“The Legend of Jim Cullen” premieres next month, as the capstone of Heartwood’s 10th anniversary season. The show is a crowning production of original, innovative and collaborative work.

It's the story of a New Brunswick immigrant living in Aroostook County in 1873. It's the story of the only lynching in New England history. It's “The Legend of Jim Cullen,” by Heartwood’s Artistic Director, Griff Braley.

Awash with music, the story unfolds with traditional Canadian and Eastern folk music, edgy new folk sounds, male a capella tunes, an Irish jig, art songs and choral pieces. This large scale collaborative musical project has been underway for months, with lyrics and music by Braley and arrangements by local musicians/composers/arrangers Aaron Robinson and Corey Redonnet.

Based on real events and Northern Maine history, the play makes use of period vaudeville, portrays a mill work scene, a baptism through the ice and even a barn-building with traditional tools, woven together by a pseudo-scientist-journalist narrator, who liberates the story from history and makes it his own.

The cast arrived from all over the country in mid-June. They will be living in the Damariscotta/Newcastle area through early August. Actors double as musicians on stage, so most are currently enrolled or have recently graduated from theater and musical programs.

Lead roles belong to Equity Actors Jed Aicher from New York, playing Jim Cullen, and David Connelly from Texas, playing the narrator, Bateman.

Other visiting cast include: Jamie Roach and Holland Hamilton from New York state, Toney Brown and Tyla Collier from Massachusetts, Melissa Hall and Sam McInerney from Ohio, Carl Lundstedt from Pennsylvania, Deirdre Manning from Florida, Avery Merritt from California and Adele McAllister from Maryland.

An audience favorite in Heartwood’s recent “Macbeth,” Equity Actor JP Guimont (Macduff) returns, along with Christine McCormick from Whitefield, Coady Robson from Woolwich and Sebastian LaPointe, Boothbay summer resident.

“The Legend of Jim Cullen” is funded in part by a grant from the Maine Community Foundation, along with sponsorships from Bath Savings Institution, First Advisors and the Newcastle Publick House.

Performances will appear in the air conditioned Parker B. Poe Theater at Lincoln Academy in Newcastle, on July 19 and 20, 26 and 27, Aug 1-3 at 7:30 p.m. One matinee performance will take place on Sunday, July 28 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $20 adults and $12 students. Reservations strongly recommended at boxoffice@heartwoodtheater.org or call 207-563-1373.