by Kirby Lindsay, posted 13 February 2012
From February 17th – March 10th, Stone Soup Theatre will present the Pulitzer Prize winning play ‘The Young Man From Atlanta,’ by Horton Foote. This production, directed by Maureen Hawkins, sticks faithfully to the period script – set in 1950s Houston – that describes the crumbling of an American dream, and the building of an uncertain future. The compassionate, and occasionally humorous, story shows the past, and the universal themes that carry over into modern times.
Foot Notes on Horton Foote
Hawkins read much of Foote’s work before selecting ‘The Young Man…’ Over an impressively long career, Foote wrote approximately 52 stage plays, as well as screenplays for television and movies – and won Academy Awards for his screenplays of To Kill A Mockingbird and Tender Mercies.
“Some of Foote’s early one-acts I wasn’t as interested in,” she admitted. ‘The Young Man…’ came late in his career, and relates a story about life in middle-age. “The world isn’t just about young people,” the director observed, and yet finding quality scenes for middle-aged actors can be hard to find.
For Stone Soup, Hawkins needed a one-act. ‘The Young Man…’ does qualify, Hawkins said, although Foote broke it down into six scenes. As the play’s action takes place over eight days, the scene shifts allow the story to progress in time and place. Scene breaks also allow time to insert an intermission, “and people will like a break,” Hawkins admitted, “this is dense.”
The play also requires a cast of nine actors; a large cast considering the size of the intimate Stone Soup Downstage. “Fortunately,” observed Hawkins, “I don’t think there are ever more than six on stage at a time.” She has directed here before, and knew that, “in choosing a play for Stone Soup,” she explained, “you don’t want a huge cast, and you want one that uses the intimacy of the space.” As she looked at ‘The Young Man…,’ among Foote’s other works, she knew it would work well here. “When you go in,” to the theater, Hawkins said, “you will feel you are in this room with Lily Dale and Will.”
Universal Themes & Timeless Beliefs
Audiences will benefit from a close connection with this subtle, and unsettling theatrical journey, as they visit an era of by-gone values where, as Hawkins observed, “the themes are universal.”
In the play, an older man finds himself losing his job to a younger one, as his company struggles to survive. The story also shows a married couple – in a marriage of the period – who struggle with their deeply damaged relationship.
“If they were a modern couple,” Hawkins remarked, “they would have divorced.” Yet, in Foote’s works, according to Hawkins, his themes often concern survival, and resilience. A common thread through his plays is the ability of his characters to carry on.
While he wrote this work in 1995, it revisits characters from Foote’s acclaimed play series ‘The Orphan’s Home Cycle,’ written between 1962 and 1999. Setting it in the 1950s, allows him to return to these familiar characters and present situations – like a bad marriage – where they must find a way to stay together. Ultimately, the play exposes, “some root belief that together we’re stronger,” Hawkins explained, a belief “that held true then and now.”
A Story, And A Backstory, To Share
Hawkins has chosen to become a bit of an expert on Foote, and his works. In a larger theater, a production like this might have a Dramaturge – a person who scrupulously researches the period, settings, and playwright, and helps the director, the cast and the crew understand the context and nuances of the play.
Stone Soup has had an intern do this work. When Hawkins directed Durang7 at the theatre in 2009, she had someone to help. Yet, she admitted even if there were someone now, she would do much of it herself. “I want to have as much information as I can,” she explained.
With ‘The Young Man…’ incorporating settings, and characters, from Foote’s other works, Hawkins found a treasure trove of backstory to explore. Characters in this work have appeared before, such as Lily Dale from Foote’s play ‘Lily Dale.’ “It’s been very helpful,” Hawkins observed, for herself and her hard-working cast, as they use information gleaned to give their characters more depth.
Hawkins praised “a strong cast,” and the production crew, which include the talents of Eva Abram, Savannah Baltazar, John Clark, Gordon Coffey, Jaryl Draper, Matthew Gilbert, Maggie Heffernan, Maria Knox, Maureen Miko, Lindsey Morck, Zachariah Robinson, Chris Scofield, Suzi Tucker, Michael Way and Carolynne Wilcox.
Tickets remain available for this timeless work – well-worth the time it will take to see it. ‘The Young Man From Atlanta,’ at Stone Soup, will play through March 10th, but as this is Fremont’s most intimate (okay, its small) theater, seats fill up quickly. Order tickets today, on-line through Brown Paper Tickets or call the box office at 206/633-1883, to make sure you don’t miss out!
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©2012 Kirby Lindsay. This column is protected by intellectual property laws, including U.S. copyright laws. Reproduction, adaptation or distribution without permission is prohibited.