Cast of JP Taravella’s production of Picnic.
By: Sharon Aron Baron
Pack up a basket and attend J.P. Taravella High School’s production of “Picnic” based on a play by William Inge.
Picnic debuted in Broward in 1953 and was directed by Joshua Logan. Inge won the Pulitzer Prize that year for Drama and Logan received a Tony Award for Best Director. Picnic was Paul Newman’s Broadway debut. Newman, who was an unknown at the time, campaigned heavily for the leading role of Hal, but director Joshua Logan did not think Newman was physically large enough to convey the lead character’s athletic attributes.
The timeless story tells the tale of a teenage daughter who falls for a drifter who is the opposite of her steady boyfriend, much to her mother’s chagrin. The love triangle swirls in the midst of colorful characters preparing for a neighborhood picnic on Labor Day.
The Drama Department will perform the show November 2 – 4 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets for Picnic performances are available online at www.seatyourself.biz/jpt for $10. Tickets will also be available at the box office one hour prior to showtime for $12.
Don’t miss it the excitement on November 4, when JP Taravella will host “Cappie Critics at the production”. The Critics are high school students from surrounding cities who will then write reviews of the play for publication. All of the year’s Cappie shows compete in an awards ceremony similar to the Tony Awards in May 2018 at The Broward Center.
Tamarac residents are welcome. J.P. Taravella is located at 10600 Riverside Drive in Coral Springs.