Review by Stephen Duennebier, Brunswick School, Greenwich, Conn. Lots of room for character development, over-the-top acting." And I enjoyed the process." Familiar without being cliched. One parent commented, "I like a Broadway musical as much as the next gal, but this show made me think. "A wonderful combination of nostalgia and humor, tears and laughter. Review by Annette Rubin, Oelwein High School, Oelwein, Iowa "Historically funny production to which audience members can really relate."
Review by Rene Mauck, Muscatine High School, Muscatine, Iowa The play is simply "genuine." I highly recommend it!" While offering belly-laugh moments, it still manages to be a beautiful father-son story. a play the actors, director and audience could all embrace. Review by Rusty Ruggles, Aledo High School, Aledo, Ill. No real scene changes the CD with sound effects was a huge plus." We are a small school and this play worked great for us. "This was a new thing for us, doing a play. Review by Angela Leonard, Old Fort Players, Fort Madison, Iowa The cast, our patrons, are still talking about it weeks later! Had we known how great it would have been received we would have booked it for another weekend. "Leaving Iowa was a huge success for our small theater coming out of the pandemic. To apply for livestream or record & stream rights, please complete this form.
To review some frequently asked questions about streaming, please click here. Notes Livestream and Record & Stream Rights Available Premiered at the Purple Rose Theatre Company. Leaving Iowa is a postcard to anyone who has ever found himself or herself driving alone on a road, revisiting fond memories of his or her youth. Don's existential journey leads him to reconcile his past and present at the center of the United States. This father-and-son road trip shifts smoothly from the present to Don's memories of the annual, torturous vacations of his childhood. But when Don discovers Grandma's house is now a grocery store, he begins traveling across Iowa searching for a proper resting place for his father. More specifically, it is the story of Don Browning, a middle-aged writer, who returns home and decides to finally take his father's ashes to his childhood home, as requested.
The spark behind Leaving Iowa comes from being children of parents from the now dubbed "greatest generation." The story is a toast to their idealism and character and a little roast of their undying dedication to the classic family road trip.