Stone Soup Theater’s ‘The Young Man from Atlanta’

There’s a bit of the voyeur in all of us, isn’t there? A draw to those certain pieces of literature that offer a glimpse into someone else’s private tragedy or sorrow. Horton Foote’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play gives the audience more than a glimpse–its characters break down the human condition blatantly, emphatically and simply. I could touch their pain and feel the tension. I wanted to move the few feet from my seat onto the set of the Kidder family living room and tell them that it was going to be okay, but I didn’t think that would work with the script.

Stone Soup Theater once again weaves an evening of truly satisfying entertainment with the production of The Young Man from Atlanta, now playing through March 10th. Headlining actors Gordon Coffey and Maggie Heffernan create perfectly lovable and frustrating characters out of Foote’s Will and Lily Dale Kidder. When we meet them, the Kidders are typical Texas “monied” people, dealing with new realities of financial strife and family tragedy. To most of us, the era is long-gone and the upper class Southern monarchy foreign, but the devastation these characters experience is real, familiar and knows no boundaries.

The cozy, personal setting of Stone Soup’s theater space is the prime spot for the production of this work. So often we’re set apart from the actors, and they must attempt to reach us with words and emotions over vast rows of seats and vacant space. Stone Soup Artistic Director Maureen Miko and Young Man from Atlanta director Maureen Hawkins expertly engage their audience with the sincerity of this work. We are quite fortunate to have these artists, this space and Foote’s masterpeice in our midst.

Stone Soup Theater: 4029 Stone Way North, Seattle, WA 98103 (206) 633-1883

Tickets: $11-$22 (Discounts for students, seniors and pay-what-you-can days)

To purchase tickets, go to: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/219310