This autobiographical play follows shy teenager Tillie navigating the dysfunctional waters of her household while clinging to science as her lifeline. Encouraged by her science teacher, she experiments with radiation on marigolds. She enters and wins her high school science fair, which brings her newfound hope and confidence, proving that one can triumph in the face of life’s adversities.
Directed by Michelle Macau, cast members include Caroline Colvin, Taylor Nicole Hadsell, Lisa Ruth Mays, Patricia Van Tassel, and Gianna Vasquez Bartolini, with set designer, David Hill, lighting designer, Erwin Karl, and composer, John Sheridan.
The production opened Off-Broadway in 1970 and on Broadway in 1971, winning a Drama Desk Award as well as the 1971 Pulitzer Prize. A film by Paul Newman and starring Joanne Woodward followed in 1972.
Geared to older teens and adults, the production opens Thursday, July 18, and runs Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7 p.m.; Sunday matinee at 3.
Tickets are $10 for students and $25 for adults. Friday night is “pay-what-you-wish.”
Tickets can be purchased at: www.theopeneyetheater.org/events-tickets
