In Mary Moody Northen Theatre’s latest production,
anything goes and anyone is welcome at Grace’s Diner, where the bus
stops and passengers stay during a March snowstorm outside Kansas City,
Mo. “Bus Stop,” written by William Inge, tells the story of a group of
stranded strangers who find friendship and love, but more importantly,
fresh coffee and cheese-less sandwiches as they wait for the storm to
pass and the roads to clear.
The show starts with the wind whistling throughout
the house as the air rings with the sound of Grace’s cynical sass and
sweet Elma’s naïve declarations as the pair prepare the diner in
anticipation of customers seeking shelter from the storm. Equity guest
actress Sarah Gay and junior Meredith Stein, Grace and Elma,
respectively, complement the roles of the disenchanted and seasoned
waitress alongside a wide-eyed and trusting server conceivably well.
The theater-in-the-round provides an
intimate experience without a bad seat in the house — so fight the urge
to reach out and clean the dirt off brash cowboy Bo Decker’s blue jeans
or brush the snow out of wannabee cabaret singer Cherie’s hair. Costume
Designer and alumni Austin Rausch dressed the characters to a T, the
only complaint being that Dr. Gerald Lyman’s suit lacks the suede elbow
patches that adorn every tweed suit ever owned by a male professor. Then
again, actor George Stahl’s performance as the charismatic but somewhat
perverse drunkard Dr. Lyman is pretty convincing in that it has been a
long time since Lyman has seen the likes of a college campus, thereby
giving up his rights to elbow patches.
For more information about a wonderful romantic comedy please visit What Would Meg Do?
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