“Come inside now. Stand beside the warming stove. Listen. Wait.” –David Budbill
As we settled into our chairs, Rusty set fire to a fresh cigar, and we began a long, sometimes humorous, sometimes spiritual, conversation inside his barn. The sun was setting, and I saw the shadows of a tractor just outside the open rustic hemlock barn doors. It was surreal.
Inside the barn were a few chairs, couches, a neatly stacked pile of wood next to a Vermont Castings woodstove, and an American flag. I wasn’t sure if I was on the set of The Logger or in the real world of Rusty DeWees. We spoke for about two hours, and it was a blast! I want to share with you some of the local connections and amazing stories that help make The Logger a regular in Chandler’s lineup.
The early days
Rusty’s history in Randolph is legendary and goes back over forty years. When he was a youngster growing up in Stowe, he came to Randolph to play basketball. That’s where he met Bruce Viens, the opposing (Randolph) team’s coach. He reminisced, “I think he was a teacher but also a basketball coach. So he coached against me. When I finished high school, I coached junior varsity basketball. All the old timers in Randolph know Bruce; he was a good guy.”
As we continued, Rusty shared more about his early journey and Randolph connection. “In 1996, I would call up high schools and rent their auditoriums. I was producing my shows. Duffy Miller, the principal [at RUHS], was a huge part of my life. Randolph was on my first-ever tour.”
Though Rusty dates his first performance as far back as 1994, The Logger became a fine-tuned two-act full-throttle performance with a clear arc and perfectly curated jokes by the fall of 1996.
By 1997, Rusty’s first video came out on VHS, and more people got to know him. Seven years later, he rented Chandler’s main stage and filmed his third DVD special, which used to be available to rent from Blockbuster and sold tens of thousands of copies worldwide. Rusty became a household name across New England and beyond.
Stumbling into the world of a poet
Our conversation eventually turned to his work in theater and the poet David Budbill’s iconic play Judevine, one of my favorites that Rusty has performed in hundreds of times. With his characteristic humor and honesty, Rusty shared some fascinating insights and stories.
He began working with director Robert Ringer and the Vermont Repertory Theater in the eighties. Together, they collaborated on Judevine, building characters from Budbill’s work about an imaginary town in the Northeast Kingdom. Rusty earned the privilege of introducing three of David’s characters (which I endearingly think of as crackpots) to the stage in Vermont - touring the state four times in full productions and building a lifelong friendship with Ringer and Budbill.
The most important role for Rusty was playing Budbill’s irrepressible French-Canadian, Antoine. With a thick accent and abundant energy, Rusty built a larger-than-life character that audiences couldn’t get enough of. Antoine was a logger, a character loosely based on the real Armond Gelineau from Hardwick. Armond’s family connected so much with the character Rusty developed that they invited Rusty to Armond’s funeral.
Because Budbill’s writing resonates with me on many levels, I brought my copy of From Down to the Village to connect with Rusty on a deeper level and learn more about their friendship. When I offered it to Rusty, he first took a draw from his cigar, exhaled a hefty flow of smoke, and reached out to graciously accept my gift. He turned the pages, read several passages out loud, then handed the book back to me and told me to follow along. He then recited at least two pages of a monologue that eventually ended up in Judevine. It was magical. He drew a few more puffs from his shrinking cigar.
Rusty shared how Budbill also influenced his approach to marketing and writing. “David was just a normal guy who was writing down stuff, so I just started writing stuff down. That was huge. And marketing is crucial. Many talented theater people don’t know how to promote themselves, think it’s below them, or just don’t want to do it. But without promotion, no one will see your art.”
This prompted me to share my favorite Budbill poem: “I want to be famous so I can be humble about being famous. What good is my humility when I am stuck in this obscurity.” We laughed, and he told me again that David was excellent at promoting his work, although he never was appointed Vermont’s poet laureate.
A seasoned performer
Rusty’s connection to Chandler is also deep. “I’ve played The Logger at Chandler about a dozen times. When I first started renting it, I worked with Charlie McMeekin and his wife. Tom Hardy was doing the backstage work.”
One of the most touching stories Rusty shared was about Ricky Holbrook. “Ricky was a guy famous in the town. He died a few years ago; he got hit by a car. I remember I was down there and went to his funeral at Chandler. He was the guy that was always around town.” Rusty met Ricky at the bowling alley and invited him to play guitar in The Logger at Chandler, where he “brought the house down,” Rusty said with a smile.
Rusty’s passion for local talent is evident. When Rusty performs for us at Chandler on Saturday (Sept 21), his special guest is guitarist Mark Burds. Mark is not only a great performer but also made the guitar Rusty uses in his live performances right here in Randolph Center. “My show is always about the towns.” Rusty says. “I don’t work outside Vermont. I do a little in New Hampshire and New York, but that’s how I designed it. Now I meet Mark Burds…” and he’s part of this upcoming show.
Rusty’s shows are always a mix of planned and spontaneous. “For the first many years, the show was word for word, but now I do a lot of crowd work.” He likes to include the town he’s performing in any way he can. Rusty gets to know people at his shows, and it’s genuine. “I’m interested in their life; they’re interested in me. It’s not that I’m special. I do a show, and they get to see me. I don’t get to see their show - so I’m interested in them,” he explained.
As we wrapped up, Rusty reflected on his journey and his impact on his community. “I’ve been so zeroed in, and I’m just now pulling back. I don’t produce myself anymore. I’ve been so dialed in. It’s unbelievable. Now pulling back, going to Italy … it’s a different life for me.”
Rusty shared what seemed like a final affectionate remark about Chandler or perhaps a reference to his way of engaging completely with all aspects of his performance: “At the end of the show, I’ll make sure there’s no trash around.”
As I was driving out of the driveway, he ran out of the barn to give me his copy of Tumbling Toward the End, Budbill’s last published book of poetry before he died. What a classy logger he is.
To purchase tickets for Saturday's performance at Chandler, click here.
