Good Theater Presents THE HIGH ROAD Next Month

Good Theater continues its 20th anniversary season with THE HIGH ROAD, running February 1st through the 19th. THE HIGH ROAD stars Steve Underwood, who also wrote the play. Directed by Tim Ferrell and stage managed by Paul Haley, the play features a set by Transformit Design, lighting by Iain Odlin, and costumes by Michelle Handley, with video assistance from Thomas Ian Campbell. THE HIGH ROAD will play February 1-19, 2023 at Good Theater's home, the St. Lawrence Arts Center, 76 Congress Street, Portland. For tickets and information, please call the Box Office at (207) 835-0895 or visit www.goodtheater.com.

Written by and starring Good Theater co-founder Steve Underwood, THE HIGH ROAD is a one-man HD multimedia show-with-music, all about nature's wildest weed. THE HIGH ROAD digs deep into the facts, the fun, and the humor of herb, finding wisdom and truth in unlikely places. This high-minded event will give audiences a lift in the dead of winter, when a good laugh can provide the perfect mood elevator.

When asked what inspired him to create this show, Underwood shared: "I recorded a voice memo ten years ago that said 'When Cannabis is finally legal in Maine - or I turn sixty five, I want to create a show about Cannabis.' When I thought about it, I realized that my reason for waiting was the stigma around "doing drugs" and being "out" about it. Now it's finally legal here and I find it's a subject people have deep an affection for - and a curiosity about. A good weed reference always gets a laugh."

"I was raised with all the JUST SAY NO messages (and the fried egg ad) like everybody else", Underwood recalls. "When I started researching 'The History of Cannabis' I was blown away by how much I didn't know about the plant. It's been grown, cultivated and used for medicine for 10,000 years. Industrial hemp can be used to make hundreds of things. Only recently (the last hundred years) has it been vilified and criminalized to a degree that's insane. It's also been weaponized in a way that clearly punishes communities of color in a deeply unjust way. So, while the show has a lot of light moments, it also looks at the realities of injustice that are still going on. I also spend some time looking at the medical side of Cannabis. I lost a parent to Hodgkin's Disease in the early sixties and just discovered that there are studies showing how Cannabis extract is working for some patients to heal their cancer without chemo."

THE HIGH ROAD isn't just about the science and politics of Cannabis, though. "While there is some heavier stuff in The High Road, there's a whole lot of light-hearted fun", Underwood says. "Keith Richards telling his grandkids 'The Fable of the Fairy Plant' around the campfire, two stressed-out Cannabis strains in a grow room comparing notes, the Two Types of Tokers, the Seven Heights of High, and a trip to Disney's 'Wild Weed Wonderland.' The audience also sits in on a class from "Oaksterdam University" and then later on in a "TED TOKES" presentation."

Underwood hopes his performance will open some minds to the power and properties of Cannabis. "There's a section of the show that compares so-called 'Heavyweight and Lightweight Tokers.' I'm a lightweight. I know this because I passed out from my first ever bong hit. I didn't know better. While writing the show, I asked a bunch of people to share their 'first time, best time and worst time' stories. I found that 'sensitive types' often had a 'never again' experience, where they got way too high, freaked out and swore off Cannabis forever. By the end of the show, I'm hoping that some of those folks will rethink their relationship to the plant and maybe try a half a gummy or a 'micro toke' and see how it feels. It is a wonderful, magical plant and I think it's high-time we looked at it in a positive, honest light."

Steve Underwood is the co-founder of Good Theater. As an actor, his favorite Good Theater shows have been A Comedy of Tenors, Forum, Light Up the Sky, Ruthless, Shakespeare in Hollywood, Drood, The Dining Room, A Man of No Importance, and Little Me. He directed 4000 Miles, Stones in His Pockets, Mrs. Mannerly, A Doll's House Part 2, Boxes and The Lifespan of a Fact. Steve's one-man multi-media show, Underwaterguy, had its world premiere at Good Theater and was presented off-off-Broadway in NYC. His newest show, THE HIGH ROAD, will premiere on February 1st and run for three weeks. This one-man, mind-altering multi-media show about Cannabis takes a deep dive into the fun and the fascinating - and also digs into the surprising History of Cannabis, The War On Drugs and Medical Marijuana. Ultimately, THE HIGH ROAD finds high-minded humor in the most unlikely places and it is sure to give audiences a light-hearted lift and plenty of laughs in the middle of a long Maine winter.

THE HIGH ROAD runs February 1-19, and plays Wednesdays at 7:00, Thursday at 7:00, Fridays at 7:30, Saturdays at 3:00 and 7:30, and Sundays at 2:00. Masks will be required for all audience members at Thursday and Sunday performances. All tickets are $30, and may be purchased online by visiting the company's website www.goodtheater.com or by calling the Box Office at (207) 835-0895.

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