Theatre Central presents its first play of the spring season, “Ah, Wilderness!” The show will run from Feb. 27-Mar. 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the Kruidenier Center.
The play, written by Eugene O’Neill, focuses on an ordinary American family in small-town Connecticut in 1906. As the family celebrates the Fourth of July, what concerns them most is the youthful fervor of Richard, just out of high school. His family worries about his literary and anarchist tendencies. He is also passionately in love with a neighbor’s daughter and means to marry her.
“‘Ah, Wilderness!’ is a mid-century American classic. In addition to being a terrific challenge for our actors, it fit well with the theatre department’s mission to expose our students to a broad spectrum of theatre,” said Ann Wilkinson, instructor of theatre and the show’s director. “The play not only gives the actors the opportunity to explore the work of a seminal playwright and a different period, but for us to offer a family-friendly work.”
“Ah, Wilderness!” is an American classic that first opened on Broadway in 1933. O’Neill was the first American dramatist to regard the stage as a literary medium. He was honored with four Pulitzer prizes during his lifetime and is the only American playwright to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. The show features guest artist Tom Vander Well, a local stage veteran and member of the Union Street Players, Pella’s award-winning community theatre.
Cost for general admission tickets is $5. Student and senior citizen tickets are $3, and admission is free with a Central ID. Tickets are available at the Maytag Box Office or by calling 641-628-9000.
