Dust Bowl Motel South

There were few vacancies in the Dust Bowl Motel last night. The play, written by Scott McCarley and Jim Roth, played to a nearly full house in the beautiful and historic Crighton Theater on its opening night in Conroe, Texas.

As a small part of the proceedings, the LEAP Center Ambassadors assisted with the event, watched the play, and then enjoyed the post-reception at the Conroe Art League Gallery.

The Dust Bowl Motel is the brain child of Scott McCarley. It is about small-town dreams, so it is fitting that it originated in Huntsville in the Summer of 2014, and it is fitting that its profits go to help build dreams. Profits from the play are split among an SHSU Scholarship, the Crighton Theater, and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.  A similar arrangement was arranged when the play did its run in Huntsville in 2014, and some $13,000 was generated for charities, enough to make many people smile.

After only the first night, it’s too early to tell what the profits might be, but in terms of audience reception, the play was a hit.  While the narrative involves a straightforward tale of a small-town girl dreaming of California, it is interspersed with McCarley’s songs, which also advanced and enriched the narrative.

Speaking for our own group, there was diversity in the favorite song category, but the general consensus was that “No California” was the best, with “Rosalita” coming in second.

Another favorite, albeit in a different category, was the Crighton Theater. It was the first time we had visited it, and we were struck by its historic features (beautiful chandeliers, alcoves adorned with lamps and vases), and the fine acoustics.

Interestingly, across the street is the Owen Theater, and a third theater is being constructed a few blocks away. Conroe is moving up!

In some respects, seeing the play in Conroe was like seeing the play in Huntsville.  Dr. Dick Eglsaer was there, as were Bill and Carol Hyman.  Dean Ron Shields was there.  Melissa Miller directed the play.  And Sam Moak starred as the  Sheriff…

Following the play, guests migrated around the corner to the Conroe Art League, which hosted a reception featuring “Dust Bowl Motel” themed art. This was an added treat. Not only was the art alternately interesting and beautiful, but it also featured some items of particular interest to us. First, there was “Nighthawk,” …

…which was a nod to Edward Hopper’s famous “Nighthawks,” which was one of the major pieces our group saw at the Chicago Art Institute.

Second, we saw a piece by Harold Hutcheson titled “Dust Bowl Motel.” Hutch was our former Main Street Director (now with the City of Conroe), and he directed many of us as interns and occasionally exhibits his art work at SHSU.

Of course, with a large group of fun people and interesting art, we took a lot of photos…such as Brian checking out the art both solo…

…and with Kaitlyn…

…or Austin and Alex checking out the jewelry…

…or just the crowd that the exhibit and the play attracted…

…but our favorite photos were those taken with some special people associated with SHSU…such as the McCarleys…

..and Tommy Austin, who is a 1975 graduate of SHSU, a former US Customs Agent, Sky Marshall, and the founder of the Make-A-Wish Foundation…

…and Chrissy Mafrige and her husband, Blake…

As the photos tell, it was a fun end to an entertaining evening in support of many good causes.

Dust Bowl Motel plays at the Crichton on Saturday and Sunday, March 19 and 20.  Tickets are $20-25.