‘Roadsigns’: Heart, Heartbreak and Hope

Cast members onstage for Purple Rose Theatre’s production of “Roadsigns.” Courtesy of Sean Carter Photography

By Ian D. Loomis
Contributor

If you aren’t familiar with Jeff Daniels from his Chelsea, Michigan residence or contributions to Purple Rose Theatre Co., you might recognize him from his iconic performance as Harry in “Dumb and Dumber.” Or, from his roles in “Dumb and Dumber To,” “Pleasantville and “My Favorite Martian.” But despite their memorability, the screwball comedies Daniels is often remembered for rarely give him the opportunity to explore his worldview.

With a new play written by Daniels premiering nearly every season, a new facet of his psyche is to be explored. Daniels’ style is thoroughly displayed in “Roadsigns,” which features poet-turned-songwriter Lanny as a vehicle character. “Roadsigns” is running at Chelsea-based Purple Rose theater through March 14.

As Lanny tells it in a simulated folk club, he got on a Greyhound bus to Chicago in 1978 in search of his grandfather, fully knowing his grandfather has been dead for years. On the way to Illinois, through a seemingly never-ending purgatory of road signs, he meets a moving ensemble of character, all similarly in search of something themselves. An ousted—and possibly drunk—preacher who dreams of a peaceful God, a stoic front-liner about to be deployed for what may be World War III, and a woman of color heading to Motown to become the next Aretha Franklin are among the characters that may go down as even more memorable than the lovable suckers Daniels is known for.

I must concede that the show does lull about two-thirds through: a sequence of scenes that do not unfold on the bus and instead follow Lanny on his quest for fame as a songwriter come across as strained, even if it’s important for his story arc. I can only compare it to the scenes in “Forrest Gump” that aren’t told by Forrest on the bench—the escape from the formula, though important, comes off as less interesting—and in the end, we just flash back to the bus, anyway.

I lose no pride in admitting that I did cry at some of the soulful vignettes explored on Lanny’s journey… as told through his setlist. A life story disguised as a folk album disguised as a small-ensemble play is so convoluted in theory that, when executed right, you can’t help but shed a few tears.

“Roadsigns” is the story of looking for a loved one and finding yourself—your beliefs, your goals and your endgame.