CONTROL TOP to Bring New Play by Carole Vasta Folley to Lost Nation Theater

Lost Nation Theater will present Carole Vasta Folley's Control Top for two performances, September 3 and 4 at the Montpelier City Hall Arts Center in Montpelier, Vermont.

Written by Vermont playwright Vasta Folley, Control Top brings together an ensemble of five women to explore their lifelong relationships with clothing and the personal experiences woven into what they choose—or are expected—to wear.

The play grew out of interviews Vasta Folley conducted with women about clothing, body image and fashion. The playwright developed the work with support from the Vermont Arts Council, Vermont Community Foundation and National Endowment for the Arts.

“Lucky for me, the women I talked to were generous, willing to take the time to share their experiences with clothes,” Vasta Folley said. “Some were triumphant, others were heartbreaking, and many were hilarious. It was as if we were in a dressing room together lamenting over fit, size discrepancies, lack of pockets, and the brutality of three-way mirrors.”

Through those stories, Control Top examines the impact of gendered clothing on women and the ways the fashion industry can shape perceptions of women's bodies. The production mixes those more serious questions with comedy drawn from shared experiences with everything from pantyhose and jeggings to the perennial frustration of clothing without pockets.

The cast features Kelly Kendall, Linda McGinnis, Kimberly Rockwood, Pam Toof Norton and Vasta Folley.

“I am deeply honored to be part of Control Top,” McGinnis said. “It is a play that makes us think about our shared experience as women expressing, hiding, embellishing, diminishing ourselves through the lens of what we wear, or of what we are ‘expected’ to wear.”

The Montpelier engagement follows the play's 2025 premiere and continues Vasta Folley's interest in creating work centered on women with long and complex lives. Her plays frequently address subjects including loss and abuse while using humor to approach difficult material.

“Humor is the balm to the tough stuff in life,” Vasta Folley said.

Lost Nation Theater Founding Artistic Director Kim Bent described the play as combining comedy with a moving examination of shared experiences.

“Control Top hits that theatrical sweet spot where a show makes you laugh, all while serving up a profoundly moving look at our shared experiences,” Bent said. “It is exactly the kind of storytelling our community thrives on.”

Performances of Control Top will take place Thursday, September 3 and Friday, September 4 at 7:30 p.m. at Lost Nation Theater in the Montpelier City Hall Arts Center. The production will also be available via livestream.

Tickets are $20, with guaranteed center reserved seating available for an additional fee. The production runs approximately 90 minutes, with a discussion featuring the cast and playwright following each performance. Due to mature themes and language, the show is not recommended for children.

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