By Vermont Country staff in collaboration with Dorset Theatre Festival artistic leadership.
Dorset Theatre Festival is preparing to close its 49th summer season with a powerhouse finale: Kenneth Lonergan’s sharp comedy-drama, Lobby Hero (August 21 – September 5, 2026).
Written by the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of Manchester by the Sea, the play follows Jeff, a drifting Manhattan security guard drawn into a high-stakes moral dilemma.
In the director’s chair is M. Bevin O’Gara, the veteran theater director and producer who helmed last season’s world premiere of Salvage. This production marks O’Gara’s second time directing at the historic Dorset Playhouse. Just weeks before heading into the rehearsal room with her company of actors, Vermont Country Magazine caught up with O’Gara to talk first impressions, the pull of live theater, and her love of all things Vermont.
1. On First Impressions of the Characters
Vermont Country Magazine (VCM): Kenneth Lonergan is famous for his hyper-realistic, beautifully flawed characters. Lobby Hero is an ensemble piece, but as you prepare to dive into rehearsals, what was your initial reaction to the main character, Jeff, and what are you most looking forward to exploring about his mix of humor and personal stagnation?
M. Bevin O’Gara (MBO): First, I love that you refer to this as an ensemble piece. One of the things I get most excited about as a director is working on true ensemble pieces that put equal weight on a variety of individuals and ideas; there is something I find very interesting about that kind of group dynamic.
In terms of Jeff, he is someone who is looking for motivation and aspiration. He has had a string of bad luck, is dealing with outside forces, and constantly compares himself to a lot of different people—which is always a recipe for disaster. The way he tackles these challenges is by always laughing, telling jokes, and turning on the charm. I love the juxtaposition of someone who is deeply hurt, unfocused, and wanting something better without having the proper tools to get it, and then hiding all of that behind humor.
I also love how the other characters bring out different elements in him. There is the humorous mask he puts on for his boss or the cop, which contrasts with the vulnerability he ultimately shows to Dawn. This is a play that explores different versions of masculinity, and I am particularly excited about how Dawn comes in and shakes up those expectations for each of the three men, especially Jeff. She allows him to tap into a different sense of self than we see with anyone else, moving from hiding behind his mask to ultimately showing her who he really is.
The other thing I love about Jeff, and find so exciting to think about in terms of his stagnation, is that he genuinely believes he is trying to get his life together. Whether or not we agree with his tactics, or even agree that he is successfully doing it, in his heart of hearts, he thinks he is. That is something I am very interested in exploring.
The Festival’s season finale features a powerhouse four-person ensemble celebrated for their work in major film franchises and critically acclaimed dramas. The cast includes Tobias Segal, a Drama Desk nominee well known as Earl in John Wick (Chapters 2 & 3), and Lee Aaron Rosen, a Broadway veteran seen in The Normal Heart and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Rounding out the ensemble are Ugo Chukwu, featured in the Tony-winning national tour of Oklahoma! and the celebrated Off-Broadway production of Primary Trust, and Carmen Flood, widely known for her starring role in the Netflix comedy series Brews Brothers.
2. Creating in the Mountains
VCM: This summer marks your second time working at the Dorset Playhouse, which has such a rich legacy in New England regional theater. You’ve been an artistic director, a producer at large companies, and an educator in addition to directing. Regardless of the role you’re playing, what are you hungriest for when it comes to the collaborative energy of a four-person stage rehearsal? And how does the unique, intimate energy of the Playhouse contribute to that process?
M. Bevin O’Gara in rehearsal for SALVAGE by Lena Kaminsky during the 2025 Festival Season with actor Robbie Sublett)
MBO: I am so thrilled to be returning to Dorset this year. It is a place I wanted to work for a really long time, and last year exceeded all my expectations. I am just so happy to return to a company that is as warm, caring, and thoughtful as the team at Dorset; it is a real professional gift to be able to return to the Festival.
As for the collaborative energy, I just love a group dynamic and true ensemble shows. While Jeff is our protagonist, these are four equally weighted characters with equally complex and compelling journeys. I am really interested in how the play asks questions about our individual responsibility to fix or address the flaws in the system. All of these characters are doing what they think is right, and what is fascinating is how certain they are of their choices at some points, how much they question them at others, and how the play creates a seesaw of right and wrong. I am incredibly excited to develop that dynamic with four different individuals.
I also love that this will be a piece where audiences go away debating what the truth was, who was right, and who was wrong. Many people will have different opinions, and that is always an exciting thing to craft. I look forward to talking a lot about the mess that happens in the gray space between the rules and the truth. Are you being loyal? Are you being truthful? Those are the questions I am interested in exploring. It’s a funny play, so I also look forward to laughing in the room with a group of tremendous artists.
3. The Gray Areas of Morality
VCM: Lobby Hero deals with truth, loyalty, and regular people under pressure. As a director looking at this script today, how do you think Lonergan’s themes of everyday heroism and institutional compromise will strike a chord with modern audiences?
MBO: In terms of its resonance today, I think we are currently asking a lot of questions about personal responsibility, culpability, and what it truly means to be a hero. This play wrestles with those concepts, making it even more poignant to explore at this moment. When the play was written in 2001, conversations about truth and loyalty looked a bit different, but today, they feel even more vital. The show is about regular people grappling with these massive ideas, and given where the world is right now, I can’t think of a more timely conversation for us to be having.
4. Loving Vermont
VCM: Your family has a long connection with the Dorset community. Outside of the rehearsal room, what are you most looking forward to exploring in the Green Mountains, and is there anything specific on your Vermont summer bucket list?
MBO: There are so many things I love about Dorset. My parents have been a part of the community for two decades now, and it has become one of my favorite places in the entire world. I actually got married at the Barrows House a number of years ago!
This summer, I am looking forward to taking advantage of a wonderful housing perk—the pool at the Barrows House—with my son, who will be joining me. I am also excited for him to have the chance to play in the treehouse my parents have for him. The Dorset Quarry is another one of my absolute favorite spots, though unfortunately, we won’t spend too much time there this year since my son is only six and isn’t quite ready for that level of swimming yet.
Instead, we love visiting the animals at North Meadow Farm, and we recently discovered the Manchester skate park, so we will be spending a lot of time there, as well as at the Manchester library. The list could go on and on. This area really is my happy place, and I am so grateful to be able to create work here surrounded by my family. To be able to do this as both a working professional and a full-time mom is just such a gift.
