October 11, 2002
Big
Easy winner directs play
A comical and touching nostalgic look at small-town America is the first fall production of the Department of Drama and Speech. Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, by Ed Graczyk, will play in the Lower Depths Theatre October 4 12. Janet Shea directs.
The play is set in McCarthy, Texas, near the town where actor James Dean once stayed while filming the motion picture Giant. A ladies' fan club the "Disciples of James Dean" has come together in 1975 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the actor's death. As the evening progresses, these friends alternately reveal and attempt to conceal secrets long buried. The story shifts between past and present, between comedy and heartbreak as youthful hopes, hero worship and dreams gone wrong are examined. "This play is a touching mixture of the humorous and the bittersweet," said Shea. "The story is specific to its time and place, but the themes are universal in their appeal."
Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean continues to run in the Lower Depths Theatre October 11 and 12 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 general admission, and $7 for students and seniors. For more information, call 865-3824.