ABBY PAIGE

I’m not French-from-France, nor quebecoise, nor Acadian. I’m Franco-American, like Jack Kerouac.

My solo show, Piecework: When We Were French, explored the enduring influence of Franco-American culture in Vermont and New England. But when I’ve performed the show in Canada, where I live, I’ve felt that audiences needed a fuller introduction to the history it documents. Now, I am searching for a way to make Franco-Americans visible to their northern cousins by developing a new script, a companion to “Piecework,” that includes more of my personal experience of francophonie, as well as my impatience with Jack Kerouac.

I’m grateful for the chance to present a reading of the current draft of this work-in-progress, tentatively titled Tous mes cousins / All My Cousins, at Lost Nation Theater, which has provided a creative home for my work many times in the past. This new, bilingual play will capture the complex relationships between distant relatives, who tell different stories about the ancestors they share. This informal evening will include a presentation of 30-40 minutes of new material, in addition to a lively discussion of the themes that it explores and the challenges of playwriting in general. I hope you can join us!