Starting this Friday, the Strawberry Hill Players will have a showing of this year’s fall play: Picnic. This play will be held at 8 p.m. in the large auditorium and additional performances will be held on Nov. 10th and 11th at the same time and place. Be sure to be there!

Picnic is an entertaining and dramatic production that takes place in the 1950’s. As cast member John Bolognino put it, “it’s about a radical man who returns to a small town looking for a college friend of his so that he can get a job. Along the way he basically ruins all social interactions that could possibly happen—he puts the town up on its end and people end up falling in love with him in one way or another.” Bolognino also explained that this play is particularly unique because it’s the first that The Strawberry Hill Players are doing set in the 50’s. The production has taken the screenplay of William Inge —a notable playwright— to recreate the essence and timely comedy of this decade.

The drama members, both new and old, have also created a strong bond because of this play, and their camaraderie is at display throughout the production. Bolognino recognized this when saying “I think the cast as we have it, even the people who are new have all developed a good spirit and the play in it of itself is sort of intimate.” The tight knit group and overall harmony of the production make Picnic likely to be a stellar show.

Members of The Strawberry Hill Players have put in a lot of time in order to produce this play. Cast member Emma Sharma said, “it’s also really interesting to see people, whether this is their first show or their first time on stage, and how they develop from the beginning of the rehearsal till now.”

This play, according to Bolognino, is “small yet powerful,” which perfectly depicts this melodramatic small-town hit that explores themes of sexuality, repression, rites of passage, and disappointment. This play truly has something for everyone; it’s a fun take on a classic that, without a doubt, all will love.