Credit must be given to playwright Octavio Solis for the scope and ideas he incorporates into the play. There are some exquisitely written scenes that are wonderful to listen to and see performed.
“Mother Road” – a sequel to John Steinbeck’s beloved novel “The Grapes of Wrath,” – is an ambitious world premiere that is still a bit rough around the edges at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. However, outstanding acting by the entire cast makes this a play worth seeing.
Credit must be given to playwright Octavio Solis for the scope and ideas he incorporates into the play. There are some exquisitely written scenes that are wonderful to listen to and see performed. Solis and director Bill Rauch are to be commended for presenting profound ideas and making the audience aware of injustices around us.
“Mother Road” has a wildly inconsistent second half that is so chock full of situations and ideas, that while fascinating and noble, does not work as a whole. Although “Mother Road” has its share of flaws, I’d rather see an ambitious play that swings for the fences than a more pedestrian production. This is a world premiere, so I believe “Mother Road” will be tightened and improved when it is presented at other venues in the future.
Mark Murphey is spellbinding in every scene as William Joad, a bitter old man hardened by life that runs a farm in Sallisaw, Oklahoma. Having no living relations, William is determined to find someone with Joad blood running through their veins to pass his farm to. His lawyer, Roger (Jeffrey King), feels like a son to William and finds a man that is a relation, a Mexican-American named Martín Jodes (Tony Sancho.) We discover that Tom Joad from the original novel fled to Mexico and had a daughter.
The men do not hit it off well at first, with William’s bigotry coming on strong when faced with the fact that the man that may inherit his farm is Mexican. Eventually, both men grudgingly agree that Martín will come to Oklahoma with William to take over the farm.
We discover that William does not have much time left, since years of heavy drinking have taken their toll and he has cancer.
The men start their journey in an old beat up pick up truck owned by Martín and take the Mother Road from California to Oklahoma, since Martín is deathly afraid of flying.
Early scenes of these two very different men getting to know one another are strong. While a noble man, Martín is too quick to anger, which has gotten him into serious trouble in the past when he sees injustice and acts on it.
We discover he has an old fiancée (played wonderfully by Caro Zeller) that he still pines for and regrets having left at the altar.
On the journey, Martín calls his close confidant and chosen cousin Mo (Amy Lizardo) to join them on the road. He believes she would be the perfect foreman.
She has an idea to make it an organic farm – much to the chagrin of old William. Mo is a wonderfully written and fascinating character perfectly brought to life by Lizardo. With a bold and brash personality, Mo is fiercely loyal to Martín. She also begins to develop a bond with William.
There are of course complications on the way, as the trio meet a number of characters. A chorus made up of the ensemble chronicle the journey.
There are too many scenes in “Mother Road” that try to tackle subjects regarding prejudice, the past, and love for the land that are overly theatrical and try too hard to make the audience feel one way instead of just letting the story play out organically. Some sections in the second half are disjointed and a bit hard to swallow. For instance, there is a man late in the play that accidentally causes a tragedy to take place, but is asked to make a journey with the other characters to the farm that did not ring true to me, although I admire the effort.
The cast in “Mother Road” is first-rate and are interesting and compelling throughout. Murphey is perfection as William. This is a complex man and the wear and tear of his life are seen in Murphey's face and eyes. He disappears into the part and gives a multifaceted and riveting performance that deserves accolades.
Sancho brings complexity and nuance to his role as Martín battles his demons and looks toward Oklahoma, the farm, and his future. Sancho is a charismatic actor and works well with Murphey and Lizardo to create a compelling trio.
Lizardo is a standout as Mo, and is an actress I am glad to have seen on stage. She breathes grounded reality into her vivid portrayal of Mo.
King is outstanding as Roger, who cares deeply about William and is a bit hurt that he was not considered to take over the farm because he does not have Joad blood. King is a versatile actor, and displays his range in a number of parts, including a menacing police officer. Heck, he even plays a gas station pump to perfection in one scene.
“Mother Road” runs until Oct. 26 at OSF. For more information and tickets go to www.osfashland.org.