Grapes of Wrath

As a UC Davis staff member joining the cast of The Grapes of Wrath and working with Miles Anderson is like attending some sort of fantasy camp.

 

I auditioned to be in the band but figured I would do whatever I could to be a part of telling this story. 

I was drawn to The Grapes of Wrath mainly because I grew up in California and lived and worked alongside migrant workers. I have picked peaches, walnuts, tomatoes and chopped wood. I have seen firsthand how even today, migrant workers are mistreated and denied justice by prejudices passed down since the time when Steinbeck penned his novel.

 

I have always found it ironic that the hardest working people, the people that harvest the manna of the earth and deliver it to our tables, are treated worse than any other group. 

 

I think Steinbeck's work really holds up a mirror to the human race. It is layered with biblical stories which highlight the hypocrisy of prejudice which the migrants faced.

-- Jason Votaw (Uncle John)

 

By the time I was 18 years old, I was already married, had a career in banking and an almost paid-off hatchback. My entire life was figured out—or so I thought.

I had wanted to act for as long as I could remember—this dream started when watching Star Wars at seven years of age and wishing I could be Princess Leia—but I always took the more 'responsible' path.

Suddenly, at 19, I plunged into the theater community and began acting in ALL of my free time, until it was hard to think about anything else. And everything changed. It became clear to me that I could not be happy with doing theater on the side—I needed it to be my career.

I also knew that the life I had planned out was not what I needed, so I left all that was safe and started over. I began formal training as an actor with the Dramatic Art program at UC Davis, diving into what it takes to tell truthful stories on stage. I hope my work in The Grapes of Wrath does just that.

-- Megan Caton (Ensemble)

Growing up, I was always shy, but acting in theater offered me an outlet and an opportunity to come out of my shell. I believed that a life in the sciences was to be the life for me, but after being recommended by a friend to join the theater tech program in high school, my love of theater ignited and I decided to do a complete 180 and focus my life on the arts.

While a theater technician at heart, I appreciate the art of acting and embrace it. I unleash my energy while acting. Upon hearing that The Grapes of Wrath was to be produced here at UCD, I was excited for the chance to land a role in the play—any role would have been fine.

I am excited to join such a wonderful cast and look forward to sharing the bittersweet story of the Joad family.

-- Kevin Chung (Al)