‘Leaving Iowa’ opens tonight
Iola High School tackles some heavy issues in its latest play — but don’t worry, this road trip never takes itself too seriously. The play, directed by Richard Spencer, starts at 7 p.m. today and Friday at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center. There is no admission fee.
“Leaving Iowa,” which opens tonight and runs Friday evening at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center, is a comedy about a family of four who undertake a literal — and metaphorical — journey.
The charismatic lead role, taken on by Olivia Bannister, is of Donna. She is a journalist who recently lost her father, and the best memories she has of him are of their most recent road trips to Hannibal, Mo. The action of the play jumps back and forth between the family’s road trip and Donna’ own road trip to find an appropriate place for her father’s ashes.
It’s interesting to see the contrast between the two venues. A romping run across Iowa and Missouri, and a somber journey that tries to find lost connections between a daughter and her father.
Catherine Venter plays the part of “Sis,” Donna’s energetic, albeit abrasive, younger sister who seems to get most of the attention and sympathy on the long car rides. The part of the mother is played by Trilby Bannister. She fills the gap between the hijinks of the children and their overly optimistic father, played by Garrett Prall.
Prall excels at everything “dad.” He is the type of person who would rather stop at a Civil War cemetery than go shopping, but sometimes gives in to side trips to places like “Ghost Caverns.” The family does their best to stick together as they get lost across Iowa, leave on their own sidetracks and deal with disappointment and excitement along the way.
Additional characters along the roadtrip are played by Zachory Anderson, Brock Ver Hoeven, Micaiah Larney, Madison Luken and Katherine Terhune. It’s hard to call each of these actors just “supporting,” because they add so much to the story. The characters pile on the comedy and drama with Civil War re-enactors, Amish vendors, cranky shoppers and drunk hotel guests.
The play, in two parts, is a crazy ride. The family’s grief of the death of their father brings them closer together, while the memory of their father’s long road trips may not always be the fondest. The actors never skip a step, though, in the quick banter and just as quick movement of the play.
Donna and her father may not always have gotten along on the trips, but they may be at their closest after his death. It’s a pleasant reminder that those we love can always be a part of our lives — but it’s also a reminder that we can’t change who our family is, no matter how many times they get lost along the way.
As an often skeptical Donna says at the end of the first act, the journey can be a surprising success — “This could be the best trip ever.”
