Jan. 22, 2024

Contact Brittany Bara at 608-796-3792 or bmbara@viterbo.edu

VITERBO UNIVERSITY CONSERVATORY FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS TO PRESENT TAR BEACH FEB. 2–4

LA CROSSE, Wis. – The Viterbo University Conservatory for the Performing Arts will present the drama Tar Beach by Tammy Ryan Friday, Feb. 2–Sunday, Feb. 4 in the Fine Arts Center LaCroix Black Box Theatre.

It is July 1977. Son of Sam is on the loose and New York City is in the midst of a brutal heat wave. Sixteen-year-old Mary Claire and her best friend Mary Francis start that day sunning themselves on the roof of a Queens row house. Younger sister Reenie is searching for her lost Greek Mythology class project, while their parents are consumed by the battles of their troubled marriage. The boy-crazy Marys hatch a plan to stay out all night, but an overstressed electrical grid leads to a city-wide blackout and a sudden loss of innocence.

“This is a story many people can relate to in a broad sense,” said Viterbo theatre faculty member Brittany Bara, the director of the production. “It’s a memory play about looking back at your life and the events that define you and make you who you are—or the adversity you overcome and the things that happen that you don’t let define you.”

This Viterbo production of Tar Beach stars students Laurelle Bandy, Ruby Brisco, Savannah DeShazo, Ellie Parish, and Zach Sullivan. Bara said she has been greatly impressed with the cast.

“The honesty and vulnerability the actors are willing to share is amazing,” she said. “The subject matter is heavy, but they have approached it wholeheartedly in their willingness to tell this story.”

While the play contains difficult topics, it also includes unexpectedly funny moments, Bara said.

“Tar Beach is a really beautiful new piece and a wonderful way to celebrate up and coming playwrights and the great work they do,” Bara said. “I hope everyone can come out and see it.”

Tar Beach contains strong language and adult subject matter. It is intended for mature audiences. It is produced by special arrangement with Gurman Agency LLC.

Performance times are 7:30 p.m. Feb. 2–3 and 2 p.m. Feb. 4. Tickets are $16, plus taxes and fees, for general admission seating. For more information or to order tickets, contact the Viterbo box office at 608-796-3100 or visit www.viterbo.edu/tickets.

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