THE GRAPES OF WRATH Opening Night: "Wow!"

"This is a play everyone deserves to see," one audience member said as ZACH Theatre's opening of THE GRAPES OF THE WRATH came to a close. The audience poured out into the lobby for a champagne reception and the word on everyone's mouth was "Wow!"

The reflective faces turned joyous as the cast and crew made their way to the reception, and everyone involved with the production knew they had put something on stage that was truly special.

It was a Saturday performance that many of our Twitter followers are still talking about Monday morning, and the audience reached a clear consensus: This show came to life at the perfect time, with the perfect cast and at the perfect place -- ZACH.

ZACH's Artistic Director, Dave Steakley, knew this production would be a hit in the Austin community. "Steinbeck's beautifully constructed language marries the simplicity of the common man's earnestness to the progressive ideas of how to create change that impacts a family, a community and a country."

The spirit of charity was felt by all as the collection box for Mobile Loaves and Fishes filled up with donations to benefit the Austin community. As Tom Joad says in the play, “Maybe I can do somethin' ... maybe find out what it is that’s wrong and see if they ain’t somethin' that can be done about it. Maybe it’s like Casy says, 'A fellow ain’t got a soul of his own, just a little piece of a big soul, the one big soul that belongs to everybody. Wherever there’s a fight, so hungry people can eat, I’ll be there.'"