(Courtesy of Jewish Theatre of Bloomington)
4000 Miles is about twenty-one year old Leo Joseph-Connell, who goes through a major loss on a cross-country bike trip. He tries to make sense of it all by visiting his 91-year-old grandmother Vera. Vera lives in an apartment in Greenwich Village and is, among other things, a member of the Communist Party. The play won an Obie award in 2012 for best new play. It was also a finalist for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The Pulitzer citation says the play “shows acute understanding of human idiosyncracy”.
I spoke with Martha Jacobs, who plays Vera, and director Bill Simmons, about the play. It runs May 8th through 18th, at the Waldron Rose Firebay. You can find more information at Jewish Theatre of Bloomington’s website.