The Open Eye Theatre to Present THE EFFECT OF GAMMA RAYS ON MAN-IN-THE-MOON MARIGOLDS

THE OPEN EYE THEATER will present the 1971 Pulitzer Prize winning play THE EFFECT OF GAMMA RAYS ON MAN-IN-THE-MOON MARIGOLDS by Paul Zindel. The productin will run July 18 - July 28, 2024, Thursday - Saturday at 7PM, Sunday at 3PM.

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, bringing 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.

Playwright Paul Zindel, (b. 1936; d. 2003) wrote several other plays in the 1970's and 1980's, though none was the success that "The Effect of Gamma Rays" was. He also wrote novel after novel for teenagers. His first, "The Pigman" (1968), focused on two alienated teenagers who take advantage of an old man -- another situation that was autobiographical, he said. He followed "The Pigman" with a string of works that included "My Darling, My Hamburger" (1969), "I Never Loved Your Mind" (1970), "Pardon Me, You're Stepping on My Eyeball" (1976), "Confessions of a Teenage Baboon" (1977) and "The Undertaker's Gone Bananas" (1978).

Geared to older teens and adults, the production opens Thursday, July 18, playing Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:00pm and Sunday matinee at 3:00pm. Tickets are $10 for students and $25 for adults. Friday night will be "Pay-what-you-wish." Tickets can be purchased at: https://www.theopeneyetheater.org/events-tickets or by scanning the QR code below.

The mission of The Open Eye Theater is to produce high quality theater performances and other educational programming for a diverse population in theCatskill Mountain Region and beyond - enriching the quality of life for theater artists, students, and audiences of all ages.

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