Mother Road

by Octavio Solis

Terminally ill William Joad needs to find an heir to his sprawling Joad ranch in Sallisaw, OK. He is mortified to find that the only surviving descendant of Tom Joad who came to California with the "Okie" migration in the 1930's is a young Mexican-American named Martin. Together, they ride the Mother Road from Bakersfield, Ca to Oklahoma and forge the new character of the nation inside each other and in the...

Terminally ill William Joad needs to find an heir to his sprawling Joad ranch in Sallisaw, OK. He is mortified to find that the only surviving descendant of Tom Joad who came to California with the "Okie" migration in the 1930's is a young Mexican-American named Martin. Together, they ride the Mother Road from Bakersfield, Ca to Oklahoma and forge the new character of the nation inside each other and in the people they encounter along the way. An epic work inspired by John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath.

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Mother Road

Recommended by

  • Ally Varitek: Mother Road by Octavio Solis
    “

    Octavio Solis expands the notion of who counts as family and raises a group of unlike humans to their full worth by writing their characters fully and forcing Tom Joad to confront his own heart's judgments in a spin-off from Steinbeck that likely would find the original author watching his words.

    Octavio Solis expands the notion of who counts as family and raises a group of unlike humans to their full worth by writing their characters fully and forcing Tom Joad to confront his own heart's judgments in a spin-off from Steinbeck that likely would find the original author watching his words.

    ”
  • Chelsea Frandsen: Mother Road by Octavio Solis
    “

    In this brilliant sequel to one of English Literature's greatest novels, Octavio Solis gives Steinbeck a run for his money. This is a brilliant, powerful and beautiful play that should be put onstage sooner than soon.

    In this brilliant sequel to one of English Literature's greatest novels, Octavio Solis gives Steinbeck a run for his money. This is a brilliant, powerful and beautiful play that should be put onstage sooner than soon.

    ”
  • Doug DeVita: Mother Road by Octavio Solis
    “

    The restless core of the American spirit is deep in the heart of Octavio Solis’ modern day continuation of Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath.” Brutally honest and searingly beautiful, Solis evokes the landscape of America both then and now, honoring the source material while crafting a work that stands on its own as a winning piece of contemporary theatre. Vividly drawn characters, and oh so theatrical in its conception, MOTHER ROAD is a stunner with so many opportunities for directors, actors, and designers to physically embody the world Solis has created for them, and for us.

    The restless core of the American spirit is deep in the heart of Octavio Solis’ modern day continuation of Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath.” Brutally honest and searingly beautiful, Solis evokes the landscape of America both then and now, honoring the source material while crafting a work that stands on its own as a winning piece of contemporary theatre. Vividly drawn characters, and oh so theatrical in its conception, MOTHER ROAD is a stunner with so many opportunities for directors, actors, and designers to physically embody the world Solis has created for them, and for us.

    ”
View all 9 recommendations

Development History

  • Reading, National Steinbeck Center/El Teatro Campesino, 2014