MONTPELIER – A crowd of protesters gathered outside of a performance of Lost Nation Theater‘s Twelfth Night this weekend, holding signs reading “Our Nation Is Not Lost!” and “Why Do You Hate America?” The demonstration was apparently in response to the name of the theater company, which has been putting on shows since 1977.

“It’s a slap in the face to our troops,” said one woman in the crowd. “If our nation is so lost, why don’t they move somewhere else? People literally died so they could be here today, and I just think it’s so disrespectful.”

A representative from Lost Nation Theater came out to face the crowd and attempted to explain that the name of the theater company had nothing to do with the United States, and has been around for over 40 years regardless of political clime, but she was shouted down by the angry mob with calls of “Whatever happened to the separation of theater and state?!” and “USA! USA!”

The mob finally dispersed when the actors came out to the street and began to perform their play by William Shakespeare for the protesters. “Foolery, sir, does walk about the orb like the sun,” said one actor, to which a man in the crowd shouted “Speak English, you Commie!” and then walked away. After a few more similar exchanges the crowd dispersed and the actors went back inside to resume the play.