Driftwood’s ‘Leaving Iowa’ a funny yet realistic look at family road trips
Published 1:30 am Friday, March 24, 2017
Making plans for the summer? Do they include a family vacation?
It might be a good time to check out the family-friendly show presented by the Edmonds Driftwood Players.
The critically-acclaimed “Leaving Iowa: A Comedy About Family Vacations” runs through April 2 at Wade James Theatre in Edmonds.
When middle-aged writer Don Browning finds that the intended burial place for his father’s ashes — his dad’s childhood home — has been turned into a grocery store, Don embarks on one last father-son road trip in search of a resting place for his dad.
As Don drives familiar roads across the Midwest, the story shifts back and forth from the present to memories of the annual, torturous vacations of Don’s youth. Ultimately, Don’s journey leads him to reconcile his past and present at an unpredictable and perfect final destination.
Written by Tim Clue and Spike Manton, the play is a toast to the idealism and character of parents from the “greatest generation” while roasting their dedication to the family road trip. A Detroit Free Press critic called “Leaving Iowa” the “most frighteningly realistic depiction of a family summer road trip” the reviewer had ever seen.
“The bonding that occurred during those family road trips was rarely appreciated at the time,” said director Eric Bischoff. “It could be many years before we truly understood what we had done and what we had.”
This touching comedy is suitable for ages 10 to 110, Bischoff said.
The cast includes Cristin Fenzel, Robert Hankins, Rebecca Parker O’Neil, Bonnie Ronan, Justin Tinsley and James Lee Wilson.
If you go
“Leaving Iowa” by the Edmonds Driftwood Players, 8 p.m. March 24, 25, 30, 31 and April 1, and 2 p.m. March 26 and April 2 at Wade James Theatre, 950 Main St., Edmonds. Tickets are $20. Call 425-774-9600, option 3. More at www.edmondsdriftwoodplayers.org
Next season
“The upcoming 2017-18 season is going to be an amazing,” said Driftwood managing director Kim Smith.
“Baskerville, A Sherlock Holmes Mystery” by Ken Ludwig runs Sept. 8-24. Disney’s “Beauty &the Beast” opens Nov. 25 and runs through Dec. 17. The classic “To Kill a Mockingbird” is on the boards Feb. 9-25. The comedy “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” runs April 20 through May 13, 2018. And the mainstage season wraps up with “Sabrina Fair” June 8-24, 2018. Quarterly Theater of Intriguing Possibilities shows include “Dracula” in the fall, “Dry Weather Wind” in winter and “Everything in the Garden” in the spring.
