“The Flat Iron Lot” presented by Pontine Theatre

Don’t miss this special springtime event! We are pleased to welcome back Portsmouth’s Pontine Theatre to Tamworth, with a timely story about a fictional New Hampshire town as it celebrates its 250th birthday.

The Flat Iron Lot
Experience an original stage adaptation of Alice Brown’s short story “The Flat Iron Lot,” published in 1899. (The elder Dr. Remick was age 33 when this story was published, in his 5th year of practicing medicine.) Set in the fictional town of Tiverton — based on Brown’s hometown of Hampton Falls, NH — the story chronicles a rural New England community’s celebration of its 250th birthday. With fits and starts, contention and compromise, the residents organize historical reenactments, a grand parade, and speeches from civic leaders and the town’s beloved, unofficial historian. In the end, the townspeople enjoy a reinvigorated sense of civic pride and appreciation for the shared heritage that binds them as a community.

The story is an apt microcosm of the ambitions, struggles and ideals of our upcoming national observance of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

LISTEN TO Pontine Theatre discussing this performance with New Hampshire Public Radio’s Rick Ganley on March 11, 2026.

A “Flat Iron Lot” (or flatiron) is a distinctively triangular piece of land created by the intersection of roads at an acute angle. Often called a wedge or point lot, this shape resembles an old-fashioned clothes iron, making it prime, albeit challenging, real estate for unique, angular buildings like New York’s famous Flatiron Building. Source: Google search.

+ Alice Brown (December 5, 1857 – June 21, 1948) was an American novelist, poet and playwright, best known as a writer of local-color stories. Born in Hampton Falls, New Hampshire, Ms. Brown graduated from Robinson Female Seminary in Exeter in 1876. She later worked as a teacher for five years, but moved to Boston to write full-time in 1884. — Bio and photo source: Wikipedia.

Pontine’s Co-Artistic Directors and performers, Marguerite Mathews and Greg Gathers, have developed a special fondness for searching out rich, historical literary gems and bringing them to life for audiences throughout the region. Pontine’s shows often feature antique stage techniques, including rolling panoramas, puppetry, and toy theatre figures to bring stories alive onstage. Mr. Gathers creates all the props and sets used in the theatre’s productions.

$10 | $5 for members*
Ages 14 and above; interested and patient attendees under age 14 are welcome.
Space is limited; preregister early to ensure your spot.
The program is approximately 60 minutes long.
Following the performance, view the theatre staging and props, and interact with the artists.

PURCHASE TICKETS
MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNT (Remick Ramblers and Museum Maven levels): All ticketing is charged at the $10 ticket price; Remick membership discount will be refunded for both online and in-person sales once membership status is confirmed.
Not sure if your membership is current? Give us a call at (603) 323-7591.

Additional ways to purchase tickets: Call (603) 323-7591 | Email | On-site, while tickets remain

*Remick Ramblers and Museum Maven levels only.
Not sure if your membership is current? Give us a call at (603) 323-7591.

Registration & Cancellation Policies

This event is part of our Spring at the Farmstead schedule.

ABOUT PONTINE THEATRE

“Pontine Theatre is a small miracle. The theater has used puppets, mime and stagecraft to convey visions of the past to modern audiences for more than 35 years. Artistic Directors Marguerite Mathews and Greg Gathers conspire to fascinate the contemporary mind with original works based on the stories and literature of New England. There’s really nothing else like it anywhere.” ~ NH Magazine

“Since 1977, Pontine Theatre has been an active participant in the development of actor-based theatre, creating work that is engaging, innovative and original. Co-Artistic Directors, Marguerite Mathews and Gregory Gathers have produced over fifty original works. Creating and performing these works, Pontine has introduced their unique form of theatre to audiences throughout New England, transforming audience interest in gestural theatre, puppetry, toy theatre and storytelling into enthusiasm for this distinctive synthesis of forms.

“In choosing projects for our at-home performance series and subsequent tours, we endeavor to reflect the interests of the audiences we serve. We are fortunate to live and work in a region with a particularly rich history and a citizenry deeply interested in this legacy. As other cultural organizations work to preserve historic landmarks and significant architecture, we have dedicated many of our performances to celebrating classic works of New England literature: some well-known, others obscure gems. We also create works based on original research that explore various aspects of New England culture and history.

“…Our intimately-scaled chamber productions are an ideal fit for the small-town audiences…. The intimate scale of our productions reflects an aesthetic choice to magnify the theatrical power and artistic integrity of our work through concentrated attention to the details of each element comprising the whole.”

“…art has the capacity to reach us on multiple levels at the same time. It’s much more than an intellectual experience, it’s also an emotional experience, can be a spiritual experience, can even be a physical experience. And there are very few times in life when all those aspects of our nature are brought together in the same place and we’re made aware of it. And I think it makes for a very deep bonding experience between actors and audience and between audience members. The fact that that performance happens only in that moment with everybody’s cooperation — it’s priceless. It’s absolutely priceless.” ~ Greg Gathers, Co-Artistic Director of Pontine Theatre