The Very Little Theatre continues its 84th Season with a three-week run of Come Back to the Five and Dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean, a comedy-drama by Ed Graczyk, who also wrote the screenplay for the 1982 film version.
            The Disciples of James Dean gather for the 20th anniversary of his death in an automobile accident. They meet in the Five-and-Dime from their high school days in McCarthy, west Texas, near Marfa, where the movie Giant was filmed. The film experience, as extras, changed the lives of two of them. With intermittent flashbacks we see the teenagers of 1955, who are gathering to hold a meeting of their James Dean fan club, and the adults they have become in 1975. The past experience of the film has led one of the women to live thinking she was “the chosen one” by James Dean, while the other took rejection and humiliation to a life-changing extreme.
            Director Karen Scheeland says “This play is a journey about friendship and love, and the final destination is truth and renewal. How we are influenced by our past sets the tone for how we are in the present. Sometimes the past remains there behind us, but sometimes it sets the foundation for decisions and beliefs we faithfully uphold in our lives ... rightly or wrongly. Who can judge?” 
            The setting, a Five-and-Dime Store in a small west Texas town, emphasizes the endurance of the human spirit to survive against great odds. The new highway bypassed the town, and the three-year drought has left the area parched, dusty, and hot. What was in 1955 a vibrant and joyful place is now dull and complacent. We get to see and experience both worlds, and are left to decide for ourselves what the future will be for the Disciples of James Dean.
            The cast includes Gloria Lagalo, Nancy Hopps, Naomi Todd, Sabra Slade, Sarah Glidden, Sean Dugan, Tere Tronson, Sandra Brown, and Shamra Clark. The costumer is Sharon Wetterling, and the set design is by Richard Scheeland.
            Reserved seat tickets are $17; Thrifty Thursday (June 6 and 13) prices are $12, and senior citizens may attend the Sunday matinees (June 2 and 9) for $12. The 10 performances are Friday-Sunday, May 31-June 2; Thursday-Sunday, June 6-9; and Thursday-Saturday, June 13-15. Curtain is at 8 p.m. except for the 2 p.m. Sunday matinees. An Opening Night Gala with refreshments following the show is open to all who purchase tickets to the May 31 performance.
            The box office opens to the public on Friday, May 24, from 2-5:30 p.m. and will continue Wednesday-Saturday the following weeks. Patrons may also order tickets on-line starting May 24 at www.TheVLT.com. For more information on tickets, call 541-344-7751. The Very Little Theatre is at 2350 Hilyard St., Eugene, Oregon.