Cast: 3m., 3w., May be expanded to 26 actors (4m., 4w., 18 m. or w.). The spark behind Leaving Iowa comes from being children of parents from the now dubbed "greatest generation." The story is a toast to their idealism and character and a little roast of their undying dedication to the classic family road trip. More specifically, it 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. Premiered at the Purple Rose Theatre Company. Sound design CD required. Minimal set. Approximate running time: 1 hour, 45 minutes.

Music Samples

Title	MP3
Preshow Music (1000 Miles to the Middle of Everywhere)
Ghost Caverns Chorus
Hannibal Music (for when they are in Hannibal, Mo.)
Civil War Music
End Theme Piano Music