“The thing that attracted me to The Light in the Piazza, in addition to the chance to work with Adam Guettel, was the way in which Margaret Johnson’s specific dilemma stood in for every parent’s need to let go of their child, sooner or later, while fully knowing that there is no such thing as a safe world for them. It is always a risk sending a child off into the larger society. There is no guarantee of fully preparing or protecting them. And the circumstances which raise the stakes in Margaret and Clara’s case serve to heighten this essential step in all lives, providing more dramatic tension than the “ordinary” version could ever provide.”
Craig Lucas’ plays include The Singing Forest, Prayer For My Enemy, Small Tragedy and Prelude to a Kiss. His films include Longtime Companion, The Secret Lives of Dentists, and The Dying Gaul (which he also directed).
book by Craig Lucas >
music and lyrics by Adam Guettel >
produced by arrangement with Turner Entertainment Co., owner of the original motion picture Light in the Piazza based on the novel by Elizabeth Spencer
directed by Molly Smith > The Light in the Piazza is sponsored by
Margot Kelly
& Ira Meiselman.
The musical theater season is sponsored by Jaylee Mead.
The Crystal City season is sponsored by Crystal City BID.
March 5 - April 11, 2010
One windy day in the Tuscan countryside, Clara loses her hat in a sudden gust, and as if guided by fate, it lands at the feet of the handsome Fabrizio. As their whirlwind courtship unfolds, Clara's mother, Margaret, is unable to conceal the family secret and must reconsider not only her daughter's future but her own as well. Arena's own Molly Smith > directs an intimate, chamber version of this musical that won six Tony Awards (including Best Score) and hearts across the country, being hailed "a magnificent theatrical achievement" (Chicago Tribune) and "absolutely transfixing" (San Francisco Chronicle). Craig Lucas (Prelude to a Kiss) has distilled Elizabeth Spencer's novella to a poignant tale about the essence of love, aided by the lush music of Adam Guettel (Floyd Collins).
Craig Lucas’ plays include The Singing Forest, Prayer For My Enemy, Small Tragedy and Prelude to a Kiss. His films include Longtime Companion, The Secret Lives of Dentists, and The Dying Gaul (which he also directed).
