Actors from The Hook & Ladder Theatre Company of Romulus rehearse the night bus scene of Horton Foote’s drama “The Trip to Bountiful,” which runs 7 p.m. June 5, 6, 12 and 13, with 2 p.m. June 7 and 14 matinees. For tickets, go to hookandladder.ludus.com.
Two new theatre groups are offering entertainment at local venues, as The Hook & Ladder Theatre Company of Romulus presents the Horton Foote drama, “The Trip to Bountiful” and a newly formed Dearborn-based group presents the world premiere of “Bully: A Musical Lampoon,” based on the life and lies of Donald Trump, at 5221 Oakwood Blvd. in Dearborn.
HOOK & LADDER THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS ‘THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL’
“The Trip to Bountiful,” written in 1953 by Horton Foote, follows an older woman who escapes her domineering daughter-in-law to revisit her hometown of Bountiful, Texas.
During a bus ride, she relies on the kindness of strangers before her family tracks her down. The show focuses on nostalgia, the meaning of home, and the conflict between duty to family and personal freedom.
Director Paul Bruce of Dearborn said he and his husband James have loved the story since they saw the original film version starring Geraldine Page, and when John Thiede, the owner and operator of The Hook & Ladder Theatre, asked him if there was a show he would like to direct, he suggested “The Trip to Bountiful” as the theater’s first drama.
Bruce said the biggest challenge working with a new theatre company is the need to fulfill multiple roles to bring a show to the stage.
“The Hook & Ladder Theatre is still in its first year of operation, and everyone has to wear multiple hats in order to accomplish everything we want at the level that we all wish to present the production,” he said. “One day we’re blocking scenes, the next we’re working on publicizing the show, and the next we’re finding props.”
Bruce said he’s enjoying working with the cast and crew.
“These are not just talented actors and artisans: they are kind, dear, funny people who are all remarkably giving when it comes to making stories like this come to life,” he said. “I feel so fortunate to be among them.”
Julie Ballantyne Brown, who plays the daughter-in-law Jesse May Watts, said “The Trip to Bountiful” is a beautiful show “that will make you laugh and cry” and should be performed more often.
“This show is a hidden gem that will surprise you with how much it makes you feel,” she said.
Brown said her character is not very likable.
“I desperately want to have a side conversation with her about some of her actions, but she is who she is,” she said. “It’s tough, because a lot of what she does and says is so opposite of how I hope I would respond to life situations, especially in how I would treat people.”
Brown said she hopes attendees with take a little compassion and understanding with them after the show.
“The take-away, for me, is being able to give grace where it’s needed, even if we don’t understand the situation or circumstances,” she said.
Aric Liljegren, who plays Ludie Watts, the woman’s son, said the show is a moving drama about a family under stress and the connections people feel to their past.
“A piece like ‘The Trip to Bountiful’ is best seen in an intimate setting, because it is an intimate story,” he said. “With just under 50 seats, and not a bad seat in the house, The Hook & Ladder is the perfect venue to tell this tale.”
Liljegren said that while portraying a struggling middle-aged man isn’t a stretch for him, it is challenging to put himself into a 1950s mindset with its rigid gender roles.
He said he hopes the show reminds people of the importance of family and our connection to the past.
“I also hope our production has people checking out the many other upcoming productions at the Hook & Ladder,” Liljegren said. “it’s a moving story, lovingly told in an intimate new theater.”
Sue Krekeler, who plays the lead character, Carrie Watts, said it’s been challenging learning her many lines, but she’s enjoyed getting to know her fellow cast members.
“It’s a really good story that grabs your heart,” she said. “The story will rivet you.”
John Thiede, who plays the sheriff, said the show will be very relatable to audience members who have been in a similar situation.
“It will bring laughter and tears,” he said. “I can add a bit of realism to the character because I have a loved one that I see in our lead character.”
Mo Thomas, who plays Thelma, one of the people the protagonist meets on her journey, said the show is a beautifully written story about the journey of life and what it means to go home.
“‘Bountiful’ will make you laugh and cry in equal measure,” she said. “It has so many honest moments of reflection about humanity wrapped in a journey to the past.
“Come see how perception changes memory and the kindness of strangers can often be the greatest gifts.”
Thomas said she hope audiences learn how to be a little more compassionate and empathetic to aging humans.
“In the pursuit for a better life, don’t forget where you come from,” she said.
The Hook & Ladder Theatre Company is located at 35255 Goddard Road in Romulus.
“The Trip to Bountiful” runs 7 p.m. June 5, 6, 12 and 13, with 2 p.m. June 7 and 14 matinees. Tickets are $20, with a $1.75 processing fee. To order, go to hookandladder.ludus.com.
Director and the show’s music creator Darryl Bartlett (left) and singer Abbas Alawieh rehearse a song from “Bully: A Musical Lampoon,” based on the life and lies of Donald Trump. The show runs 7 p.m. Aug. 13 and 14 at 5221 Oakwood Blvd. in Dearborn. For tickets, go to bullymusical.ludus.com.
‘BULLY: A MUSICAL LAMPOON’ DEBUTS IN DEARBORN
Based on the life and lies of President Donald Trump, “Bully: A Musical Lampoon” runs for two nights, Aug. 13 and 14, at 5221 Oakwood Blvd. in Dearborn.
The show was written by fervent Trump opponents Glenn O’Kray, Mary Assel and Helena Thornton, with music by Darryl Bartlett of the band Sunglasses After Dark.
O’Kray said the musical was developed to keep the public eye on the administration of the current president and to poke fun at a president who told countless lies during his first administration and who is trying to tell more lies during his second administration.
“‘Bully’ makes use of live music, footage of presidential speeches, a Trump impersonator and additional dialog to tell the Trump story,” he said. “The show begins with Trump’s early life and takes the audience up to his final judgment.”
O’Kray said 21 songs tell how Trump’s bullying ways began and progressed.
“The program includes music on his beliefs, how he creates chaos, his vice president, and his treatment of immigrants and minorities,” he said. “It takes on his making fun of those of other religions, and Jeffrey Epstein is featured, as are other diabolical foreign colleagues.”
Cast member Abbas Alawieh said that in times like these, politics have become stranger than fiction.
“Coming together as a community to laugh, to reflect and to find each other is itself an act of resistance,” he said. “Productions like ‘Bully’ remind us that making sense of this nonsense through humor is one of the most powerful tools we have when we’re fighting back.”
“Bully: A Musical Lampoon” runs 7 p.m. Aug. 13 and 14 at 5221 Oakwood Blvd. in Dearborn. Tickets are $20 plus a $1.75 fee. To order, go to bullymusical.ludus.com.