Truckline Café was originally presented on Broadway in 1946 by Group Theatre members Harold Clurman (director) and Elia Kazan (producer). The original cast starred Marlon Brando and Karl Malden, and led to their film collaborations with Kazan a few years later. Truckline Café was one of Brando's earliest stage appearances and it was his first dramatic role, introducing the public to his realistic acting style. Although both Brando and Malden received critical praise for their performances, Truckline Café did not survive long on Broadway and has become a little-known, rarely-produced, theatre gem. The Studio Theatre production marked the Los Angeles premiere of Truckline Café fifty-five years after the original Broadway staging.

Truckline Café takes place in 1945 immediately following the end of World War II, in an oceanside diner along the highway between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. It is a romantic drama dealing with the lingering effects of a brutal war on returning soldiers and their loved ones who stayed at home. The play was one of the first to examine the psychological after-effects of war and the damage inflicted on relationships and marriages because of the loneliness and abandonment inflicted by long, enforced absences. Maxwell Anderson's themes provide a hopeful message about the power of forgiveness and the importance of resilience during difficult periods in our history - ideas that are as appropriate in 2001 as they were in 1946.

Truckline Café opened at The Studio Theatre on November 9, 2001 and ran through December 16, 2001

Pictures

• Husband Suspects Wife is Cheating
• Husband Reveals his Secret to his Wife
• Husband Reveals Suspicions to RAF Officer

Promotional Materials

• Program
• Press Release
• Postcard

Comments

"Play has stood the test of time... This effort is highly recommended."

Barbara Sylvia

"Senior Scene" Syndicated Radio Show

"Truckline Cafe is a solid and thoughtful drama."

James Hollwig

Beverly Hills Outlook

"One must love any script that would offer up the line 'There's one thing you can't wreck - the indomitable spirit of mankind.'"

Wenzel Jones

Backstage West

"...Alderson's direction is fine."

Wenzel Jones

Backstage West