Pacific Conservatory Theatre Presents MOTHER ROAD, March 13

PCPA's production of Mother Road comes to the Severson Theatre, March 10th through March 27th.

Octavio Solis' visionary play, inspired by John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, picks up 90 years after Steinbeck's masterpiece. This timely sequel takes us on a journey of highway and heart that could easily begin right here in the Santa Maria Valley. Hard worn and ailing, William Joad(last remaining cousin to Tom Joad of Steinbeck's story), seeks and finds young Mexican-American migrant farmworker, Martin Jodes. They are bound together by a surprising and serendipitous blood knot that holds the keys to their fates, and brands them travel partners in an epic journey down the Mother Road - the literal Route 66 and the figurative root of their shared legacy - as they both find a way home.

Playwright Solis points out that many of yesterday's wrongs are still not right and that memories of past troubles are still very real. He told On Tap Magazine about his personal road trip along Route 66, "We went down the same path as the fictional Joad family, and I met someone, a young man, at a migrant workers camp near Bakersfield, and he was a spoken word artist. He told me, 'I am the new Tom Joad, and we, the Mexicans, are the new Okies.' And I said, 'I have to tell that story.'" More than the reconciliation of the Joad family, Mother Road shines a light on the discriminated and overlooked populations nationwide.

Director Robert Ramirez says "He has found in working with playwright, Octavio he is a Poet, an Activist, true gentleman of the theater, someone with immense heart a champion for the people who do not have voices in the world, paid attention too or listened too. This play, why now, the most perfect fit for PCPA; this story hits very close to the central coast with the laboring in the fields to provide food on millions of peoples tables, about the population of migrant farm workers in the fields and valleys surrounding us."

"I'm very emotional of the humanity of the characters, humbled and honored to do this project to serve Octavio's vision of this story and to do honor to the lives of the people that the play is about."

The cast features Andrew Philpot as William Joad, Eduardo Enrikez as Martin Jodes, Don Stewart as Roger Graves and Marilet Martinez as Mo.

For tickets, please call the box office at 805-922-8313. Visit: www.pcpa.orgTickets range from $33.50 to $50.00, pricing based on day, time, and may increase upon demand.

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