THE SUGAR RIDGE RAG Comes to LAB Theater Project This Month

LAB Theater Project will present its production of Miami playwright, Philip Middleton Williams new work, The Sugar Ridge Rag, a wonderful drama that looks at the bonds that unite a family through difficult times. This timely play explores how war can ravage a tight-knit family and how love can truly overcome that darkness. Running April 28th through May 15th (Thursday through Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday at 3 pm), at 812 E Henderson Avenue in Ybor City, options for viewing include In-Person and On-Demand. On-Demand viewing will also be available May 12-26. For tickets and additional information, visit https://www.labtheaterproject.com.

Written by award winning Miami based playwright, Philip Middleton Williams, Directed by Caroline Jett, with Peter Zaliniak as Assisstant Director, The Sugar Ridge Rag features local actors Heather Cole, Nathan Juliano, Ricardo Fernandez, and Tyler Wood. The set and lighting design is by Owen Robertson, with set dressing, scenic artistry, and stage management by Beth Tepe-Robertson. Sound Design is by Catherine Hagner with Costumes and Prop Design by Vanessa Reynolds. Videography is by Kristy Pike.

"From the moment I first read The Sugar Ridge Rag,". Director Caroline Jett said, "I was completely taken in by the Granger family. Living in the tumultuous 70s, with Kent State, peace marches, Viet Nam, and Watergate, Pete and Dave make choices that affect the course of their own lives and those of the entire family, the consequences of which threaten their relationships, safety and freedom."

About the play:
Dave and Pete Granger, age 17, are twin brothers in rural Ohio in 1970. Dave enlists in the Army as a combat medic and is sent to Vietnam. Pete, a piano prodigy who is gay, goes to Canada to pursue his education in music and avoids the draft. Their parents; Hal, a veteran of the Korean War, and Deb, a nurse, are left to deal with the consequences of their sons' actions and their future as a family. Over the next five years, their lives are changed forever by the war and the choices each of them has made.

Jett adds "And although The Sugar Ridge Rag takes place 50 years ago, I saw strong parallels in the world we live in today with protests, civil unrest, war, and political division. And still we make choices that strongly impact family and friends, having profound consequences on our lives. It is my hope that the audience will see that, like the Grangers, we all march to a different beat, syncopated as it were, and that with love and and understanding we can reconcile and transcend our many differences, creating a beautiful rhythm together."

The Sugar Ridge Rag runs for three weekends, April 28th through May 15th. Performance times are Thursday through Saturday at 8 pm and Sunday matinee at 3 pm. Tickets are available for in-house seating for specific performances. Beginning May 12th and lasting till May 26th, audiences can also enjoy The Sugar Ridge Rag on-demand. For the on-demand option, audience members will be emailed a link for home viewing. LAB reserves the right to adjust the number of seats available in response to CDC guidance, to protect the health and wellbeing of our audiences, cast, and crew. LAB Theater Project wants patrons to feel safe coming to the theater; full health and safety procedures may be found at http://www.labtheaterproject.com/covid-19.

Tickets are $28 and are available online through LAB's website, https://www.labtheaterproject.com. In-person tickets can only be purchased in advance, not at the door. For questions or interview requests, please contact the Box Office at 813-586-4272, or email us at information@labtheaterproject.com.

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