As urban dwellers, we usually don't think in terms of farms or barns. You're lucky if you own a one-bedroom or maybe a cottage in the country. But in Samm-Art Williams's tender ode to rural life, "Home," his main character is profoundly shaped by the soil of his birthplace. Now this heartfelt play has found its way back home to the New York stage.

"Home" first premiered in 1979 and moved to Broadway in 1980, where its lyrical language and folksy humor insured the Negro Ensemble Company production a nine-month run.

The current limited-engagement revival at the Signature Theatre Company, staged by Ron OJ Parson, allows an up-close and intimate look at the work, which tells life story of Cephus Miles, who hails from the small town of Cross Roads, North Carolina.

Miles is a simple man with a melancholy side, a Southern everyman who farms the land, falls in love, gets his heart broken and then experiences tragedy as he enters adult life.

First, Cephus refuses to join the army and fight in Vietnam, so he is thrown in jail and brutalized. After his release, our hero spends 13 years in the big city, where he falls prey to alcohol, homelessness and madness. But before playwright Williams allows his tale to become too hopeless, he redeems Miles and returns him to his roots.

This is a warm, vibrant and inspirational revival, led by the charismatic Kevin T. Carroll as Cephus, and January LaVoy and Tracey Bonner playing Woman One and Two. These two take on a dizzying cast of supporting characters, both tempting and saving Cephus on his bumpy journey through life.

In the nearly three decades since its world premiere, "Home" has not lost much relevance. By writing in a lush, poetic mode and sticking to deeply human values, Samm-Art Williams makes a strong argument for not forgetting your origins and not losing hope.