The Trip to Bountiful

By Horton Foote

Directed by Stan Kelly

Produced by The Core Theatre

Reviewed by Eddy Herring

Growing old is part of life and is something that, if you are fortunate, awaits us all. We spend all the moments of our lives chasing our dreams and hopefully making beautiful memories that we can reflect on in our “golden” years. I remember spending time with elderly relatives at family reunions and listening to the stories of their childhood and how different life was then. Simple. People appreciated what little they had and took care of it. Do you have fond memories of places you lived or people who touched your life? I imagine there will come a time that we will reflect on these memories and they, too, will sustain us and remind us of happier times.

The Trip to Bountiful by Horton Foote is the story of an elderly woman Mrs. Watts (played by Mary Tiner) who lives unhappily with her son Ludie (played by Bryan P Madden) and her not-so-kind daughter-in-law Jessie Mae (played by Anna Carroll). Mrs. Watts desperately longs to return to Bountiful, her childhood home and the place where all her happy memories dwell. She is not allowed to sing, or run or leave the house, and the memories of Bountiful sustain her in her captivity. However, she is determined to get there, even if it requires an escape, her pension check, and the kindness of strangers.

Tiner masterfully plays Mrs. Watts with grace and heart. She has a brilliant way of drawing you in, and you can feel every emotion created from her facial expressions, the tone of her voice, and her body carriage. Her choices are authentic, raw and real, and I felt her sadness. I was especially moved by the hymns she sang, bringing back some of my own childhood memories. I almost forgot I was watching a play.

Madden and Carroll have great chemistry. Madden portrays Ludie as a son who truly loves his mother, who is much gentler with her than Jessie Mae, who is really more interested in her mother-in-law’s pension check than anything else. She is quick to snap at and scold Mrs. Watts, and it is obvious that she is a burden to Jessie Mae. Carroll plays this part so well with just the right amount of sneer and nastiness.

Although the majority of the play focuses on the three aforementioned characters, there is an array of background characters that help move the story along, with some playing multiple roles. I appreciated how director Stan Kelly seamlessly moved these supporting characters throughout the production. Costumes by Robin Coulonge were beautiful and accurately depicted the time period, as was hair and makeup design by Roxi Taylor. The women’s dresses were particularly wonderful. Set design by James Hansen Price was stunning, specifically the Bountiful house. All of the details were spot on, and it was truly beautiful to watch.

The Trip to Bountiful is a charming and touching classic that will make you smile. The Core Theatre is the perfect venue for this play…very comfortable seating and intimate enough that you can hear the actors well and see their expressions clearly. I hope you will make the time to go and see this show. The show runs through April 9, and tickets are available at thecoretheatre.org/tickets.

Audience Rating: PG

Accessible Seating: Yes

Hearing Devices Available: No

Production Sound Level: Comfortable

Noises or Visuals to Know About: None

Go See the Show!

Eddy Herring