The Moscow Community Theatre will bring the former Broadway hit “Bus Stop” to the Empire Theatre in Tekoa on Saturday, February 25, at 7:00 p.m. Following six performances at home, the theatre company will bring its entire production to the Empire for one show only.
Written in 1955 by William Inge, “Bus Stop” ran for 478 productions on Broadway and was nominated for four Tonys. Later it was adapted to the silver screen and starred Marilyn Monroe. It was revived in New York in 1996 and has recently enjoyed a resurgence in Britain. A review in The Guardian declared, “there is something beguiling about this forlorn slice of Americana, which meditates on the distances between towns and the distances between people, like an Edward Hopper painting with dialogue.”
The story takes place in a small town in Kansas, when a bus is stopped by a snowstorm and the passengers take shelter in a diner. The interplay between the five stranded passengers and three locals forms the crux of the action, which focuses on human relationships, especially those involving romance. Characters include the bus driver, a cowboy, a nightclub singer, a naive high school girl, the local sheriff, a college philosophy professor, a ranch hand, and the pretty but fading woman who owns the diner. Although generally classified as a comedy, the play elicits a number of resonant emotions and is considered something of a classic.
The Moscow troupe, directed by Richard Domey, consists of eight actors, many of whom have been active in previous plays. Domey notes that the already existing chemistry among the players, as well as the fact that they themselves are from small towns, gives this particular production an added vitality and believability. Domey has been active in theatre, television and radio for over 50 years as actor, director, writer and producer. He holds a PhD in Theatre from WSU and, eight years ago, brought the Pullman Civic Theatre production of the play “Ages Ago” to the Empire Theatre.
Admission to “Bus Stop” will be $ 12 for adults, $ 5 for students, and free for accompanied 12-and-unders. For information: (509) 284-2000.
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