Page 48 - YB1981

A Trip Down TOBACCO ROAD On May 7·9, the Department of Ora' matic Art presented James Kirkland's adaptation of Erskine Caldwell's Tcbac- co Road. Under the direction of Tim Weinfeld, the actors portrayed the struggles of the Depression on a reallstt- cally run-down and decaying set de- signed by Christian Wittwer. The play is a graphic depiction of the effects of the Depression on the rural American family of Jeeter Lester. Be- cause of. their many needs and greeds, the characters have been reduced to an animal level. They steal to survive, and fight viciously over the stolen goods. There are no expressions of love or car- ing, except between Ada Lester, and her daughter Pearl, whom Jeeter would like to sell in return for a bag of turnips or have for himself. Sexual morals have decayed, as shown by the implied adul- tery, masturbation, and incest of the family members. All of these elements are brought together, along with the hypocritical Sister Bessie Rice, to be contrasted with their landlord, Captain Tim, who destroys their last hope by refusing to loan them the money that they need.