Zane Williams
Leo (Mitch Bultman) appears in the middle of the night on the doorstep of his grandmother Vera (Susan Sweeney).
Nothing bridges the generational divide like love, death and, of course, a good joke.
In Forward Theater Company’s production of 4000 Miles, Amy Herzog’s comedic drama that was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2013, two generations of a family come together, for better and for worse. Directed by artistic director Jennifer Uphoff Gray, the play opens the company’s 2016-17 season, which explores the theme of coming home.
Running through Nov. 20 in the Playhouse at the Overture Center, 4000 Miles opens with Leo (Mitch Bultman), in his early 20s, appearing in the middle of the night on the doorstep of his grandmother Vera (Susan Sweeney). He’s just completed a cross-country bike trip that ends at her lower Manhattan home. But instead of feeling triumphant, Leo is guarded about what he left behind in California and evasive about something that occurred along the way.
Hyper self-aware Leo proceeds to insert himself in the life of his octogenarian, widowed grandmother. A family-style take on The Odd Couple ensues as his youthful braggadocio affectionately clashes with her seasoned common sense. Cross-generational banter leads to the play’s ample punchlines.
As Leo and Vera bond over Marxism and frustration with Leo’s mother, the audience begins to learn more about a traumatic event Leo experienced on his trip. Also, Leo had hoped to reunite with a girlfriend (Rachael Zientek), who instead prioritizes college and internships. That leaves Leo to bum cash from Vera while finding comfort in, but still bristling at, the trappings of youth.
4000 Miles shows how relationships — and their dysfunctions — are similar over generations.The smartly written play is a fun yet heartfelt reminder that, regardless of age, everyone loves, dies and laughs. And there’s much to learn from each other along the way.
