Seven Days: Vermont's Independent Voice

Daughter of the Revolution

In Katherine Paterson’s 1991 novel Lyddie — now required reading for many students — the teenage protagonist endures the struggles of the dawn of the Industrial Revolution: Torn from her parents and siblings, she toils away at a textile mill, fighting for better working conditions, to make a living and to reunite her family. In Lost Nation Theater’s original production — the first time the book has ever hit the stage — Lyddie also dances. Adapted by founder and artistic director Kim Bent, the production, told through music and movement, chronicles the girl’s coming of age in a period of dramatic change. Talk about a hard-knock life. Witness it firsthand through May 20.