Mud
Lenfest Center of the Arts
"Mike Gerbi—playing Mae’s new lover, a man with an amazingly severe and period-accurate middle part named Henry—handle the cycles of rot, illness, and entrapment the play explores with aplomb." OPERA NEWS
"I don't know what it means Lloyd,
these are medical terms, it needs study."
Taking place in a small town in the late 30's, the dustbowl was prevalent and the economy was non-existent for some. I remembered hearing stories from my grandparents about this time and so in an odd way, this setting felt surprisingly homey. Playing Henry though was wonderful. He was a man that had such a positive outlook on life and where he fits in the world. He believes he is successful and has weathered life's events with class and dignity even though he has less than $20 in savings. A believer in hard work to get what you want, but never one to set his goals too high too fast because he has learned patience... or at least he thinks he has.
After an injury that incapacitates him and keeps him from working, things start to unravel for Henry. This play brought to life to me a sense of right vs wrong and how that can override relationships and even destroy them. How far would you be willing to go to be right or to make things right? It also put on display what really motivates us as people and what gives us our sense of motivation for improving oneself. Why do I feel the need to improve or not care. This was a great play to be a part of and I'm happy and proud to have been a part of it. Mud was directed by the very talented Colm Summers.
The Cast
Lloyd played by Delano Montgomery and Mae played by Mazvita Chanakira
