"Leaving Iowa" - A comedy About Family Vacations, Oct 1-17 October 1, 2010

**NOTE Sunday 10/3, 10,7, 10,17 - shows at 2pm

If you ever travelled on a family road trip, then Leaving Iowa at the Farmington Players Barn Theater may just steal your heart. It takes a humorous look at family vacations in which bickering kids and their parents are trapped for endless hours in the station wagon, far from the comforts of home.

The comedy written by Tim Clue and Spike Manton will have audiences roaring with laughter at the Barn in Farmington Hills. The show opens October 1st with a special afterglow party for guests. Tickets are available at farmingtonplayers.org or at the box office by calling (248) 553-2955.
Remembering Family Road Trips

Leaving Iowa premiered at the Purple Rose Theater in Chelsea in 2004. In the Farmington Players production, Toby Booker of Warren plays Don Browning, a journalist in Boston who returns home to Winterset Iowa (home of the Duke, John Wayne) for a family baptism. Don winds up using his Dad’s old travel guide to navigate the Midwest, while searching for a final resting place for his father’s ashes. Don narrates the tale, recalling summer road trips from his childhood when he, Sis, Mom and Dad zipped through America’s heartland.

Leaving Iowa is jammed with sound effects, and the first production at the Barn to have a Technical Director. The show includes classic moments of the “family vote,” the “whiny sister” and the Dad who refuses to admit he’s lost and constantly threatens to pull over if the kids don’t behave. Along the way, Don meets 22 wacky characters, including a Civil War impersonator, a rambling waitress, and Amish peddlers. Some are scary, drunk or broken, but they are all quite amusing and played by only two actors. Lisa Muscio who runs “Sky’s The Limit Productions” in Farmington Hills takes on 9 roles while Barry Cutler of Ferndale tackles 13. The two barely have time to breath as they run on and off the stage changing costumes and personalities.

The remainder of the cast includes, Laurel Stroud of Redford Township as the classic and heartwarming Mom of Middle America; Bonnie Fitch of Southfield as the nagging and spoiled “Sis” and Jim Moll of Farmington Hills as “Dad,” whose passion for history has him searching for markers and signs with the fervor of a knight hunting for the Holy Grail.

Director Harrower expects audiences to be captivated in Leaving Iowa by Don’s journey to connect with his father, by his realization that on a road trip some detours can often lead to wonderful surprises, and by his love for a family that drives him nuts and that he can’t live without.

“Our parents are people just like us with uncertainties and making mistakes and trying the best they can,” says Harrower. “I think this comedy teaches warmth and generations continuing on with the same destination in sight.”

Tickets On Sale Now
Tickets are available today at farmingtonplayers.org or at the box office (248) 553-2955.
Adults: $15, Senior discount: $2 off - Sunday, October 3, Only
Group Discounts: $2 off any performance: Must Have 10 or more people.
Students: $2 off
Thrifty Thursdays: $2 off – October 7 & 14

Opening Night After-show Afterglow
Intermission on Opening Night (October 1st) will include a second raffle drawing. Then, after the show patrons are invited to a special “roadside picnic” at the Barn designed to mirror the feeling of the family road trip. Mini sandwiches, brownies, lemonade and iced tea will be provided.

Show Dates
Friday October 1 (8pm)
Saturday October 2 (8pm)
Sunday October 3 (2pm)
Thursday October 7 (8pm)
Friday October 8 (8pm)
Saturday October 9 (8pm)
Sunday October 10 (2pm)
Thursday October 14 (8pm)
Friday October 15 (8pm)
Saturday October 16 (8pm)
Sunday October 17 (2pm)