Illinois Valley Community College will present its fall production of "Tiny Beautiful Things" over four days in November, the college announced.
The play will be performed Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 12-15, in the Dr. Mary Margaret Weeg Cultural Centre on the IVCC campus in Oglesby. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for high school students and younger, and free for IVCC students. Tickets are available through the online box office at https://cur8.com/projects/ivcc.
Based on the bestselling book by Cheryl Strayed, the play follows a struggling online advice columnist named Sugar and a revolving cast of characters who seek her advice and find empathy and connection, according to the college.
"To put it in the words of one of the cast members: Come feel all the feels! It is a fun, fast-moving play filled with a variety of characters and situations, full of comedy and some very touching moments," said Director and Theater Instructor Dr. Dale Young.
Young said he put the script on his top 10 want-to-do list after seeing a staged reading and believes now is the right time to bring it to the Illinois Valley.
"We live in strange, disconnected, and highly anxious times. What gets us through is our ability to connect genuinely with those around us, to share stories, ask questions, offer encouragement, and to laugh at ourselves and fuel hope," Young said. He added that Sugar is "often hilariously, sometimes heartbreakingly, funny and honest."
Cast and crew
The cast includes Jennifer Walk of Hennepin as Sugar and IVCC students Hope Loza, Luke Gualandri, Ava Talbot and Samuel Wade as the advice-seekers. Walk is an IVCC alumna and Illinois Valley area theater veteran.
The crew includes Addison Kanellis, student stage manager/understudy; Dr. Laura Bird of Ann Arbor, Mich., scenic design; Lisa Gifford of La Salle, lighting design; and Chad Brokaw, IVCC Events and Technical Coordinator, technical direction.
The college said the play deals with some adult themes and includes adult language that may not be appropriate for young children, so parental discretion is advised.