Illinois e-News Release

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

Media contact: [email protected]

SPRINGFIELD – A new documentary, “The Life and Work of Vachel Lindsay,” will screen in April at theaters in Springfield and Carbondale.

The film, produced by The Storyteller Studios and commissioned by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and State Historic Sites Springfield, tells the story of Springfield poet Vachel Lindsay. The project was funded through a partnership with the Vachel Lindsay Association.

The film will screen at 6 p.m. Friday, April 14 in Brookens Auditorium at the University of Illinois Springfield. It also will screen at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 22 at the Varsity Center in Carbondale. Tickets for the Springfield screening can be ordered at www.uis.edu/event/screening-life-and-work-vachel-lindsay; tickets for the Carbondale event are available online at https://eventbrite.com.

“We appreciate the generous leadership of the Vachel Lindsay Association for funding this educational and entertaining film,” said Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director Natalie Phelps Finnie. “The Vachel Lindsay Home is a historical treasure in the capital city, and this film adds an important component to the visitor experience.”

The film is a new part of the visitor experience at the Vachel Lindsay Home on Fifth Street in Springfield and will be available on the IDNR website.

“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.”

The film was directed and produced by Kevin Christensen of The Storyteller Studios. The trailer can be viewed at https://thestorytellerstudios.com/vachel.

“I’d like to thank everyone at Illinois DNR and State Historic Sites Springfield for giving us access to all the resources we needed to create this film,” Christensen said. “I was honored to learn so much about Vachel Lindsay through this process. I am grateful to have been a part of telling his story to visitors to his historic home. I hope viewers catch a little bit of his passion for life and art when they watch it.”

The documentary includes poetry performances by Aasne Daniels, James Daniels, Kevin Purcell, Jack Drea, Alina Johnson, Asher Paris and Sterling Paris. Vachel Lindsay experts interviewed during filming include Jennifer Caldwell, David Logan, Kevin Purcell, Sheila Ryan and Ian Winterbauer.

The Vachel Lindsay Home in Springfield is open for tours daily. From this lifelong base, Lindsay traveled America, thrilling early 20th century audiences with his powerful spoken-word performances. In his lifetime, Lindsay rose to international fame. Today, his words continue to inspire people of all ages. Reservations are required for tours of the home at https://LindsayHomeTours.eventbrite.com