Review: Take The Trip to Bountiful
Theatre Raleigh kicks off it’s 2025 Main Stage season with The Trip to Bountiful.
With a book from Horton Foote and directed by Eric Woodall, the play is set in 1950s Texas and tells the story of Mrs. Carrie Watts (Kim Zimmer) and her desperate attempt to return to her hometown of Bountiful, Texas. Forced to live in an apartment in Houston with her overprotective son Luddie (Will Ray) and his hateful wife Jessie Mae (Dana Costello), Mrs. Watts hatches a plan to run away. As she catches a bus to her beloved hometown, she is stunned by the kindness of those she meets along the way as she discovers her own resilience and inner strength.
Dana Costello as Jessie Mae Watts in The Trip to Bountiful at Theatre Raleigh
The play itself is fairly simple. A woman’s story of riding the bus to a practically abandoned old town isn’t exactly a riveting plot. But Zimmer brings the production to life with an emotional and memorable performance that moves her audience to tears on her journey towards home and self-discovery.
Mrs. Watts begins the production oppressed and bullied by Jessie Mae, consumed only with thoughts of making her escape. Your heart can’t help but ache for her as Jessie Mae prattles on at her, launching critique after critique at Mrs. Watts’ very existence - how she sings hymns, how she walks through the house, how she makes breakfast. And yet, Zimmer brings a lightness and humor to the stage with stubborn comedic timing and pouty “yeah yeah so what” facial expressions as Jessie Mae rambles on and on about her Cokes down at the drugstore and the dress she’ll wear to the picture show that night.
It is not until Mrs. Watts finally makes her escape that we see her softer, gentler side. Full of grandmotherly warmth and kindness (and sharp grandmother sass), Mrs. Watts meets Thelma (Casey Wortham), a young woman also traveling alone. Thelma is everything Jessie Mae is not and is the first person to show Mrs. Watts kindness and treat her as a human being, rather than a helpless old woman. Wortham is the picture of loveliness and approaches the character with a light touch and quiet but determined independence, all while wearing a fabulous dress and matching accessories from costume designer Mark D. Sorensen.
Casey Wortham (left) as Thelma and Kim Zimmer as Mrs. Watts in The Trip to Bountiful at Theatre Raleigh
Thelma’s gentle sweetness makes Jessie Mae even more insufferable. Costello has mastered the southern stereotype of masking an insult with a sickly sweet compliment and manages to flounce back and forth between girly southern drawl and snarky guttural growl. As she prances around in her silk bathrobe and fuzzy heeled slippers, blissfully lost in her own selfish bubble, one can’t help but marvel at Costello’s ability to be so punchable while still executing a flawless performance from start to finish. This feat is particularly impressive when you consider the sheer volume of dialogue required of Costello, thanks to Jessie Mae’s habit of spending her days doing nothing but fluffing her hair and chastising Mrs. Watts.
Dana Costello (left) as Jessie Mae Watts and will Ray as Luddie Watts in the The Trip to Bountiful at Theatre Raleigh
In contrast to his wife, Luddie Watts is the quiet, astute type. Ray delivers his lines with intention and purpose as Luddie is forced to decide between keeping his wife happy and acknowledging his mother’s unhappiness. As Luddie grapples with a new job and trying to build a better life for his family, Ray brings his own comedic flair and authority to the role with a grounded thoughtfulness.
Rounding out the cast as more kind strangers Mrs. Watts meets on her long-awaited trip back to Bountiful are Trevor Johnson as the helpful ticket attendant Roy, Brian Westbrook as the Sheriff, and Houston ticket attendants Keagan Kermode and Brannon Killgo. They join Wortham, Susan Jordan Shank, and Krystin Bailey in singing soft, background hymns throughout the show, as if echoing Mrs. Watts’ inner thoughts and prayers.
The production features impressive and emotional set design by Becca Fowler, lighting design by Rob Denton, projection design by Joshua Reaves, sound design by Parker Gagnier, property design by Timothy Domack, wig design by Elisa Acevedo Rogers, and music supervision by Brain Westbrook.
The Trip to Bountiful runs at Theatre Raleigh through Sunday, April 6, 2025. An ASL interpreted performance will be available on Saturday, April 5th at 2:00 pm. Tickets for the remaining shows can be purchased here.
All photo credit to Jennifer Robertson Photography.