Cicely Tyson in ‘The Trip to Bountiful’

In Horton Foote’s “The Trip to Bountiful,” Cicely Tyson portrays Carrie Watts, who is compelled to live with her son and daughter-in-law in their uncomfortably small apartment in 1950s Houston.   (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Vanessa Williams and Blair Underwood rehearse their interactions as a husband and wife whose marriage is strained by the presence of a live-in parent.   (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Director Michael Wilson, left, works with Vanessa Williams and Blair Underwood during rehearsals in Los Angeles for “The Trip to Bountiful.”   (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Cicely Tyson, left, and Vanessa Williams rehearse “The Trip to Bountiful” in preparation for its Los Angeles run.   (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Vanessa Williams and Blair Underwood rehearse “The Trip to Bountiful.”  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Cicely Tyson’s character in “The Trip to Bountiful” feels hemmed in by life in the city and longs to return to her rural hometown.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

In “The Trip to Bountiful,” Vanessa Williams and Blair Underwood portray a couple under economic and emotional stress.   (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Cicely Tyson, left, Vanessa Williams and Blair Underwood rehearse a scene from “The Trip to Bountiful.”   (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)

Director Michael Wilson works with the cast of “The Trip to Bountiful” during a rehearsal. The show, now in previews, opens Sept. 26 and runs through Nov. 2.  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)