PowPac’s ‘Leaving Iowa’ opens June 22
By Emily Sorensen
PowPAC, Poway’s Community Theatre, continues their successful 2012 – 2013 season with “Leaving Iowa,” a sentimental comedy written by Tim Clue and Spike Manton, opening Friday, June 22 and running through Sunday, July 22.
PowPAC presents the sentimental comedy “Leaving Iowa,” starring, front from left: Cheryl Warner as Mom, Sam Warner as Dad, back from left: Christine Gatlin as Sis, Nathan Boyer as Don. Photo by Tony Eisenhower
“Mostly, it’s a memory play,” said Mary Anderson, co-producer of the play, along with Dorothy Courtney. “It’s a sentimental comedy about road trips and relationships.”
The play tells the story of Don, a journalist, who, after leaving his hometown in Iowa, regrets not visiting more. After missing the death and funeral of his father due to a canceled flight, Don visits three years later and takes a short road trip to spread his father’s ashes at their family homestead. “He goes down a sentimental journey to the past,” said Anderson.
On his trip, Don remembers family road trips of the past, the disasters and the roadside attractions. “There’s a lot of interesting monologues,” said Anderson. “There’s a lot of tender moments and comic moments.” After discovering the old family homestead is now a grocery store, Don sets out to find a proper resting place for his father’s ashes. “Along the way, he comes to term with who his father was,” said Anderson.
“Leaving Iowa,” which is directed by Anderson’s husband, Keith Anderson, is something close to the couple’s heart. “I can relate to [Don’s guilt at not visiting home more], because I’m from Iowa,” said Anderson, “and I only got home once or twice a year after I left.” The couple, who usually direct and produce at the Coronado Playhouse, were looking to guest-direct a show at PowPAC and decided on “Leaving Iowa,” partially because they both related to it. “It was just a very appealing play,” said Anderson.
The show has seats on a platform as a representation of the car in Don’s memories, with scenes in various spots on the stage of roadside attractions. Special lighting and sound effects will also be used to evoke the idea of a moving car.
The cast includes Nathan Boyer as Don, Christine Gatlin as Sis, Cheryl Warner as Mom, Sam Warner as Dad, with Bud Emerson, Evan Jones and Pati Reynolds playing multiple characters that the family encountered on road trips.
PowPAC, Poway’s Community Theatre is located upstairs in Lively Center, 13250 Poway Road, Poway. The theater is handicap accessible. Tickets are $18 general admission and $15 for seniors and students. Tickets may be purchased by calling the box office at 858-679-8085 or emailing boxoffice@powpac.org. Performances are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays.
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Posted by Emily Sorensen
on Jun 14 2012. Filed under Entertainment, Theatre.
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