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Running from Friday, June 6 to Sunday, June 8, A Goodnight Kiss, a historical drama written by Cinzi Lavin and produced and directed by Kathy Kelly, will be performed at Goshen Players in Goshen, CT. Performances on Friday and Saturday will take place at 8pm, while the Sunday production will be held at 3pm, with a follow-up Q&A with Civil War experts after the performance. 

Panelists include Housatonic Valley Regional High School history teacher, author, and Civil War historian Peter Vermilyea; retired high school administrator and educator, author, and educational program coordinator Carolyn Ivanoff; Civil War and Revolutionary War reenactor and research presenter Kevin Johnson; and historian and museum educator Natalie Belanger.

The play, which is based on actual love letters between a Civil War-era couple, serves as both a dramatization of the actual connection shared by Fred and Sarah Jane (“Jennie”), as well as a reflection of local values, culture, and lifestyles in the 1860s.

About the producer/director & playwright

As producer and director of the show, Litchfield County resident Kathy Kelly has a depth of experience in the industry. A member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) and the Actors’ Equity Association, she has appeared in numerous film, stage, and television productions and co-starred in an Emmy-winning television series. She has directed off-Broadway productions, as well as professional regional productions of Guys and Dolls, Arsenic and Old Lace, and Man of La Mancha. Kathy has taught in the arts education realm at SUNY Farmingdale and Long Island University’s prestigious theatre department. She also offers private consulting as an expert in body language. 

Playwright Cinzi Lavin, who is also a Litchfield County resident, is an award-winning creator and producer of numerous full-length original musical dramas, as well as novels and other theatrical pieces. She has worked professionally as an actress, singer, theatrical producer, instrumental performer, choral conductor, educator, writer, and composer; she even performed by invitation at the White House in 2010. Cinzi was the recipient of an award from the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) for her influence on American culture in 2020. In addition to being voted into the National League of American Pen Women for distinction in both letters and music, she is also a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

What to expect at A Goodnight Kiss

The story of the play centers around Jennie, who is attending college in New Britain, CT, with hopes of becoming a teacher, and Fred, who is fighting in the Civil War. This recollection of the bond they shared—one which was constantly in jeopardy because of missed opportunities, an unreliable mail system, and the looming threat of loss—highlights the power of human connection, even against the odds. As Fred and Jennie’s relationship flourishes from friendship into a blossoming love, this timeless tale exhibits not only a truly moving correspondence, but “insight into the rich tapestry of cultural and community existence in the 1860s,” as Kathy and Cinzi point out.

Photo courtesy of Kathy Kelly and Cinzi Lavin from a June 1, 2024 preview at Goshen Players Gala.

To Kathy, the importance of the production cannot be understated, which was why she felt it significant to create a play from this story and commission Cinzi to write it. “After learning of the love letters and how Goshen resident Ernest Barker had compiled and published them, I felt a pull to bring these two lovers to life, on stage,” Kathy explains. “It was then that I reached out to Ernie’s widow to ask for approval to move forward with the project. I wish I’d known him and hope that, in some small way, his memory is kept alive and honored through this project.”

Much of the show’s context is sourced directly from these letters, which reference small-town Connecticut during the period and indicate how gender constructs, parental authority, and romantic love and marriage transpired at the time. 

Kathy and Cinzi emphasize the play’s capacity for exploring the era’s prevailing beliefs and principles, noting that A Goodnight Kiss “can provide a window of understanding into the motivations and moral complexities faced by people of that time both with respect to their personal lives and their involvement in the Civil War.”

Cinzi underscores the simultaneous vitality of this context and the universality of the tale. “Bringing this story to life presented unique challenges, but I wanted the audience to be steeped in the culture and history of the time. Meanwhile, so much of this story is relatable on a deeply human level, and I had to let the beauty of that shine through,” says Cinzi. “I’m very honored to have worked on this amazing project.”

A Goodnight Kiss will be performed at Goshen Players on June 6 and 7 at 8pm, as well as on June 8 at 3pm. The June 8 performance will be followed by a Q&A with Civil War experts. To learn more about the show and get your tickets, please visit goshenplayers.org. Goshen Players is located at the Goshen Old Town Hall on the rotary at 2 North Street in Goshen, CT.