Jessica Alden and Nicholas Johnson Photo by Rhonda Sigler-Ware

Like Tennessee Williams, Inge took his inspiration from memories of the people he knew growing up. Inge was inspired by the teachers in a small Kansas town and the working people. Bus Stop is a romantic drama set in a diner outside of Kansas City where travelers and local townfolk are stranded by a snowstorm blocking the road. Bus Stop is generally considered the less original play because of the somewhat "stock" characters, and the time-worn situation throwing them together is also an often-used cliché plot.

The Adobe Theater is presenting this eight-character play in two acts. Director Georgia Athearn has chosen a strong cast and also designed a utilitarian stage set. The physical aspects of the production are executed well. Lighting, costumes and properties are period appropriate and unobtrusive. Ms. Athearn keeps the focus on the actors and the acting; she concentrates on facilitating moments of connection and introspection.

All of the actors deliver believable characters. The people on the bus include Dr. Gerald Lyman, a college philosophy professor with a questionable background and a fondness for alcohol and young women. He is played by veteran actor Mario Cabrera, whose impeccable comic timing almost threatens to steal the show, but he handles the heartfelt moments easily too.

At the center of the action are the would-be lovers: Bo Decker, a brash young cowboy on his first trip off the ranch; and Cherie, a pretty nightclub singer Bo abducts to be his bride. Jessica Alden is a comely Cherie with natural sex appeal and Nicholas Johnson plays Bo with enough audacity and tenderness to lessen his brutish actions. Both are completely believable as naïve, stubborn first-time lovers. Virgil Blessing, Bo's side-kick played by Isaac Dean Carrillo, rounds out the bus passengers with quiet authority.

The local people are Charles Garcia as the bus driver, Catalina as diner owner Grace Hoylard, Castilian Mayerhofer as Elma Duckworth the young waitress, and Joel Daniel Miller as Will Masters the sheriff. At the performance I attended, Mr. Garcia and Catalina got off to a rocky start with first-night jitters hampering their portrayals, but they recovered later in the show. Joel Daniel Miller is a very convincing and strong sheriff, and Castalia Mayerhofer is lovely as the impressionable waitress.

Director Georgia Athearn keeps the pace moving but takes time for the more poignant moments. Cherie and Virgil could have used more rehearsal with their rendition of "That Old Black Magic." The sound effects could be more precise. These minor problems do not distract from a very enjoyable theatrical experience.

With the well-known movie of Bus Stop starring Marilyn Monroe still in circulation, Bus Stop is already an American theatrical classic. This is the performance to see and appreciate.

Bus Stop runs through September 28, 2025, at the Adobe Theater, 9813 4th Street NW, Albuquerque NM. Performances are Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays at 7:30pm, Saturdays at 7:30pm at 2:00 pm, and Sundays at 2:00pm. General Admission: $28.46, Discount Admission $24.32, Students $19.15. with fees. For tickets and information, please visit adobetheater.org

Director and Set Design by Georgia Athearn, Lighting Design by Jerry Hines, Costume Design by Jason Godin, Properties and Set Decoration by Nina Dorrane, Stage Manager, Terri Klein.

The Cast: Castalia Mayerhofer, Catalina, Joel Daniel Miller, Jessica Alden, Mario Cabrera, Charles Garcia, Isaac Dean Carrillo, and Nicholas Johnson.