old Dogs on the Porch is about three old guys who have had coffee on the front porch for decades,” Childress said. A writer, Childress knows a thing or two about small town life, having formerly chaired Middletown Spring's select board.
His characters' friendship is well-worn and comfortable, built on years of easy banter, bad jokes and their shared small town sensibilities.
“They love each other, but like most men, they don’t know how to say it,” Childress said.
So when Jim, the oldest of the three, tells his friends he’s been diagnosed with terminal cancer and doesn’t plan to do anything about it, Childress said it creates a new dynamic they have to navigate: What can they and can’t they say about it?
Jim’s a widow, so what will happen to the family farm? And how will his dysfunctional family, some of whom have stayed in Vermont while some have left, complicate things?
“Everybody likes each other and everybody hates each other,” laughed Tinmouth resident Marshall Squier, who plays Jim. “I’m a retired farmer. Jim is a lot like me.”
Squier described the play’s characters and storyline as very realistic to Vermont. “There isn’t enough income in small family farms to pass on to the next generation, so then there’s this conflict of: What do you do?” he said.
This story is about the history of rural Vermont, Squier added, "A history that's playing out in real time right now."
The aging themes may also resonate amongst audiences, said Theater in the Woods Administrative Director Melissa Chesnut-Tangerman. “It’s a very tender piece, and you know, whether or not one has experienced the passing of a loved one, we all will.”
While Old Dogs on the Porch has a common theme, the play had an unusual evolution. It was created during Theater in the Woods' 10-minute playwriting project.
The idea is to bring writers and locals together to produce meaningful art and create a sense of community, Chesnut-Tangerman said. Their 10-minute play project is more collaboration than competition. Work starts in September, when writers gather for an hour to craft individual 10-minute scripts. This year, she said nearly two dozen writers took part, including Childress.
“We’re not chit-chatting, but we’re building on the creative energy of everyone in the room,” explained Childress, who said he's participated since 2021. After an hour of writing, the group shares feedback. Then writers take several weeks to polish their work.
In November, Chesnut-Tangerman said their staff selected eight of the short plays for staged readings in front of a community audience, who also provided feedback.
This year, thanks to a $9,300 grant from the Arts and Social Cohesion program at the Vermont Community Foundation, Theater in the Woods and Herb Childress were able to expand and fully stage a two-act play, which will be performed at the Wallingford Town Hall Theater over the course of two weekends this month.
Opening night for Old Dogs on the Porch is Friday, May 8 at 7 p.m. Tickets are available by free-will donation.
