‘Going Wild’ @ Rover Dramawerks
Photos by Autumn McNamara
—Jan Farrington
British-American playwright Peter Snoad digs into the heart of America’s stranger-by-the-day feelings about freedom and resistance with his new play Going Wild, a stay-off-my-lawn story that morphs from pure comedy into something more heartfelt and serious.
It’s a world premiere for Rover Dramawerks—in partnership with the Theatre Network of Texas’ New Play Project. And that means North Texas audiences get the fun of forming opinions about what Snoad is up to—before anyone else. For starters, this can’t “only” be about grumpy, lawn-weary husbands, and wives in the mood to push the suburban envelope. He’s sick of mowing. She’s been watching those shows, and thinks she’d like to let their yard, literally, go wild.
Michelle Goltzman and Daniel White play Meredith and Beau Stafford. From the get-go, she seems like an un-fussed, calm counterpart to her husband’s volatile bluster. Beau is a Civil War re-enactor along with brother Andy (Ken Schwartz), and he likes to keep his weekends free for battles. But Meredith’s no-mow plan doesn’t sit right with him—he calls her a “tree hugger” and says she should stay away from “those radical crazy lefties.” The time is 2017, and it seems tempers are running high.
It doesn’t help that Andy’s wife Kizzy (Emily Cole) is head of the rule-spouting HOA for the neighborhood—or that Meredith is quickly spotted by friendly eco-activist Alex (Micaela Workman), who wants Meredith to be a spokesperson for her Green Future group. Meredith’s neighbor Darlene (Vicki Cravens) tries gamely to see both sides and protect her friend.
You might think you could predict the plot from here—but hold on.
Meredith finds herself tracked down and interrogated by “feds” (Jason R. Davis and Johnny Johnson Jr.)—though she can’t understand their interest. And a figure from the past (Trevor Powell) appears in the present, throwing Meredith’s feelings into an unsettling state of confusion and sadness. And both she and Beau are faced with outside forces—politics, patriotism, love of country and the world—they didn’t know were so tangled up in their everyday lives.
Director Glynda Welch keeps a guiding hand on this odd mix of tones and emotions—and draws engaging performances from everyone. (Along with the two leads, Workman’s Alex and Johnson’s “fed” are standouts in a strong cast.)
Goltzman as Meredith plays things broad and funny when she should, but doesn’t let Meredith’s Southern-gal side tip over into cutesy. She fills out the character with subtly revealed thoughts and discoveries. Goltzman’s bright eyes can say a lot, and we see that Meredith lives her days like most of us: feeling a dozen ways about many things…and keeping much of it to herself.
By contrast, we usually know what husband Beau is thinking, because he can’t help saying it out loud. White is noisy, funny, and a bit intimidating at moments—but he clearly loves his wife, and she him. They’ve been through a lot. And maybe, we find to our surprise, he actually might have learned things along the way. (And that’s all the plot you’ll get from me.)
If I have a quibble about the play, it’s the sheer number of short scenes (especially in the first half) that require lights-down breaks for costume changes and moving of props and furniture. Clearly, the author wants a cinematic flow to the action, but that’s a big ask for mid-size theaters. The production’s living-room set is pleasant, well-lit by Catherine M. Luster, and greatly enhanced by a bright picture-window garden painted (and added to) by Iris Duncan. Kerra Sims’ many costumes are character-perfect, and Vivian Reed (and the cast) do a slick job with the props.
Going Wild is a play that’s easy to enjoy on a surface level—but it bears thinking about too, in the ways it resonates with our recent troubles as a divided nation. Like Meredith’s garden, the one you grow is yours to plan and shape, to change your mind about, to discuss (and share) with your neighbors…and to leave, strong and green, for the people you love.
Don’t you love metaphors?
WHEN: October 2-11, 2025
WHERE: Cox Playhouse, 1517 H Avenue, Plano TX
WEB: roverdramawerks.com
