The town of Frost Heaves, NH is tired of being out of the limelight. 

"Frost Heaves used to be a thriving town," says semi-official spokesperson, Ken Sheldon. "But nowadays, nobody even knows how to get there."

To correct that, the citizens of Frost Heaves--plus a few carefully selected "people from away"—will present Frost Heaves: Foliage Follies, the first in a series of monthly variety shows, at 7:30 p.m. on October 11 at the Peterborough Players in Peterborough. Tickets are $12.

"We were going to do the show in Frost Heaves," says Sheldon. "But the church's septic system is backing up and the grange still smells from the turkey grooming workshop the 4H held there last month."

The purpose of the evening, according to Sheldon, is to put Frost Heaves back on the map. "Progress has passed us by, but we still have a lot to offer."

He cites the new bug zapper at Herb Cullen's Pick-Your-Own-Zucchini farm as an example. "Then there's the swap shed at the dump, where the competition for the good stuff gets pretty intense, let me tell you."

Along with an update on happenings in Frost Heaves, the evening will feature humor and music about leaf peepers, people who talk too much, on-air pledge drives and the dangers of cleaning out the attic.

This event has been declared a politics-free zone, says Sheldon.  "The most controversial topic we'll cover is whether they should ban that pumpkin-flavored coffee from the Frost Heaves market."

Ken Sheldon is a singer, songwriter and humorist who has performed for audiences across New England. Joining him will be Peterborough Players veterans Kathy Manfre, Peter Eisenstader and Liz Wright, along with musical guests Wendy Keith, Mike Rousseau, Mark Crory, and Tom Bielecki.

"We had planned to use local Frost Heaves talent," says Sheldon. "But it turns out there isn't any, except for Sophie Hamilton, the church organist, and she's got a bingo game that night. So we had to bring in some ringers."

This is the first of a series of monthly shows, each of which will be completely different, though audience members will get to know the characters from the town of Frost Heaves.  "We'll be taking a close look at what still makes Yankees and New England stand out from the crowd," Sheldon said. "I think you'll recognize some of the characters that pop up on the Frost Heaves stage."

Tickets are $12, general admission, and can be purchased at the door and at the Toadstool Bookshop or Steele's in Peterborough by cash or check. To order by credit card, call the Peterborough Players ticket office at 924-7585.  For more details, go to http://www.frostheaves.com.