?Leaving Iowa? opens Friday

Washington Community Theater will present a sentimental comedy this weekend about families, vacations and growing up in Iowa. The play is ?Leaving Iowa,? and stars Brett Pierson, Melody Lockard, Melanie Jeter-Hawkins and Steven Lockard. The play debuts Friday at 7:30 p.m. at the Washington Community Theater. There is an encore performance Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and then a Sunday matinee at 2:30 p.m.

Steven Lockard plays the role of Don, a writer who lives in Boston, away from the rest of his family in Iowa. Don comes home to a family gathering and realizes that his father?s ashes have never been taken care of. Don wants to find a place to lay his dad?s ashes to rest. He gets in the car and embarks on a journey to find a suitable location. Along the way, Don reminisces about his vacations with his father, mother and sister from years ago. The audience sees modern-day Don one minute and is then treated to a scene from his memory the next minute.

Kris Pierson is the general manager of the play and said she enjoys the way Lockard plays the part of Don.

?Steve is a unique actor,? she said. ?He brings not only the character to the stage but I think he brings a lot of himself into it, too. I see a lot of his own personality there, and yet I also see the character. He has blended the two very well.?

Pierson said it was odd at first to see her son, Brett Pierson, play the role of the dad.

?The directors, Doug and Beth McBride, really felt that when Brett tried out for the character, they could see him in that character. They wanted a strong voice and someone who would portray Dad in a way that was friendly but also firm.?

Dad is on stage but off to the side when Don is on his journey to show that he is always in Don?s mind.

Jeter-Hawkins plays the role of Don?s sister. She, just as Lockard, is seen as a child during the flashbacks and also as an adult during the scenes set in the present.

?It?s interesting to see Melanie be the adult and then the child,? Pierson said. ?She becomes the girl who every boy who has had a sister can?t stand. She fights with Don and steals his things.?

Melody Lockard plays the mother, who is constantly breaking up fights in the back seat between Don and his sister.

?Everyone has seen a mom like this,? Pierson said. ?She becomes a little different mother during the present day, but you?re still seeing a mom. After all, Mom is always Mom.?

Rick Bonar plays four characters including an Amish man, a mechanic and a farmer.

?Rick is a seasoned actor. He has done this a lot,? Pierson said. ?He has to bring something different to each role. Several of the actors have to do that because they have to play multiple roles. You may catch yourself thinking, ?Is that the same person I saw earlier?? It?s not just because the costumes are different but also because their portrayals of each character are different.?

Mary Maxted plays Bonar?s wife in two separate roles, first as ?Mrs. Johnson? and later as Judy Penneplain. Regina Schantz is making her Community Theater debut, playing the roles of an Amish woman and a motel desk clerk.

Terry Shaw and Nancy Salemink portray Don?s grandpa and grandma, respectively, and also uncle Phil and aunt Phyllis. Shaw also plays a Civil War re-enactor and Salemink plays an unusually upbeat waitress.

?Everybody has had relatives like uncle Phil and aunt Phyllis, ?Pierson said. ?They?re the uncle and aunt you never want to visit because they?ll drive you nuts.?

Brent Peiffer plays four roles, including a grocery store clerk, a farmer and a less-than-upbeat waiter. Sue Spencer plays a mechanic and a museum assistant who tries to keep the audience quiet. Amy Langr portrays a park ranger and a drunk lady who hits on Don.

?You could bring children or adults to the show and they would be entertained,? Pierson said.

The production team set up a projector which displays an image on a screen in the background throughout the play. Before the play and during intermission, the projector will play a slideshow of maps and photographs of Iowa courtesy of Tom Messenger, Jon Gloyer and Melody Lockard.