Lost Nation
Cancels Its
August Show

"Lagging attendance" and a drop in sponsorship contribute to financial difficulties at Montpelier's Lost Nation Theater, which has decided to cancel its August show.

Announcement of the cancellation was made last week by Kim Bent, the Braintree native who is founder and co-director of the theater company, which has attracted professional and amateur actors to its productions for 18 years.

The Tony-award-winning musical, "Urinetown," was scheduled to run Aug. 3 to 20. The large cast show would have cost $25,000 to produce, Bent said, and ticket sales would not have paid for it.

It was reported that Lost Nation, which operates on a budget of about $300,000 a year, lost sponsorships to the tune of $15,000 to $20,000 this year.

There has also been somewhat lower attendance during the last three years. Bent attributed this, to some extent, to the increasing competition for the limited number of arts-related dollars.

Lost Nation's current show, "Stone," has been doing well. The play, written by Bent himself from various documents of local history, is a survey of Barre's love affair with the granite industry and the roles that were played by various immigrant groups.

It plays through July 9 and has attracted excellent reviews.

The explosion of arts-related organizations in Vermont was cited two years ago as one of the reasons behind the demise of the Onion River Arts Council, which used to be the main presenter of arts events in the Capital Cities area. Many other organizations survive, however, including Capital City Arts, which presents classical concerts, and the Barre Opera House, which attracts a variety of entertainments.