Celebrate 75 Years of 'The Grapes of Wrath'

Musician Rob Halverson has long been a fan of John Steinbeck's classic 1939 novel The Grapes of Wrath. So when it occurred to him last year that the book's 75th anniversary was quickly approaching, he decided to commemorate the occasion with a little help from Austin's artistic community.

Halverson's Grapes of Wrath 75 Project is a far-reaching and ongoing endeavor. It includes a cd and dvd of performance pieces and interviews about and inspired by the novel, as well as a journey undertaken by Halverson (in partnership with the National Steinbeck Center) in which he retraced the Route 66 journey of the novel's Joad family.

The project also includes live performances, such as the one coming up this Saturday at the Spiderhouse Ballroom. Halverson will be joined by other musicians (including Abra Moore, Amy Annelle, and Aimee Bobruck) and local actors (including Marco Perella and CK McFarland) to perform original music and dramatic pieces inspired by The Grapes of Wrath.

See The Grapes of Wrath 75 Project this Saturday at the Spiderhouse Ballroom.