Forty Poems for Forty Pounds*

*To be read by the refrigerator light

Written by Trish Dougherty
Directed by Michole Biancosino

Sunday, March 12 @7:00pm

Presented by Town Hall Theater and Project Y

Sun Mar 12, 2023

7:00 PM

General Admission

Adult – $20

Student – $15

Forty Poems for Forty Pounds is for anyone who has struggled with self-worth through their relationship with food.

After battling food, weight, and self-esteem issues for years, Trish Dougherty, a poet, mother, and graduate student at the Bread Loaf School of English in Middlebury, Vermont, decided to employ her strengths of self-perception, humor, and the written word to wrestle her demons to the ground.

While touching upon the shame of diets, the pressure of media-shaped expectations, and self-love, Forty Poems for Forty Pounds also weaves the constant of weight as self-reflection into all aspects of life from looking at the stars to the shaping of “tall and slender” pottery. Forty Poems for Forty Pounds is an engaging collection of poignantly vulnerable, humorous, and insightful poems that will remind anyone who endures the similar daily whispers in their head that they are not alone and that self-love and acceptance is a choice for the “now” and not a reward to be earned “some day”. Presented by Town Hall Theater and Project Y, director Michole Biancosino brings this book of poetry to life on stage with 40 community members, each taking on a poem from Trish’s book.

Trish Dougherty - Author

Most people in our community know Trish Dougherty, but maybe they don’t know that she’s a published poet. She’s an MA graduate of the Bread Loaf School of English, she’s worked at the college in several different departments, she’s been a board member at Otter Creek Child Center for decades – even though her own children are on their way to finishing college – she’s a member of Addison County Writers group and an editor of ZigZag Lit Mag.  This event will showcase her incredible new book of poetry, featuring works that are about the ups and downs of trying to lose weight without losing your mind. This co-production between Project Y Theatre and Town Hall Theater will indeed be a fun event! We plan to have a cash bar, interactive pre-show games and giveaways, and a book signing. Each member of the audience will also receive a cannoli – don’t worry, it will make sense once you hear the poems.

Michole Biancosino - Director

Michole Biancosino (Director) with Andrew W. Smith, she’s the Co-Founding Artistic Director of Project Y Theatre, a company that has launched world premieres in NYC, regionally, and internationally. She
co-produces NYC’s Women in Theatre Festival, now heading into its 8th year.  During COVID, she co-created a hybrid streaming theatre: Tiny Barn Theatre. Recent collaborations include “Same But Different” with Lida Winfield and Christal Brown, “Waves of Gravity” with Neel Murgai and Seema Pandya at CultureHub/LaMaMa, and of course “Yoga with Jillian” which she performed in live on the THT stage in September 2022. MFA in Directing: Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts, where she received the Marilyn F. Someville Award for the Arts.  Recipient of the SDCF Sir John Gielgud Award in Classical Directing. She is an Assistant Professor of Theatre at Middlebury College.

Town Hall Theater

68 South Pleasant Street

Middlebury, VT 05753

The Box Office is also open one hour prior to performances.

Forty Poems for Forty Pounds

    General Admission

    Adult – $20

    Students & Seniors –

    $15

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