On Thurday. Feb. 22, students at Marshfield High School attended the play, Leaving Iowa, for Renaissance. The Renaissance play was originally planned to take place on Wednesday. Feb. 21, but had to be rescheduled due to an early release due to bad weather moving into the area.

The play, Leaving Iowa, is the story of Don Browning, a middle-aged writer, who returns home and decides to finally take his father’s ashes to his childhood home, as requested. But when Don discovers Grandma’s house is now a grocery store, he begins traveling across Iowa searching for a proper resting place for his father. This father-and-son road trip shifts smoothly from the present to Don’s memories of the annual, torturous vacations of his childhood. Don’s existential journey leads him to reconcile his past and present at the center of the United States. Leaving Iowa is a postcard to anyone who has ever found himself or herself driving alone on a road, revisiting fond memories of his or her youth.

Leaving Iowa was exciting, funny and also had a serious edge. This was the first time I’ve seen this play and my favorite thing about it was the comical scenes edged with the seriousness. Watching this family go on road trips reminded me of what my family is like on road trips to Iowa to visit family, especially all the bickering. During the play the main character, Don Browning, is said to have left home and did not even return for his father’s retirement party, he only called his father on the phone and sent a letter. It later shows in the play Don being distraught that now his father has passed away and he did not even return home to see him. The thing that confused me was that it never says the Don went away in the play. In fact, without even reading a description about it, that scene may not make sense to some viewers. Overall the play was great. The actors did an amazing job portraying their characters and they really made it feel like everyone’s good old fashion, road trip.

Opening night for the play was Thursday night. The play continued throughout Friday and Saturday, Feb. 23 and 24 for anyone interested in viewing the play in the Carl and Glessie Young Community Auditorium.