On the Open Road
By Steve Tesich
June 11 - 27, 1999
Theatre Off Jackson
|
|
Paul Ray as Angel and Ben
Rankin as Jesus Christ in
ReAct's On the Open Road.
Photo: David Hsieh.
|
|
|
Scott Nath as the Monk and
Ben Rankin as Jesus Christ in
ReAct's On the Open Road.
Photo: David Hsieh.
|
The Program
|
The Setting
A time of Civil War.
A place of Civil War.
ACT 1
Scene 1: The outskirts of some city. Day.
Scene 2: A bombed out museum.
Scene 3: On the road.
Scene 4: A bombed out church.
Scene 5: A ravine. Night.
Scene 6: Near railroad tracks. High noon.
ACT 2
Scene 1: The outskirts of some city. Just before dawn.
Scene 2: Same as before. Morning.
Scene 3: A Monastery.
Scene 4: On the road.
Scene 5: A mountaintop.
|
|
On the Open Road
opened at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois on March 16, 1992.
It made its New York opening at The Joseph Papp Public Theatre
on February 16, 1993.
|
Production Notes
Artistic Director's Notes
"...we need to have something to
pursue. Man, by his very nature, is a seeker.
---The Monk in Act 2, Scene 3 of On the Open Road
On the Open Road
is the story of two men, Al and Angel, both in
the midst of a desperate struggle for freedom.
But as with any noble pursuit, there are obstacles
to ovecome, and their pilgrimage to reach this
place of refuge from the agonies of civil war
guides them through periods of self-discovery
and realization. A the road's end, we discover
them both with their "arms wide open" ready to
face the ultimate freedom they have attained.
Playwright Steve Tesich is probably best known for his Academy
Award winning screenplay for the film Breaking
Away, as well as screenplay adaptations for
other films like The World According to Garp
and Eleni. But Tesich is also the author
of dark and esoteric plays such as Division
Street, The Speed of Darkness, Square
One, and of course On the Open Road.
His subject matter is always controversial, at
times fantastic, and they often present heartwrenching
examples of our human condition. His are the types
of plays which drama classes analyse and write
papers on and which, sadly, most commercial theatres
rarely produce.
We've been described as gutsy for tackling On the
Open Road, a work which other Seattle theatres
have passed on by. The play is challenging to
watch, and even more challenging to stage, but
it is also very different from the types of shows
we have produced in the past. This production
has provided us an avenue (no pun intended) to
grow and stretch artistically, as well as adding
great diversity to our repertoire. And in light
of recent events in the Balkans, not to mention
Africa, Tesich's play becomes even all the more
poignant. We hope those of you who saw the show
enjoyed the artistic quality and philosophical
challenges this production offered. We also hope
that many of the haunting images and theatrical
effects from the play have lingered with you,
just as real-life events will surely continue
to linger for years to come with the people of
Kosovo, Rwanda and other populations of civil
strife to which we have dedicated this production.
--David Hsieh, Artistic Director of ReAct
>>Purchase Scripts
|
ReAct's On the Open Road
was presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC.
|
|
A scene from ReAct's
On the Open Road.
Photo: David Hsieh.
|
|
|
Scott Nath as the Monk and
Patrick Chu as the Boy in
the final scene of ReAct's
On the Open Road.
Photo: David Hsieh.
|
Special Thanks To...
|
The Elliott Bay Book Company for promotional support
George Paul Glanzman for production and administrative support
Kathy Hsieh for administrative support
Gigi Jhong for production support
T.J. Langley for production support
The Northwest Asian American Theatre for loaned set pieces
Office Depot for discounted copying support
Robert Sindelar for administrative support
Patti West for technical support
Rick Wong & Rk Productions for videography
|
>>back to top
|
