I find it difficult to voice exactly what made The Grapes of Wrath the phenomenon it turned out to be. Theatre demands a lot more of the viewer; it is an energy-draining process. Halfway through an hour-and-a-half long show, I begin to feel a weight on my eyelids. It is at this point I start checking my watch, praying that the intermission will soon arrive. Over the three hours of The Grapes of Wrath, I didn't look at my wrist once. The ensemble worked to take the audience so directly into their world that it would almost seem escapist if the subject matter were not so potent.

The play opens up with a narrative family (played by Kourch Chan, Barbara Mah, and Jeremy Parnmukh) who set the mood in the Oklahoma dustbowl, a period of drought and poverty in the eastern states of the USA during the thirties. All this is laid out quite emotionally as the hypnotic sounds of harmonica begin to echo throughout the theatre; lights come up on one man, Jim Casey, played by John Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick's presence is highlighted by the vast emptiness of the stage around him. Set distinctly to one side, this image dominates the scene. Within the first five minutes of the production, intimate connections with the characters are forged, as well as an unbreakable focus on the world in which they live.

This is the story of the Joad family and their search for salvation after their idyllic farm life in Oklahoma is wrenched away from them by drought and the bank. Though it would be impossible to note every actor in a cast of forty one, it is necessary to mention to Jimmy Hodges' performance of Tom Joad. He plays a thoughtful, level-headed man who never allows pride or ignorance to overrun him. He has the deepest sense of nobility of any of the characters in this play, which lands him in as much trouble as either pride or ignorance ever would. Ma and Pa Joad (Linda Huffman and Dale Wilson) each lend a stability and wisdom that stretches past themselves to encompass the family as a whole.

Uncle John (Robert Corness) is a key figure at many points in the play, but his character lacks some definition, which may confuse people unfamiliar with Steinbeck's novel. Finally there's Rose of Sharon (Amy van Keeken). The eldest sister of the family, Rose is feminine, hopeful and a little naive. Her husband Connie (Troy Anthony Young) is more a dreamer than anything else, and in a world where actions are what make you what you are, Connie just doesn't quite measure up.

Brendan Neary, David Owen, Chris Rice and TJ Winter create a memorable car scene that will run through my head for weeks. All the technical, stage and designing crew deserve credit for some incredible effects with lighting, set, sound and more. In particular, the storm sequence is mind blowing.

Ultimately, Amy van Keeken and Kourch Chan created a truly poignant ending that left the entire audience awe struck. This performance deserved its standing ovation, but stunned silence speaks much more to the true power of this play. Kevin Sutley has sculpted an incredible piece of theatre, not quite like any other performance of The Grapes of Wrath I've ever seen before.