After a successful sold-out opening weekend, ‘The Trip to Bountiful’ continues this week at The Classic Theatre. This Horton Foote play tells the story of Carrie Watts, an elderly woman who longs to escape a cramped Houston apartment and return to her beloved hometown of Bountiful, Texas one last time before she dies. It runs until Sunday March 10 with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 8p.m. and Sunday at 3p.m. Tickets are available online or at the box office by calling (210) 589-8450. The show is two hours long with no intermission.

‘The Trip to Bountiful’ is set in 1940s Texas, where Carrie Watts (Magda Porter), an elderly woman, lives with her son, Ludie (Steven Starr) and his wife Jessie Mae (Alison Bridget Chambers), in a Houston apartment. The story begins on a moonlit night in their apartment where while Jessie Mae sleeps, Mrs. Watts comforts Ludie, who is also unable to sleep, and they share a long-ago family memory. She has a history of running off and trying to get to Bountiful so now she is constantly watched by Jessie Mae, whose interests are beauty shops and movie magazines. Mrs. Watts hides her pension check from Jessie Mae and the next morning she leaves with her bags after Ludie and Jessie Mae leave the apartment. She manages to catch a bus to the closest town near Bountiful, since there is no stop there anymore because the town is abandoned. There she meets Thelma (Emily Huber), a young lady who is on her way to her parents until her husband returns from the military. Thelma helps her find her way to Bountiful but Ludie and Jessie Mae track her down. Content that she got to see her hometown one more time, Mrs. Watts makes her peace with Ludie and Jessie Mae and they return to Houston.

Nostalgia is what drives some people to long for a return to simpler times, usually a childhood home or hometown, but time does not stand still for anyone. Carrie Watts yearned to return to Bountiful but once she got there, its residents had moved on and the town had ceased to exist. Yet the memories and emotions the trip stirred in her were enough to temporarily soothe her troubles. Magda Porter does an excellent job of bringing Carrie to life and brings the audience along with her to experience her rollercoaster of emotions. The highlight is the emotional scene when she breaks down at the bus station at the thought of not making it to Bountiful after all she went through. This talented cast works well together, especially during the set changes, and give brilliant performances all around. Nostalgia, the human condition and relatable characters make ‘The Trip to Bountiful’ a must-see timeless classic.