03/12/2026
Long before GPS told us where to turn and backseat passengers were glued to their phones, family road trips looked very different. Kids counted cows out the window, parents wrestled with giant folded road maps, and every vacation seemed to include at least one questionable roadside attraction and a motel with a flickering neon sign.
Those classic American road trip memories will come to life this spring as BOLD–BLHS Theatre proudly brings back the Spring Play with the nostalgic comedy “Leaving Iowa”.
The production stars returning BOLD Theatre student Neil Kadlec as Don Browning, a writer who returns home with a simple mission: to find the perfect place to scatter his father’s ashes. What begins as a quiet journey quickly becomes a whirlwind of memories from the Browning family’s annual summer road trips.
Along the way, audiences meet the rest of the Browning family — Maddox Thole as Dad, Devyn Frank as Sis, and senior Harper Thole as Mom — and a grounded of talented theatre students round out the ensemble.
Through a series of fast-moving flashbacks, the audience is taken on a hilarious ride filled with strange roadside attractions, questionable motels, and unforgettable encounters with the colorful characters you only seem to meet while traveling across America.
Directed by Debora Ziller and Ross Okins, the production features a talented student ensemble portraying dozens of characters encountered along the journey. Also in the directors chair is senior Harper Thole.
With quick costume changes and imaginative staging, the cast transforms scene after scene as the Browning family’s adventures unfold on stage.
Written by Tim Clue and Spike Manton, “Leaving Iowa” has become a fan favorite with audiences across the country thanks to its perfect blend of humor, nostalgia, and heartfelt storytelling.
While the show is packed with laugh-out-loud moments, it also offers a touching reminder about family, growing up, and the memories that stay with us long after the journey ends.
Performances of “Leaving Iowa” will be held May 7, 8, and 9 at 7:00 p.m. in the Bird Island Campus Theatre.
Gather your family, invite your friends, and come enjoy an evening of laughter and nostalgia as the talented students of BOLD–BLHS Theatre bring this unforgettable road trip to life on stage.
The show is rated PG-13 due to the use of some adult language. Please be advised.
