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theatreCalifornia Desert RegionalTheater’s Americana Series August 11 – 16, 2009 There’s no denying it, Americans are a breed apart. At our best we are courageous adventurers who love passionately, embrace the unknown and die valiantly. At our worst we can be arrogant, self-absorbed and very short sighted. California Desert Regional Theater shines a light on all of these aspects of the American psyche in its Americana Series which runs August 11-16 at Bainbridge Performing Arts. The series features four plays, the comedic short plays Laundry & Bourbon and Lone Star written by James McClure; Stephen Vincent Benet’s powerful Civil War drama, John Brown’s Body and the one man tour de force Give ‘em Hell Harry featuring Justin Blake as Harry Truman. Set in 1974 Texas, James McClure’s insightful yet hilarious one-act companion plays, Laundry & Bourbon and Lone Star, both feature a 1959 Pink Thunderbird Convertible; a symbol of youthful freedom and better times that seem to have abandoned the little town of Maynard. Roy’s wife Elizabeth knows it was the car that led her to fall in love at first sight, while her best-friend Hattie, who remembers drive-in double-dates with the guy who jilted her, thinks Roy will never grow up until he can give up that gleaming chariot. Laundry & Bourbon focuses on the women and their busy body friend Amy Lee as they while away an afternoon folding laundry and drinking Bourbon & Coke. Lone Star finds Roy and his brother Ray reminiscing until their awkward friend Cletis shows up and ruins their fun with some bad news about Roy’s beloved car. While extremely humorous, both plays have a bittersweet underpinning that touches on our American love of the wild, and the mixed results we experience when we try to tame it. Laundry & Bourbon/Lone Star contains strong language. Written in 1928, John Brown’s Body is an epic American poem written by Stephen Vincent Benet. Though technically an epic poem, John Brown’s Body is actually a powerful dramatic work which tells the story of the Civil War from the points of view of those who experienced it. The poem begins with John Brown’s attack on Harper’s Ferry and continues on through the war, telling the stories of Jack Ellyat, a Northern soldier and Clay Wingate, a Southern soldier. The families and backgrounds of both men are woven into the action of the poem as are their romances. John Brown’s Body is suitable for all ages. Give ‘em Hell Harry spotlights the life and times of our 33rd president, from his small town boyhood to his years as our nation’s leader. This unique world figure comments on vital issues of the day and the people who shaped our destiny; the famous (Roosevelt, Churchill and Marshall) as well as the infamous (Stalin and McCarthy) are all grist for Truman’s mill. The play also fondly remembers the beloved Bess. Give ‘em Hell Harry is suitable for all ages. About California Desert Regional Theater (CDRT)
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