Skip to content
CapRadio

CapRadio

signal status listen live donate
listen live donate signal status
listen live donate signal status
  • News
    • beats
    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
    • California Dream
    • Videos
    • Photos
  • Music
    • genres
    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Roots
    • Eclectic
    • Videos
    • Daily Playlist
  • Programs + Podcasts
    • news
    • Morning Edition
    • All Things Considered
    • Marketplace
    • Insight
    • The View From Here
    • music
    • Acid Jazz
    • At the Opera
    • Classical Music
    • Connections
    • Excellence in Jazz
    • Hey, Listen!
    • Insight Music
    • K-ZAP on CapRadio
    • Mick Martin's Blues Party
    • Programs A-Z
    • Podcast Directory
  • Schedules
    • News
    • Music
    • ClassicalStream
    • JazzStream
    • Weekly Schedule
    • Daily Playlist
  • Community
    • Events Calendar
    • CapRadio Garden
    • CapRadio Reads
    • CapRadio Travels
    • Ticket Giveaways
  • Support
    • Evergreen Gift
    • One-Time Gift
    • Corporate Support / Underwriting
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Gift
    • Legacy Gift
    • Endowment Gift
    • Volunteering
    • Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • e‑Newsletter
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Close Menu
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
  • Arts and Lifestyle
  •  

Theatre Review: The Vanishing Point

  •  Jeff Hudson 
Friday, April 18, 2014 | Sacramento, CA
Listen
/
download audio
Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.

Nick Lunetta, Richard Winters and Jeremy Minagro in The Vanishing Point

 

People say you should never discuss business with family, but that advice clearly never reached the characters in this play. At the center of the story is Paul, a fiercely independent old guy who runs a dilapidated shrimp boat, and is deeply disappointed that his modern-minded sons are not continuing the family business.

Paul: But our family been independent since our people settled these bayous. We work for ourselves, we own ourselves. And now you look at the two of you, you work for somebody else, you depending on someone else for a job…

And the two sons are as different as can be. One is a highly educated environmental scientist, studying climate change, rising sea levels, and the erosion of low-lying river deltas. The other son has a dirty, dangerous job on an offshore oil platform. All three men spend plenty of time jawing about who’s made the better choice in life.

An accident shifts the story midway through -- the old man is badly burned when the ancient engine in his shrimp boat catches fire. He comes home in bandages – he’s rarely seen a doctor – and complains:

Paul: The hospital, they don’t let you rest nothing. They got a racket going there. They stick you with needles and make you swallow pills and they take away your pants. (laughter) And they charge you money for that!”

Son: It’s not a resort hotel.

Paul: Well, they sure charge like one…

It’s a lot of fun watching silver-haired actor Richard Winters as the bigger-than-life Cajun curmudgeon. Winters is as charming as he is crusty, and gives as good as he gets. I also liked the way playwright Nedra Pezold Roberts weaves this family saga together with environmental themes – big chunks of the Louisiana coast are disappearing due stream channelization and rising tides.

This low-budget, semi-professional production manages to combine all these elements in an appealing way – it’s an engaging yarn, with more than a touch of contemporary relevance.

The California Stage production of "The Vanishing Point" continues on weekends through April 27th.


Follow us for more stories like this

CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you.  As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.

Donate Today  

 theaterReviewCalifornia Stagetheatre

Jeff Hudson

Contributing Arts Reporter and Theatre Critic

Jeff Hudson has been contributing arts-related stories to Capital Public Radio since 1995, with an emphasis on theater and classical music. He attends over 100 performances annually, ranging from modern musicals to medieval masses.   Read Full Bio 

 Email Jeff Hudson

Coronavirus Newsletter

Get answers to your questions, the latest updates and easy access to the resources you need, delivered to your inbox.

 

Want to know what to expect? Here's a recent newsletter.

Thanks for subscribing!

We'll send you weekly emails so you can stay informed about the coronavirus in California.

Browse all newsletters

Most Viewed

When Can I Get A COVID-19 Vaccine? How Will I Find Out? Answers To Your California Vaccine Questions.

California Coronavirus Updates: World Health Organization Team Arrives In Wuhan To Study COVID-19

California Throws Open COVID Vaccines To Anyone 65 And Older

California Coronavirus Updates: California Opens Up Vaccination To People 65 And Older

No, Efforts To Recall California Gov. Newsom Are Not ‘A Coup’

We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter

Most Viewed

When Can I Get A COVID-19 Vaccine? How Will I Find Out? Answers To Your California Vaccine Questions.

California Coronavirus Updates: World Health Organization Team Arrives In Wuhan To Study COVID-19

California Throws Open COVID Vaccines To Anyone 65 And Older

California Coronavirus Updates: California Opens Up Vaccination To People 65 And Older

No, Efforts To Recall California Gov. Newsom Are Not ‘A Coup’

Back to Top

  • CapRadio

    7055 Folsom Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95826-2625

    • (916) 278-8900
    • Toll-free (877) 480-5900
    • Email Us
    • Submit a News Tip
  • Contact Us

  • About Us

    • Contact Us / Feedback
    • Coverage
    • Directions
    • Jobs & Internships
    • Mission / Vision / Core Values
    • Press
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
  • Listening Options

    • Mobile App
    • On Air Schedules
    • Smart Speakers
    • Playlist
    • Podcasts
    • RSS
  • Connect With Us

    •  Facebook
    •  Twitter
    •  Instagram
    •  YouTube
  • Donate

  • Listen

  • Newsletters

CapRadio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento. © 2021, Capital Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Website Feedback FCC Public Files: KXJZ KKTO KUOP KQNC KXPR KXSR KXJS. For assistance accessing our public files, please call 916-278-8900 or email us.