TheatreAddict.com - Bakersfield Drama Blog

To be fair, I should say that racism, brotherhood, and the incandescent cross light up the Empty Space in "The Last Meeting of The Knights of The White Mangolia." But I was speaking figuratively. In Preston Jones' second installment of A Texas Trilogy, The White Magnolia is an (imagined) offshoot of the KKK. Once a powerful force in preserving patriotism and "racial purity," these days the glorious Magnolia has sadly (and comicly) devolved into nothing more than an excuse to play dominos and drink.

It's not surprising that watching a racist organization dwindle and fall apart could be funny and therapudic. We humans have a natural urge to want to laugh away the evils of this world. It is a bit surprising, however, to see the human side of the unceremonious death of the organization. In "Magnolia" we see a cast of characters who are all drawn to the organization for different reasons. Their struggle to hold onto the friendship and brotherhood is just as sad as it is funny. When the dust settles, there is very little brotherhood or power left in what was supposed to be a powerful brotherhood.


This production marks the second time that Preston Jones' Bradleyville has been brought to life by director Bob Kempf in Bakersfield. Last year The Empty Space staged "Lu Ann Hampton Laverty Oberlander," the third play in A Texas Trilogy. "Magnolia" (co-directed by Jennifer Wells) is the second, and Kempf plans on doing the first, "The Oldest Living Graduate," at The Empty Space sometime in the future. It might sound strange, but ass-backwards fits this small Texas town just fine.

Many of the same actors are playing the same parts in "Magnolia" as they did in "Lu Ann." The cast is very familiar with Bradleyville, giving the play lots of dimension. I found talking to the cast about their roles after the show nearly as enjoyable as watching the play itself. You can experience this as well, I'm sharing it with you in this week's podcast.

Check out the gallery for more pictures and listen to Episode 11 of Bakersfield Theatre Radio for some enlightening conversations with cast members of this show and a few others.