October 3, 2014

SVSU Theatre Presents ‘Grapes of Wrath’

Saginaw Valley State University will produce the play, “The Grapes of Wrath,” to celebrate the novel’s 75th anniversary.

The play won a 1990 Tony Award and an Outer Critics Circle Award. It follows the Joad family in their journey from the dust bowl of Oklahoma. Almost 40 SVSU students from a variety of majors make up the cast.

After losing their farm, Ma Joad and ex-convict Tom Joad lead their family to California to look for work. The Joads deal with death and deprivation along the way and are disappointed by the realities of the Great Depression upon reaching their destination. The show exhibits the essential goodness and strength that reside in the hearts and minds of the "common man."

“I think the story is extremely relevant for today's audience and will strike a chord with them,” said David Rzeszutek, director of the play and an SVSU assistant professor of theatre.

John Steinbeck published the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel in 1939. The story was adapted for Broadway by Frank Galati in 1990, starring Gary Sinise. The 1940 film was directed by John Ford and starred Henry Fonda.

Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15 through Saturday, Oct. 18; a matinee is planned for 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19. All shows are held in SVSU’s Malcolm Field Theatre for Performing Arts. Tickets cost $13 for the general public and $10 for senior citizens and students.

For more information or to order tickets, contact the Box Office at (989) 964-4261 or visit http://www.svsu.edu/theatre/showschedule/.