Buy your tickets today at lunch for the February 17, 18, and 19, showings of The Rivers and Ravines in the North Campus theatre.

The latest production directed by Maralynn Markano and performed by AHS thespians is a drama about a farming community that loses its land. It focuses on the struggle and emotion of the people who are dealing with this tragedy and shows how sadness can turn into hope.

The ensemble cast features Tony Giuffre, Charlie Bauer, Allison Lackey, Nick Zahn, Rachel Reinders, Kelly Britt, Billy Balistreri, RJ Conley, Magdaline Small, Kaitlyn Smith, Casey Bischel, Jill Franecki, and Ben Burns.

“There’s some amazing acting,” assistant director and stage manager Rachael Parker commented adding that the cast and crew became a tight-knit group, and that it really shows on stage.

While the play takes place on the farm in the 1980s, Markano says the play could be set anywhere or anytime and still send the same message. “It could be set in New York after the 9/11 attacks,” she commented. “It shows how [all people] can put their lives back together after tragedy.”

Markano also relates it to the recent tsunami disaster and explains that the play’s deeper meaning is the way real people deal with real tragedy in a realistic way. Whether people choose to withdraw, seek help, blame others, lose faith, find faith, or give up, Rivers focuses on the different ways people deal with tragedy.

Markano described Rivers as a survival story and noted “[It] is different from anything we’ve ever done before, it’s the kind of show you need to see more than once.”

The tickets are currently on sale during lunch for $5 each as general admission, or you can see Mrs. Markano in room 100. The play is showing on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and the curtain rises at 7:30 pm, so get there early for good seats.