4000 Miles, Westport Country Playhouse, Westport, CT, USA

Clay Singer (Leo), Mia Dillon (Vera)
4000 Miles

We had the pleasure of attending opening night, Saturday, August 27, 2022, to experience the play, 4000 Miles. Having seen Broadway Veteran Mia Dillon in three prior Westport Country Playhouse (WCP) productions: A Merry Little Christmas Carol (December 2020), Lettuce & Lovage (2017), and a Song at Twilight (2014), and Clay Singer in the WCP’s productions of Man of La Mancha (2018) and Romeo and Juliet (2017), we knew that the quality of the acting would be exceptional, and it was. Together with Lea DiMarchi as Bec, and Phoebe Holden as Amanda, director David Kennedy helped elicit and deliver a flawless performance from his cast.

Clay Stinger (Leo), Mia Dillon (Vera)
4000 Miles

We had experienced David Kennedy’s past directorial genius in the WCP’s productions of Nora by Ingmar Bergman (2014), And A Nightingale Sang (2105), The Invisible Hand (2016), Appropriate (207), The Understudy (2018), Don Juan by Moliere (2019), and Doubt: A Parable (2021), and once again, he worked his magic to deliver a performance worthy of Amy Herzog’s touching play, which was a "finalist for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama", and "winner of the 2012 Obie Award for Best New Play."

Clay Singer (Leo), Phoebe Holden (Amanda)
4000 Miles

Mia Dillon plays Vera Joseph, a feisty 91-year-old grandmother living in a rent-controlled Greenwich Village apartment. Clay Singer plays her 21-year-old grandson, Leo Joseph-Connell, who makes a surprise visit to his grandmother after traveling cross-country on his bicycle. For anyone who has or had a special relationship with their grandmother, this play will trigger the emotional heartstrings.

Clay Singer (Leo), Mia Dillon (Vera)
4000 Miles

Vera embodies the perfect grandmother; she is feisty, and she can be cantankerous as well as forgiving when her grandson shows up unexpected at her apartment at 3:00 am. She dishes out advice, admonishes when she feels the need, yet gives comfort and love with a caring embrace as the two come to an understanding as the play unfolds.

Lea DiMarchi (Bec), Mia Dillon (Vera)
4000 Miles

For Leo, 4000 miles represents his cross-country bicycle journey that started out with such promise, hope, and joy, and ends tragically, which we learn as the play unfolds. Leo is running away from his problems and taking a step away from his life when he decides to make a surprise visit to see his grandmother. Vera and Leo connect with passion and understanding, and their onstage relationship is magical to watch. They are believable as well as relatable. While Leo has been hiding from, and avoiding his mother, he is able to make an emotional connection with his grandmother and is able to come full circle with getting his life back on track. Lea DiMarchi plays Bec, Leo’s sometime girlfriend, and Phoebe Holden rounds out the cast as Amanda, whom Leo meets while out one night. In a word, the play is stunning.

Mia Dillon (Vera)
4000 Miles

As always, the set design was spectacular for 4000 Miles. Scenic Designer Arnulfo Maldonado created a set design that captured the feel of being in a tiny Greenwich Village apartment in New York City. Set design is like another character with the ability to draw the audience into the fantasy of the play, leaving reality, in this case, Westport, Connecticut, behind.

The play, 4000 Miles, has a runtime of 100 minutes without an intermission, runs until September 4, 2022, and is a "must-see" play. Come to WCP and make a connection with Vera and Leo, and you will be thrilled that you had the opportunity to make their acquaintance.

Until next time, keep enjoying and supporting the arts!

Link for Westport Country Playhouse’s 4000 Miles the Official Trailer: https://www.westportplayhouse.org/show/4000miles/

About the Westport Country Playhouse

The Westport Country Playhouse named as "Theatre Company of the Year" in December 2013 by The Wall Street Journal, opened on June 29, 1931, in a transformed 1835 cow barn, which has, and continues to attract, a "who’s who" of prominent actors.

Looking at the framed posters of past shows that line the lobby walls was like entering an encyclopedia of the arts. A few of the renowned actors who have appeared on the stage there include Ethyl Barrymore, Dorothy and Lillian Gish, Tallulah Bankhead, Gloria Swanson, Don Ameche, Hume Cronin and Jessica Tandy, Jane Fonda, Danny Aiello, Blythe Danner, Jill Clayburgh, Richard Dreyfus, Whoopi Goldberg, Liza Minnelli, Bernadette Peters, Lynn Redgrave, Gene Wilder, and Westport residents Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman.

"Westport Country Playhouse, a not-for-profit theater, serves as a cultural nexus for patrons, artists and students and is a treasured resource for the State of Connecticut. There are no boundaries to the creative thinking for future seasons or the kinds of audiences and excitement for theater that Westport Country Playhouse can build."

"The mission of Westport Country Playhouse is to enrich, enlighten, and engage the community through the power of professionally produced theater of the highest caliber and the welcoming experience of the Playhouse campus. The not-for-profit Playhouse provides this experience in multiple ways by offering live theater experiences of the highest quality, under the artistic direction of Mark Lamos; educational and community engagement events to further explore the work on stage; the New Works Initiative, a program dedicated to the discovery, development, and production of new live theatrical works; special performances and programs for students and teachers with extensive curriculum support material; Script in Hand play readings to deepen relationships with audiences and artists; the renowned Woodward Internship Program during the summer months for aspiring theater professionals; Family Festivities presentations to delight young and old alike and to promote reading through live theater; and the beautiful and historic Playhouse campus open for enjoyment and community events year-round. Charity Navigator has recently awarded its top 4-star charity rating to the Playhouse in recognition of its strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency."

For information on 4000 Miles, upcoming performances, or to purchase tickets, please call the box office at +1-203-227-4177, email them at boxoffice@westportplayhouse.org or visit the website at www.WestportPlayhouse.org.

Performance schedule for 4000 Miles: Friday: 8:00 pm, Saturday: 8:00 pm, Sunday: 3:00 pm, Tuesday: 7:00 pm, Wednesday: 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm, Thursday: 8:00 pm

4000 Miles Creative Team

4000 Miles Cast

Know Before You Go – Covid Protocols

"To attend in-person performances, all audience members must present proof of vaccination and wear a mask at all times while inside. Please review our full safety protocols here."

Upcoming Performances and Events 2022 Season

Westport Country Playhouse
25 Powers Court
Westport, Connecticut 06880
United States
Box Office: +1-203-227-4177
Toll-Free: +1-888-927-7529
Fax: +1-203-454-3239
Box Office: +1-203-227-4177
Website: www.WestportPlayhouse.org
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/WestportCountryPlayhouse
Instagram: www.Intagram.com/wcplayhouse
Twitter: @wcplayhouse

Follow Westport Country Playhouse on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/WestportCountryPlayhouse

Follow Luxury Experience on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/LuxuryExperience to see photos and videos.

Follow Luxury Experience on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/luxurypair @luxurypair

Follow Luxury Experience on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/luxurypair @luxurypair

© August 2022. Luxury Experience www.LuxuryExperience.com. All rights reserved.