A Theatre-Goer's Thoughts

The Trip to Bountiful is one of several plays by Pulitzer Prize-winner Horton Foote that document lives of ordinary people in or from small Texas towns in the 1900s. (Foote also won Oscars for his screenplays of “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “Tender Mercies.”) Currently at the historic Ford's  Theatre, the play is perfectly suited for Ford’s intimate space in this well-crafted production. Mrs. Carrie Watts is miserable in her current circumstances. An energetic woman of advanced years, she shares a tiny Houston apartment in the years after World War II with her son, Ludie, and his shrewish wife, Jessie Mae. Everything that Carrie does, from her hymn singing to her “running” through the apartment, grates on Jessie Mae. Ludie tries to keep things peaceful, but he is now decidedly more his wife’s husband than his mother’s son. Any peace between them is bound to be fragile and, ultimately, short-lived. If only. If only Carrie can get back to Bountiful, the small town on the southeas...

  I haven’t read The Color Purple , Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1982 novel. It has been (and continues to be) the subject of much book-banning for a variety of reasons, including violence, language, drugs, and sexuality. I saw the 1985 film by Steven Spielberg when it was released; only vague images remain in my memory. I did not see either the 2005 original or 2015 revival of the musical version of The Color Purple , so this was as close to a brand-new experience as possible. When I learned that the remarkably talented Nova Y. Payton would take the starring role of Celie in the production at Arlington’s Signature Theatre, I was quick to purchase my ticket. (A film version of the musical is planned.) The plot follows Celie from the age of 14, abused and pregnant with her father’s child, as she marries a brutal man called Mister, who continues her abuse. Celie’s only comfort is her relationship with her sister, Nettie. When Mister attempts to assault Nettie, Nettie leave...