‘Bus Stop’ has Midwestern appeal

The theatre department did a fine job of bringing “Bus Stop” to life, although the fact that the play was written in 1955 occasionally dated it.

“Bus Stop,” written by William Inge, depicts a small town in Kansas, where a bus is stranded by a blizzard. The passengers take refuge in Grace’s Diner, run by Grace, played by HeatherAnn Hicks, and Elma, played by Becci French, an intelligent yet naïve teenager. The passengers bring drama and a welcome distraction from the slow pace of the diner.

Even though this play has one setting, there were several plots. Cherie, played by Ashley Rushman, is a singer from a nightclub who is pursued by Bo, played by Willis Miller. Bo, a cocky cowboy, is convinced that Cherie wants to marry him.

Miller captured Bo’s volatile nature and naive side. At the beginning of the play, it’s impossible to tell whether Bo is chauvinistic or just ignorant about woman, thanks to Miller’s acting. This creates an interesting complication, as Cherie realizes that perhaps she does like him.

Meanwhile, Elma attracts the attention of another passenger off the bus, Dr. Lyman, played by Evan Torkelsen. Lyman is a former professor with a history of academia and young women. Lyman’s inappropriate behavior is treated in a sympathetic light. Today, his advances toward Elma would be harassment, but he is made out to be the lovelorn victim of a cold world, which is not exactly satisfactory.

French and Torkelsen were once again cast as an innocent girl and a creepy man, respectively. These two actors seem to be limited in their roles. However, French did capture Elma’s wide-eyed innocence. “He wanted to make love to me!” she said dreamily after learning that Lyman had a history with girls half his age. Meanwhile, Torkelsen balanced the duality of Lyman’s behavior, so he came across as equally licentious and sympathetic.

Jacob Smiley, who played Bo’s mentor Virgil, had a convincing drawl and good timing yet seemed limited by his trite lines, which sounded like the bastard child of a fortune cookie and a Hallmark card.

The scenes in this play are set up like tableaus, with the focus on the key characters. This keeps the scenes from becoming overwhelming, since the characters are confined to the diner. Even though this play only has one setting, the actors used the space and props well. The red vinyl booths and Formica tables also give the diner a 1950’s feel. The paper “snowstorm” and the icy diner windows establish the wintry setting.

“Bus Stop’s” small-town theme and Midwestern setting will appeal to the Chadron community as well as to college students.