New documentary about Vachel Lindsay to screen at Brookens Auditorium at UIS
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A new documentary about Springfield poet Vachel Lindsay, known for his works like "Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight," "The Congo" and "General William Booth Enters into Heaven," will screen at Brookens Auditorium on the campus of the University of Illinois Springfield at 6 p.m. on April 14.
A panel discussion will follow the screening.
“The Life and Work of Vachel Lindsay" was produced by The Storyteller Studios and commissioned by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and State Historic Sites Springfield. The project was funded through a partnership with the Vachel Lindsay Association.
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The film is a new part of the visitor experience at the Vachel Lindsay Home at 603 S. Fifth St. and will be available on the IDNR website. The home is where Lindsay was born in 1879 and where he later moved his family.
The film was directed and produced by Kevin Christensen of The Storyteller Studios. It includes poetry performances by Aasne Daniels, James Daniels, Kevin Purcell, Jack Drea, Alina Johnson, Asher Paris and Sterling Paris.
Lindsay experts interviewed for the film include Jennifer Caldwell, David Logan, Kevin Purcell, Sheila Ryan and Ian Winterbauer.
Lindsay was considered to be the father of modern performance poetry, seeing poetry as "a spoken art," and often took to the road, exchanging for his poetry for room and board.
"The Golden Book of Springfield" is Lindsay's utopian vision of what the city might be like in 2018.
Another area poet, Edgar Lee Masters, who lived in Petersburg, published "Vachel Lindsay: A Poet in America" four years after Lindsay committed suicide in 1931.
“The Vachel Lindsay Home is an important historic site that helps us stay connected to the roots of literature and art that run deep in Illinois,” said Justin Blandford, superintendent of State Historic Sites Springfield. “After seeing this film, our guests will have a much deeper appreciation for Vachel Lindsay’s contributions as a poet, illustrator and pioneering film critic.”
Tickets for the Springfield screening can be ordered at the UIS website.
A trailer for the film can be viewed at Storyteller Studios.
Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788, sspearie@sj-r.com, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: A new documentary explores the life and work of Vachel Lindsay
