The Road Weeps, The Well Runs Dry at The Los Angeles Theatre Center

The Road Weeps, The Well Runs Dry

The Los Angeles Theatre Center
514 S. Spring St. Los Angeles

Surviving centuries of slavery, revolts, and The Trail of Tears, a community of self-proclaimed Freedmen creates the first all-black U.S. town in Wewoka, Oklahoma. The Freedmen (Black Seminoles and people of mixed origins) are rocked when the new religion and the old way come head to head and their former enslavers arrive to return them to the chains of bondage. Written in gorgeously cadenced language, utilizing elements of African American folklore and daring humor, the road weeps, the well runs dry merges the myth, legends and history of the Seminole people.

Thru - Nov 17, 2013

Thursdays: 8:00pm

Fridays: 8:00pm

Saturdays: 3:00pm & 8:00pm

Sundays: 3:00pm

Price: $40

Show Type: Drama

Box Office: 866-811-4111

www.thelatc.org

The Road Weeps, The Well Runs Dry Reviews

Average Rating based on 7 reviews

Highly Recommended
Recommended
Somewhat Recommended
Not Recommended

Los Angeles Times - Recommended

"...If you think the all-lower-case spelling of the title suggests that the play will be subtle and low-key, you're in for a shock. The play has so much turmoil swirling among so many characters that it instead suggests the phrase "soap opera." The new ending that was written for the LA production looks as if it must be the most hysterical denouement yet - but then I didn't see the earlier attempts. The language is more self-consciously poetic than that of most soap operas, but it seldom soars into genuine lyricism, and it's sometimes undercut by anachronistic turns of phrase that sound way too contemporary."

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- Don Shirley

LA Weekly - Recommended

"...As a fount of evil, Grosse simmers in Act I and scorches in Act II. The rest of the ensemble shines as well, especially Monnae Michaell as Trowbridge's angry widow, a woman of mighty magic who ultimately proves to be Number Two's nemesis. Designer Frederica Nascimento's bleak but striking set and Bruno Louchouarn's haunting music and sound frame the spectacle. Shirley Jo Finney's direction displays her accomplished hand."

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- Deborah Klugman

StageHappenings.com - Recommended

"...Gardley adheres faithfully to the details of the settlers of Oklahoma's first free African American town, showing its struggles to stay above the Frey as the drums for the Civil War increase. In so doing, the host of characters, double cast as they are, creates some confusion about what time period, what age group and what generation we're in. But the story is engaging, and the actors - especially, the hard-working Shaun Taylor-Corbett -works hard to keep the audience on track."

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- Leigh Kennicott

ReviewPlays.com - Recommended

"...Evidence of the audience's approval was amply evident as the full house rewarded the actors with a standing ovation at the conclusion of the performance."

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- Jose Ruiz

LifeInLA - Recommended

"...All in all, the play feels like a risk, but with risk comes reward. Mr. Gardley has a gift with language, and that gift rises many of the moments to a level of thematic development that suggests a hint of greatness. Not every moment was credible, and not every individual performance succeeded, but as a whole, it left a powerful, lasting impression."

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- Patrick Hurley

The Los Angeles Post - Recommended

"...Finney shines here; this is her territory. The play is blessed with great acting, pleasurable music and a valid book. What else is there?"

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- Rose Desena

Joe Straw #9 - Recommended

"..."the road weeps, the well runs dry" is possibly the show you've waited all your life to appreciate, about a visionary tale you thought you'd never see, an animalcule of lives not clarified in the history books. "the road weeps…" is part myth, part poetry, and most of all a humanistic adventure that will breathe new life into your theatre going experience."

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- Joe Straw

The Road Weeps, The Well Runs Dry at The Los Angeles Theatre Center