You’re Going to Love Leaving Iowa

By Cindy Torres, Student Contributor

On Friday, I had the opportunity to attend a rehearsal for the upcoming SAA theatre production, Leaving Iowa, which runs January 11-13 at 7:00 p.m. in the Hook Theatre. This show is a straight play, meaning that it relies on dialogue rather than the singing to get its main points across. The play is riddled with flashbacks that takes place in the late 70’s, slapstick humor, and a sort of relatability to the characters. It will make you laugh-and it might make you cry!

The main character, Donna (played by Senior Sarah Henry Havard), is tasked with bringing her dad’s ashes back to his childhood home three years after his death. However, when she arrives, she discovers that her dad’s childhood home has been turned into a grocery store. She begins traveling all over Iowa to find a final resting place for her father. This leads her on a journey filled with flashbacks of wacky family vacations. This causes her to look back on past events that she missed when her father was alive, such as his retirement party and even his funeral.

The play has some adult themes surrounding guilt and remembering painful memories. There is symbolism behind every word, which makes it particularly important for the cast to know all their lines. Even the costumes give details to what the character's personality is like, adding to the symbolism. The backstage crew put a lot of hard work into finding the essence of each character. So much attention to detail was put into everything, which makes the show even more enjoyable.

Typically, the Saint Agnes Theatre Department likes to put on one straight play a year, with a small cast, to concentrate more on characters and the development of those characters. The audience becomes invested and perhaps even finds a bit of themselves in those characters.

From the dorky dad (played by Sophomore Elliot Cary) to the patient mom (played by Senior Lauren Brown), or the bratty sister (played by Junior Liza Russ), we have an amazingly talented cast who is sure to keep you laughing.

Another thing to keep in mind is that this cast had only four full weeks of official rehearsal, due to Christmas break. The cast and backstage crew have worked very hard to pull this challenging show together in such a short time, and they have done a fantastic job! So, stop by and support Leaving Iowa this week. This is a show you don't want to miss!

Note: This play is appropriate for grades 7^th and above.

BUY TICKETS: https://gofan.co/app/school/TN8795?activity=Performing%20Arts