Bus Stop is one of
those plays that you know exists, at least in the form of a Marilyn Monroe film
which borrows the name, setting, and very little of the plot. We decided to go
see it at local theater The Empty Space this weekend. William Inge, who was
once heralded as the next Tennessee
Williams, had a few hits, but not many after the 1950s, wrote this one in
1955, and set it the quintessential 1950s location: the diner. The idea is a
bit of a classic too: random strangers are thrown together in a single location
by bad weather.
There are eight total characters, and none of them are
minor. Each has his own story, and role to play in the drama. The characters
are divided up into the locals, and the strangers. Grace is the owner of said
diner, and a “grass widow,” as she describes herself, meaning a woman whose
husband is away most of the time. She employs Elma, a naive high school girl.
Since the bus route stops in town, and the diner is about all there is, Grace
knows the bus drivers really well. In some cases, extremely well, wink and nod. Carl is the driver on duty at the
time of the action. Will, the local sheriff, is kind of an Andy Griffith sort,
but in a town that isn’t as whitewashed and “wholesome” as the fictional
Mayberry.
The bus contains four strangers, on their way west. Gerald,
a former professor, is, it turns out, was run out of Kansas City for his attempts at seducing
young girls. He is also urbane, smooth, and a lush. Young rancher Bo is
accompanied on his way back to his Montana
ranch by the other two characters. Virgil is an older farmhand, who has kind of
taken care of Bo after he was orphaned. He is the voice of reason and
experience in the play - although Will plays that role to a degree as well. The
final character is Cherie, a young lounge singer who has had a hard and
promiscuous past. She finds herself dragged against her will by Bo, who is
convinced that since they had sex (his first time), they were going to marry.
There are, therefore, three romantic/sexual pairings with
their own tensions. Grace and Carl, who get more than the customary 20 minute
quickie. Elma, the object of Gerald’s less-than-honorable advances, and Bo and
Cherie, whose story arc probably played better in the 50s than it does now.
These three threads to the story are interwoven, and each comments on love and
human nature.
The two young characters are the ones with the most to
learn. Bo needs to figure out how to treat women like humans, not as property.
He needs to figure out how to apologize for the first time in his life. And he,
for the first time in his life, loses a fight, and has to learn that he can’t
always get what he wants.
Elma gets a crash course in real life. Older men who seem a
bit too interested and nice usually aren’t looking for an adopted child. Not
everyone is happily married like her parents. People have affairs that are
sexual but not romantic. Domestic violence and coercion are real. Life is
complicated.
There are, as I hinted, a number of things about the play
that seem a bit dated. In the era of #metoo, the tolerance of coercion and
threats seems an off note. Kind of like much of the plot of The
Taming of the Shrew, come to think of it. Both plays are worth
performing in part because of these dynamics. We like to pretend that we are
better - and we are in some ways - but we also have a long way to go in
overcoming the sexism of the past. There were also a number of lines that
assumed a certain gender essentialism - fairly benign, but still wince-worthy.
On the other hand, a lot of this play felt relevant and
modern. The problem of old (usually) men preying on vulnerable young people
certainly hasn’t gone away. (Hmm, thinking of people from Bill
Gothard to Doug
Phillips to Roy
Moore…) The messiness unhappy marriages remains a timeless theme, as does
infidelity. And, in its own way, the problem of men who feel entitled to women.
Bo would play well as an “incel”
these days. He is (or considers himself) good looking, reasonably wealthy,
educated enough to read and write, and as he insists, “kinda tidy.” He deserves the woman of his choice, right?
The play combines serious moments with humor, and at the
moments of greatest discomfort, shifts to a gentler, philosophical bent. In
this sense, I think it was a good one for the kids (who went with me), as it
didn’t go over the line, but also looked some difficult issues square in the
face.
My favorite line in the play is by Virgil, who may be quiet
and soft spoken, but probably knows more than everyone but Will combined. Bo is
stewing over his rejection by Cherie, and Will’s intervention preventing him
from coercing her.
VIRGIL: ...Now why don’t ya go over to
the counter and have yourself a drink...like the perfessor.
BO: I never did drink, and I ain’t
gonna let no woman drive me to it.
VIRGIL: Ya don’t drink. Ya don’t smoke
or chew. Ya oughta have some bad
habits to rely on when things with women go wrong.
The kids liked the terrible rendition of the Romeo and Juliet balcony scene, with the
drunk and overacting Gerald paired with the not particularly talented Elma.
They also liked Bo’s insistence on raw hamburgers, and his ludicrously long
food order.
The acting was quite good in this production - it was all
Empty Space regulars, and since each part was significant, each actor got his
or her chance to shine. The actors seem to have found parts that fit their
preferred styles.
Cory Rickard went with her signature sassy and flippant
style in portraying Grace. It came off as both worldly wise, but a little goofy
and unpredictable. It has to be well over a decade that I have been enjoying
Rickard’s work in local theater, and I always smile to see her in a cast list. (The
Two Gentlemen of Verona earlier this year, and as Friar
Lawrence last year come to mind.)
Carl (Jared Cantrell) and Grace (Cory Rickard)
Victoria Lusk has played a number of memorable characters
over the years, from the hilarious Launce (in Two Gentlemen) to the sexy Inga in Young
Frankenstein. Her short stature worked well for the teen character, and
she certainly made the balcony scene hilarious. She’s another actor that I love
to see on a cast list because she makes any part she is given come alive.
Speaking of Frankenstein,
the last time I saw Steve Evans, it was as the Monster. I would not have
recognized him in this play - the makeup does make a difference. Playing the
straight man is never easy, but Evans was thoroughly credible as the good
natured, even tempered, and wise sheriff. Our real life law enforcement could
sometimes take a lesson in how to defuse a volatile situation. I also loved the
bit near the end where he casually mentions Carl’s boots left outside Grace’s
apartment. It wasn’t mean-spirited, but it was a good dig.
Will (Steve Evans) confronts Bo (Carlos Vera)
Jared Cantrell has been a couple of eccentric characters
lately: Uncle Jack in Dancing
at Lughnasa, and Teddy in Arsenic
and Old Lace. Carl was obviously not as over-the-top, but it required
some skill at getting the bus driver persona right. Which he did: I half expect
to see him driving the GET one of these days.
Trayvon Trimble Fletcher (he has used various combinations
since his debut as Othello) brought
his understated style to the part of Virgil. Soft spoken, homespun, and a man
of few words but deeper thoughts.
Virgil (Trayvon Trimble Fletcher)
For the part of Bo, it was pretty inevitable that Carlos
Vera would end up playing the part. He has been in far too many local productions
over the past few years to name, but he brings a kind of simmering rage and
aggression to most of his parts. The Empty Space is a small venue, but he can
fill larger ones as easily. I won’t blame Vera for this, but he was more
believable as the violent and controlling Bo than as the softer, gentler
version. But that’s the fault of the script - it is too unbelievable to think
that someone would change that fast or that the change would be permanent.
As the former professor, Daniel Korth was a bit disturbing.
That’s a compliment. Korth is one of my favorite actors, and was brilliant in
both The
Woman In Black and in Angels
In America. Korth just sounds naturally sincere, urbane, charming,
likeable, and genuine. He’s super at doing that. But then, you watch him
putting the sincere charming moves on a teen girl, and...ick. Which is the
point. It was far too easy to see how Gerald kept getting these young girls -
and that too is true to life.
Gerald (Daniel Korth) puts the moves on Elma (Victoria Lusk)
Finally, there is Ellie Sivesind, who has taken over for her
husband Brian as executive director of TES. (Brian is teaching theater at Bakersfield College, and doing a fine job, so I
imagine he is busy.) Ellie has a knack for playing innocent characters - hence
Desdemona in Othello and Harper in Angels in America. She has a rather
young and innocent looking face, and portrays vulnerability well. That’s an art
as much as playing a stronger female. I enjoyed her work in this one as well.
Cherie (Ellie Sivesind)
Really, looking at that list again, just a solid list of
reliably excellent local talent, which is what brought this play alive.
I should also mention that my youngest was quite impressed
with the set. TES is a small venue, so space is at a premium. Nevertheless,
they had a diner with a counter and kitchen and everything. And real food. I liked all the vintage
details - my wife knows her antiques, and I have gotten a bit of an education
about period glassware and similar items. This is standard fare for TES: small
space, modest budgets, but careful attention to detail, high artistic values,
and strong acting.
Bus Stop runs two
more weekends, so locals may wish to make reservations and go see it.
Esonline.org for
more information.
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