I would like to thank the community and especially Ben Blackmon, Director of the Rockport Public Library, for sponsoring the reading of Ud’s Garden, directed by Paul and Jen Hodgson of Everyman Repertory Theatre.

The audience’s response was hugely enthusiastic and thoughtful, a brave audience who ventured out Saturday afternoon despite the snow, ice, and cold. If it was our opening night on Broadway, it most certainly would have qualified as a hit.

The superb cast, chosen by Kim Murphy, brought the play to life, to the obvious delight of the audience, who laughed in all the right places. And of course, the actors benefited greatly from the sensitively and perceptiveness of Paul and his wife, Jen.

The cast includes Rafael Baeza, Henry Cauffman, James Cook, Meghan Gurdon, Pat Harpell, Dean Jorgenson, Larry Leihman, Andrew Lipman, April Rejman, and Katey Stearns.

Two studio recordings were played for the audience: Here’s Your Constitution, arranged by Peter daSilva and sung by Guy Fleurian recorded in Railroad Park Studio; and We Want Peace, arranged by Stefan Billups, who also wrote the music and lyrics for the bridge, sung by Alison Graham.

My thanks to the community for their support and their well wishes for seeing a future for this surrealistic anti-war play, Ud’s Garden. And finally thanks to Seth Whithed sound engineer, Andrea Itkin, and Dorrie Butterfield Higbee for work behind the scenes.  

Ruth Graham lives in Rockport