"Mother Jones in Heaven" Vermont premiere October 4
A rousing musical surveying the life and work of Mary Harris Jones, the famous labor organizer who led the charge for better working conditions and fair pay for miners, mill workers, and child laborers, will be presented Friday, October 4 at the Socialist Labor Party Hall in Barre at 7 pm.
Written by Si Kahn, the one-woman musical is as timely today as it was when Mother Jones was organizing the working class a hundred years ago. In Kahn's play, actress Vivian Nesbitt portrays Mary Harris 'Mother' Jones, with musical accompaniment by John Dillon. The one-woman one-act play has one foot in the tradition of folk storytelling and the other in musical theater.
The show opens as Mother Jones arrives in heaven to discover that it is identical to her favorite Irish pub back on Earth. Over the course of the play Jones looks back over her life, sifting through her storied past and considering her methods and practices, on the one hand, and, on the other, her reputation and results. Moments of profound insight are woven with hilarious tales of a hellion in her prime. In all, the play reminds audiences of how powerful one person can be in service to collective action and the betterment of others.
Nesbitt has previously appeared on TV in "Breaking Bad," "The Night Shift," and "Longmire," and off-Broadway. She and Dillon are also known for their work on the nationally syndicated public radio program "Art of the Song." The Barre performance of "Mother Jones in Heaven" is part of a national tour sponsored in part by The American Labor Studies Center. The show will be followed by a question-and-answer session with Nesbitt and Dillon.
Long-time Labor Hall supporter Kahn has worked for over fifty years as a professional civil rights, labor and community organizer, and musician, touring and recording with such artists as Pete Seeger. He appeared at the Hall in a 2017 Labor Day concert honoring the late Chet Briggs of Calais. "Mother Jones in Heaven" is Kahn's eighth musical.
The Old Labor Hall is located at 46 Granite St., Barre. Tickets for the show are $25 and $20 for students, union members, and seniors. For reservations and info: http://oldlaborhall.org/, email info@oldlaborhall.org, call (802) 479-5600, or text (802) 331-0013.
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