LouisvilleKY’s Actors Theatre’s Latest
In the new play 4000 Miles at Actors Theatre, the focus is on the relationship between a young adult and his grandmother. Like any good family drama, it will have you thinking of your own life, or your grandmother or a son. That’s certainly what happened with me, as I thought of my rebellious and independent son Nick and the special bond he had with my late mother, Dorothy.
Like Nick, young Leo is on a quest to make his own way in the world, via a bicycling adventure across the country which has come to an end at this grandmother Vera’s apartment in Greenwich Village. It is their dialogue that make Amy Herzog’s script intriguing, as they cover family drama, modern technology and the ideas about Leo’s next step in life.
Vera’s wisdom comes from a life full of adventure, revealed in these sometimes unpleasant conversations with her grandson, whose apparent uneasy relationship with his mother is balanced by an ability to get along with Vera. Leo is unsure of his next step, though he’s full of youthful insights on life and love.
The play is at Actors through Jan. 31.
A summary from Actors: Free-spirited, 20-something Leo recently set off from the West Coast on an epic bike adventure across the country. By the time he shows up at his grandmother Vera’s New York City apartment, it’s been a bumpy ride—to say the least. Leo’s just looking to crash for a night, but the days turn into weeks as he and Vera bond over their attempts to navigate the complexities of life, love, and loss. With both humor and heartbreak, 4000 Miles takes an intimate look at the difficult road to self-acceptance that we all must travel—and the unexpected connections that we make along the way.
