‘The Trip to Bountiful’ Opens Stissing Center’s Summer Series

A reading of Horton Foote’s prize-winning drama “The Trip to Bountiful” will be presented at the Stissing Center at 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 16. Directed by Patrick Trettenero, known for his successful rendition of “Our Town” last year, it kicks off the Stissing Center’s summer series, “Bountiful: Rural Plays.” According to executive director Brett Bernardini, the series will feature plays set in rural America that have had prominent productions, including Broadway, by notable playwrights.

“The Trip to Bountiful” is a poignant drama about human struggle and resilience, with moments of comedy that endear the characters to the audience. It tells the story of Carrie Watts, an older woman battling loneliness and yearning for the past and the place she considers home. Martina Deignan, an accomplished stage and screen actor, stars as Watts. Dean Temple plays her son Ludie, and Molly McClarnon portrays his wife, Jessie Mae. Carrie embarks on a solo bus trip to her hometown of Bountiful, meeting Thelma, played by Erin Krom. The cast also includes Darrah Cloud, Thayer Durell, Curtis Moore, and David Owens. 

“I read the play a long time ago and was thrilled when Patrick asked me to read Carrie Watts,” said Deignan. “As I prepare for the reading, there is so much about Carrie that I connect to on a visceral level. Her longing to return to her childhood home, her need to belong to a family and a community, and the wish to know herself a little better and find meaning in her life before it’s over. These are things that many people can identify with — that are universal and part of the human condition. Towards the end of the play Carrie says, ‘We’re part of all this. We left it but we can never lose what it gave us.’ To me, these lines signal that Carrie, despite the twists and turns in her life, finally recognizes that the meaning and the strength she sought had always been within her — in the river, the birds, the fields and the woods of her childhood. It’s such a simple realization, but one that is often overlooked as we age and the vagaries of life intervene.”

The series will continue with “Lost Lake” by David Auburn, the author of “Proof.” This play, about two people at a cabin in the woods — one looking to rent it and the other its owner — explores the challenging moments in their lives. Directed by Sydnie Ronga, who has led three plays in the Local Produce reading series and serves as the artistic director of the Hudson Valley based Round the Bend Theatre, the reading will take place at 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 21. Ronga described the play as moving, highlighting the unexpected friendship and support found by the characters.

The series will conclude with “Hollywood, Nebraska” by Kenneth Jones, a comedy about two older actresses, one living in New York City and the other in Los Angeles, who return to their hometown. This play examines whether childhood friends can overcome disappointments and find hope in the small town they left behind. The reading will be at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 18.

Tickets for each of these full-length play readings are $10 and available for purchase online.