Play wafts Texas humidity, ideals

By Ricardo Baca
The Metropolitan

You know youāre in Texas when the porch swing perpetually swings, cricket sonatas dominate the nightlife, an ancient tree in the front yard provides the best darn shade on the block and spit-shined floors are slicker than snot.

Goodnight, Texas, written and directed by Terry Dodd, chronicles one day in the life of Coleen, played by Luanne Nunes, who is leaving Texas for Seattle after divorcing her husband, Brad. The action takes place on her last day in Texas. Coleen and her friend Kristin, played by Amie MacKenzie, have a garage sale, trying to get rid of the last keepsakes of her marriage.

Brad, played by Michael Katt, shows up for a final visit and is outraged that his possessions are being sold. He pulls a gun on Coleen and retreats when he sees her though the gunās sight.

Coleen has been seeing Sweet Pea, played by Eric Hansen, on the side. He spends much of the play hanging around her house, trying to deal with her departure.

Kristin has a fairly dismal home life, and Coleen tries to talk her into moving to Seattle with her. But Kristinās life is in Texas, and it finds new meaning when she meets her handsome neighbor Alec, played by Yanis Kalnins.

The play, written in 1986 by Dodd,  for the Denver Center Theater Company, stands out because of the writing.

While day-in-the-life narrative structure is not unique, Doddās unique humor and creative use of subtext are what make the play work.

The humor is very down to earth ÷ very Texas ÷ and the dialogue is intriguing, exploring the full range of human emotions.